SJAFB and Fort Bragg participate in JFCE-21

4th Fighter Wing / Published June 25, 2021

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Air Force Maj. Gen. Cameron Holt, back, Deputy Secretary for Contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, and Chief Master Sgt. Dennis Carr, Contracting Career Field Manager and Chief of Enlisted Policy, receive a brief at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, June 24, 2021. The brief was part of Joint Forces Contracting Exercise 2021.

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Army Maj. Matthew Szarzynski, right, 419th Contracting Support Brigade contracting officer speaks with Air Force Maj. Gen. Cameron Holt, Deputy Secretary for Contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, June 24, 2021. Holt visited the exercise and briefed airmen and soldiers on the benefits of working in a joint environment for training exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class David Lynn)

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Army Maj. Matthew Szarzynski, 419th Contracting Support Brigade contracting officer, holds a practice brief at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, June 24, 2021. The full brief was given to Air Force Maj. Gen. Cameron Holt, Deputy Secretary for Contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics on different contracts offered for the exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class David Lynn)

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Army Maj. Matthew Szarzynski, 419th Contracting Support Brigade contracting officer, briefs airmen and soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, June 24, 2021. Szarynski was assigned to be the contracting detachment commander during the exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class David Lynn)

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Army Staff Sgt. Antonio Cusic, front, 419th Contracting Support Brigade contracting specialist, Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua Lewis, 4th Contracting Squadron contracting specialist, and 2nd Lt. Ian Woods 4th CONS infrastructure flight team lead, work on computers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, June 24, 2021. Joint Forces Contracting Exercise 2021 required contracting teams to execute the force employment concept of deploying a joint regional contracting office to provide operational contract support to a combat-credible force in the deterrence of aggression against U.S. interests in key areas. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class David Lynn)

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE N.C. --

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --

Airmen from the 4th Contracting Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, teamed up with Soldiers from the 419th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for the 2021 Virtual Joint Forces Contracting Exercise, at Fort Bragg, June 21-25, 2021.

The goal of the exercise is to build a trained and ready joint force capable of delivering contracting support and contingency contracting effects during large-scale combat operations.

“We’re practicing our joint interoperability with the Air Force and eventually with all of our sister services because it’s important that we be able to work with each other,” said Army Col. Joel Greer, JFCE-21 director.

The exercise scenario included Army and Air Force contracting forces in U.S. European Command’s area of responsibility as part of a larger deployment operation to conduct theater support contracting and contingency contracting administrative services. Army Mission and Installation Combat Command officials said JFCE-21 also revalidates the capability of joint contracting enablers as a force multiplier to increase warfighter readiness, interoperability, flexibility and freedom of movement by leveraging commercial capabilities through contract support and contingency contracting administration services.

“We have to train like we fight and more and more often that’s with our Army counterparts,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Hawkins, 4th CONS commander. “Exercises like this allow members of both services to lean each other’s vocabularies, experience different procedures and perspectives, and establish and cultivate relationships.”

Airmen found working with their Army counterparts to be beneficial.

“This is my first time working in a joint environment,” said Air Force Airman 1st Class Ethan Phillips, 4th CONS contracting specialist. “Its been beneficial learning different techniques and styles the Army uses.”

Joint exercises aid in preparing Airmen to work in joint environments when deployed down range.

“In the future, there will be no fights that are single-service, especially in contracting,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Cameron Holt, Deputy Secretary for Contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, in Washington D.C. “We are a high demand, low density force and Army and Air Force cooperation is critical to operational success.”

(Editor’s Note: Daniel P. Elkins, U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command Public Affairs, contributed to the article)

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