31st CONS: Air Force’s best small contracting unit

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  The 31st Contracting Squadron recently received the 2010 Air Force Outstanding Contracting Award for a small unit.

"I am extremely proud of the contracting professionals I serve every day," said Lt. Col. William Ping, 31st CONS commander. "This award recognized the dedicated support the 31st CONS provides to ensure the 31st Fighter Wing is postured to fly, fight and win. I'm confident all Air Force contracting units provide outstanding support to their respective wing missions so being singled out is truly humbling."

During 2010, the 31st CONS conducted 14,000 procurement actions worth approximately $42 million and supported 26 geographically separated units in six inspections. The squadron managed an infrastructure portfolio worth $65 million and orchestrated a 10-year plan for airfield maintenance and marking plan worth $6.8 million. The team also spearheaded USAFE's first $1.2 million geothermal heating upgrade for the Dragon Fitness Center.

"It is beautiful to see a unit working hard towards goals of transparency, compliance, innovation and more and actually be recognized for it," said Capt. Alfort Belin III, 31st CONS deputy commander. "Teamwork provided a structure essential for us to continue to succeed. No one person could have done this alone, but we stood on each other's shoulders and accomplished the mission together.

Moreover, the 31st CONS awarded 26 projects valued at $8.4 million under the Construction Straddle Program and directed $1.5 million for the wing sustainment program, expediting 89 priority building upgrades. The 31st CONS also managed a dormitory renovation project worth $3.3 million, ensuring energy efficiency.

"Wing leadership promotes a teamwork environment and we embrace the opportunity to be a vital part of such prestigious wing," Colonel Ping said. "Both external and internal teamwork is paramount in executing our mission. Externally, we partner with our valued customers to provide quality requirement packages that once under contract, translate into the services, construction and products used every day to execute the mission. Internally, we rely upon each other to determine innovative contract solutions to meet operational needs and seek leveraging opportunities to maximize limited funding resources."

According to Captain Belin, the award shows a team effort and reinforces their approach of doing things right the first time.

"We are truly blessed to have reached the pinnacle of Air Force contracting, but we remain steadfast and continue to provide world-class support for today's warfighters," he said.

Colonel Ping said the award clearly demonstrates the 31st CONS's commitment to the Air Force core value of excellence and further highlights the squadron's commitment to uphold the Air Force contracting guiding principles.

"From our outstanding inspection results to being the first in the Air Force to develop and implement an innovative construction contracting strategy, the members of the squadron have shown the sum of the whole team is greater than the efforts of the individuals," the colonel said. "I want to thank each member of the squadron for their daily dedication to support the mission. With the bar set high, it will be a challenge to continue such stellar accomplishments next year, but the members of the 31st CONS are certainly up to the task."