Airmen join Soldiers in Joint Dawn

  • Published
  • By Ed Worley
  • U.S. Army Contracting Command Office of Public and Congressional Affairs
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AFNS) --  About two dozen contracting Airmen trained here to get a taste of contracting operations in a contingency environment.

The Airmen came from as far away as Japan, Alaska and Hawaii to participate in the U.S. Army Expeditionary Contracting Command Operation Joint Dawn 2011. When they hit the ground they spent two weeks of intensive training in Army-led warrior training skills and conducted contracting operations in a contingency environment.

Joint Dawn is the largest joint contracting exercise of its type. It prepares officers and NCOs to deploy in support of combatant commander requirements worldwide, with emphasis on operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The goal of the exercise is to provide a ready-trained contingency contracting force capable of supporting warfighters and conducting the contingency contracting mission.

The training will help deploying Airmen because they will train like they will fight when they are deployed to regional contracting centers in the U.S. Central Command theater, said Col. Roger H. Westermeyer, the director of contracting at Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah.

"Our regional contracting centers are joint," he explained. "Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines -- all working together to get the mission done. It's important if that's the way we're going to operate in theater, then we should train that way now. That way we learn each other's lingo and how we operate so when we deploy together we'll be ready from day one."

Colonel Westermeyer speaks from experience. He served a one-year tour in Iraq as the principal assistant responsible for contracting, or the senior contracting official. He's playing a similar role in the exercise, as well as serving as a senior mentor.

More than 200 people are participating in the exercise, including 115 Army, Air Force, Army Reserve and Army National Guard contingency contracting officers.

Airmen got a lot of exposure to combat skills they don't normally experience, Colonel Westermeyer said. They focused on 15 warrior skills the first week, including convoy operations, wartime medical skills, marksmanship, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle roll-over egress training and military operations in urban terrain. The MOUT training included firefights with aggressors as the contracting teams worked to rescue victims. Combatants were armed with paintball guns and were "cleared hot" to engage the enemy.

Senior Airman George Halley, from the 18th Contracting Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, said he really appreciated the warrior skills training.

"A lot of (the warrior skills training) is training that I could spend 20 years in the Air Force maybe not even see that training," he said. "I might see something similar, but I wouldn't see what the Army is doing."

Airman Halley said rolling over in the MRAP trainer was "an interesting experience."

I hope I never have to do it in real life, but I'm prepared now; I know what to expect," he said.

The urban assault using paintball guns had a "fun factor," he added. "...but it really brought to light how confusing things can get, especially if you're not trained," Airman Halley said he took a few hits in the paintball exchange--"more than I thought I did until I took my gear off."

Taking hits helped him appreciate even more the work troops are doing in the combat zones, he said. It also make him realize how much more training he would like for combat situations.

Colonel Westermeyer said the combined Army-Force training is a "win-win" for the two services. He acknowledged that Soldiers excel in the combat skills while Airmen bring a wealth of contracting experience to the fight. He said that's primarily because Air Force brings many Airmen into the contracting career field from day one of active duty, while Soldiers cross-train into the career field later in their careers.

Capt. Andrea Buckley, the executive officer in the directorate of contracting at Ogden ALC, is the youngest mentor participating, but she brings the experience of three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. She said the training will help Airmen understand Army lingo, policies and procedures.

"I've sat in every seat in that RCC, I've written contracts, I've trained customers, I've trained vendors, as well as had the leadership role." she said. "I think this training is phenomenal. Generally when we deploy we're going to be supporting Army units."

"Everyone is just so hungry for knowledge before a deployment," she said. "A lot of the Army folks have deployed before but for their primary branch--infantry, artillery. This will be the first time for most of the Army and most of the Air Force deploying as contracting. So it's the great unknown. This exercise is giving them the chance to be exposed to the things they are going to run into, what do they need to do to prepare before they go. It really answers all those questions."

Contracting Airman can look forward to participating in next year's exercise. Colonel Westermeyer said he is already working with his Army counterparts to ensure the Air Force continues to participate in future joint CCO pre-deployment exercises.