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Roadshow stops at Tinker to dispel rumors

  • Published
  • By Brandice Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., --  Tinker hosted an Installation Acquisition Transformation road-show Sept. 8 at the base theater. Approximately 220 Oklahoma City-metro contractors attended the briefing.

The road-show focused on an upcoming Air Force change. Commencing in fiscal year 2010, all installation contracts - supplies, construction and day-to-day services - will be bought through a regional office. The regional office for Tinker will be at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. When the change is implemented, roughly two-thirds of the 72nd Contracting Squadron's manpower authorizations will relocate to Scott AFB.

"We are changing the 'where' not 'how' we acquire installation goods and services," said Col. Stephen Elliott, the 788th Installation Acquisition Group provisional director at Scott AFB. "The processes in general aren't going to change. The people we solicit aren't changing. The laws we live with aren't changing. It's just a matter of 'where.'"

Even though the changes aren't expected to occur for another two years, Maj. Richard Ward, 72nd CONS commander, said the road-show was held Sept. 8 to ease anxiety. "[We want] to get in front of the rumor mill so that we can be as transparent as possible," he said.

While changes will be most noticeable at the 72nd CONS, the 38th Engineering Installation Group's contracting unit, which buys communications for the Air Force, will also notice modifications.

"We will remain on Tinker Air Force Base, but we will be connected to the regional center at Scott Air Force Base, so most likely, our workload will grow," said Karen Nobles, 38th EIG Contracting chief.

Colonel Elliott said before the IAT takes place, the Air Force still has some work, such as ironing out the kinks and responding to unanswered questions, to do.

"We must build it right so we don't break the wing mission, so we affect the fewest number of people possible, and we become more efficient over time," he said.