Luke AFB Thunderbolt, June 2022

“We train the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat ready Airmen”
Luke CONS teams up with Davis-Monthan CONS for exercise
INSIDE
June 2022 Vol. 21, No. 7
StorIES
Med Group supports, 3 Police Week, 4 Chaplain’s Thoughts, 5 Summer safety, 6 944th Annual Awards, 12
FEAtUrE
Senior Airman Noah D. Coger
Crown Talon
See Pages 8 and 9
By Staff Sgt. KRiSTine LegATe
355th Wing Public Affairs
DAViS-MOnTHAn AiR FORCe BASe, Ariz. — To qualify as contingency contracting officers, Airmen must first undergo hands-on training to test their knowledge on their day-to-day procedures under catastrophic events.
Typically, this annual exercise is laid out for contracting Airmen by higher headquar- ters, but for this year’s rendition guidance was left vague. It provided the opportunity for units across the U.S. Air Force to tailor training to their personnel’s needs.
“This year’s training is a simulated hur- ricane recovery effort based off Hurricane Michael that hit Tyndall AFB, Florida, a few years ago,“ said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Karl Knott, 355th Contracting Squad- ron lead exercise planner and evaluator. “We’ve replicated a TDY [temporary duty assignment] to Tyndall to aid in the revival of the base.”
Coordination and planning started May 2021 when U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Chad Stemick, 355th CONS senior enlisted leader, reached out to Luke AFB’s 56th CONS. Together, and 200 planning hours later, they created a multiday and overnight exercise simulating a stateside disaster containing 76 training scenarios. The scenarios incorporated aspects rang- ing from operational contracting, multi- capable Airmen activities, Lead Wing con-
cepts and crisis response for their Airmen. The exercise took place at DM’s Sunglow City from April 27-29, where players stayed overnight to get a feel for what it’s like to be away from their respective bases. Be- tween the 355th and 56th CONS, 70 total Airmen underwent training. The affiliation between DM and Luke CONS’s was the first of its kind for the Arizona contracting
community.
Contracting specialists follow strict
standards to ensure every detail is covered every step of the way. They help prepare, negotiate and award contracts to qualified vendors, as well as evaluate their perfor- mances to ensure that the money spent is put to its best possible use. They provide the sources to sustain, recover and rebuild.
“This is a fantastic partnership between our contracting squadrons, we don’t have to be in the same major command to un- derstand the importance of readiness,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Brandon Reeves, 355th CONS commander. “The wing commander prioritizes readiness and we play a part in base wide exercises by sending a person or two. However, during this exercise we get the opportunity to make sure we get expe- rience for our newer Airmen all at once.”
Typically, priorities are crisis response, security, medical evacuation, damage as- sessment and basic sustainment, priorities that aren’t often associated with contract- ing. CONS Airmen need the skills to work quickly and efficiently to provide aid in these services.
Photos by Staff Sgt. Kristine Legate
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Weldon Hobbs, 355th Comptroller Squadron com- mander, provides his experiences when Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, was hit by Hurricane Michael, during an annual contracting exercise held at Davis- Monthan AFB, Arizona, April 28, 2022. Participants of the exercise encoun- tered various scenarios involving other Airmen posing as various customers and contractors.
LEFT: Airmen from Luke Air Force Base’s 56th Contracting Squadron and the 355th CONS simulate a transaction on behalf of the unit and a customer at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, April 28, 2022. Contracting Airmen pre- pare and award contracts to qualified vendors, as well as evaluate their per- formances to ensure the money spent is put to the best possible use.
“Wherever there’s a need for people, there’s a need for supplies and services,” said Reeves. “So, for our guys; it’s not if, but when they’re going out the door, and we have to make sure they are ready.”
Participants of the exercise encoun- tered scenarios involving others pos- ing as various customers, contractors, and higher headquarters’ requests for information, testing their time manage- ment, attention to detail and contracting knowledge, while also aiding in their development as mission-focused business leaders.
“Opportunities like this are extremely beneficial to our newer Airmen,” said Knott. “We have five-person teams out here, and of the teams, at least three members have less than a year of experi- ence – either in the Air Force or as part of contracting because they’re cross trainees. This is their first experience in dealing with manual contract forms, some of our contingency thresholds, and also being thrown into leadership roles.”
Throughout the exercise, a small team of experienced personnel monitored the par- ticipants to provide feedback and guidance
See CoNS, Page 3
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