Food, bottled water, rooms, cars and cell phones -– it takes all of these things and more to make a deployed unit function smoothly in a foreign country.

Getting all of this for the 250 U.S. Airmen supporting exercise Cope India 06 is just one person -– Master Sgt. Elizabeth Wills, from the 374th Contracting Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan.

The exercise started Nov. 7 and end Nov. 19.

Sergeant Wills is responsible for creating contracts with Indian vendors for all the items needed for the deployment.

“It has been challenging getting all the right items lined up,” Sergeant Wills said. “When it comes to contracting, establishing initial contacts in a foreign country is half the battle.”
Working closely with the American consulate and air attaché’s staffs in India has been the key to getting what the unit needed, Sergeant Wills said.

“It seemed like no matter our request they could quickly find it from somewhere,” she said.

So far she has had to make more than 120 different purchases. Those have included small items like voltage converters and printer toner to large items like refrigerators.

“I can’t base my purchase prices by what it would cost in the United States. I have to research the local market and negotiate for there,” Sergeant Wills said.

Understandably, every vendor she deals with is out to make money.

“If I don’t pay the right attention to the prices and details, the Air Force could possibly be overpaying for its purchases,” she said.

With daily changes to schedules and constant short-notice requests, Sergeant Wills said she rarely knows what challenges the next day will bring.

“Coordinating rooms and transportation has been a never-ending challenge,” she said. “There were times we had to double up occupants in the hotel because of room shortages and arrange for last-minute driver support to the base. But so far it has all worked out.”

Although Cope India is a two-week exercise for most of the 250 deployed Airmen, Sergeant Wills had to arrive more than a week in advance. She will spend more than a month in India because she must close all the contracts after the exercise.

“I have to make sure all of the vendors are taken care of,” Sergeant Wills said. “After the exercise is over and the Airmen have gone home -- and the bills have been paid -- then I can go home.”