Photo By Airman 1st Class Liberty Matthews | Team Dover members from the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron and the 436th Contracting...... read more read more
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DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. – In a puzzle, every piece must come together to create a completed picture. The 436th Contracting Squadron provides the support on base to keep the Team Dover mission running, drawing up contracts and working closely with military and civilian partners to ensure the needs are met.
Without the Contracting Squadron, many services, projects and commodities would not take place if it weren’t for the effort and research they put into funding the appropriate companies to keep the base running smoothly.
“We are here as force multipliers,” said Anita Walls, 436th CONS plans and programs flight chief. “A lot of pieces go into what we do.”
The first piece to the puzzle is receiving the request for a certain item or a particular task. Squadrons around the Wing can submit orders for these needs to the 436th CONS, and from there, they can sort out what kind of solution can be found.
“We provide construction projects, services around the base and some commodities that can fill any kind of capability gaps that the Wing would have,” said Senior Master Sgt. Martin Vessels, 436th CONS senior enlisted leader. “CONS doesn’t go around the base and try to figure out what it needs. It’s our mission partners.”
Searching for a company for the project isn’t easy. Abundant thought and research go into what companies are considered fit for the mission.
“We’re mandated to reach out to smaller businesses first,” said Walls. “Since we are using tax dollars, we need to be sure that we’re taking care of small businesses first. If some small businesses are not able to handle a very large project, then we reach out to a large business.”
After a company has been found, a price is discussed. At that point, the 436th Comptroller Squadron comes into play to negotiate payment and how much the base can spend.
“Usually, we can go with the lowest price,” said Vessels. “But the best doesn’t always tie directly to price.”
Once a price and terms are agreed on, CONS concludes by combing through the fine print with the partnering company, and the request is considered complete. Their tedious attention to detail is what helps the Wing’s mission: to deliver.
“The most fun part of CONS is the challenge behind the challenge,” said Walls. “Finding that missing piece, researching a solution in order to meet the Wing’s needs and complete the overall big picture.”
| Date Taken: | 09.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2024 14:42 |
| Story ID: | 481316 |
| Location: | DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DELAWARE, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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