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AFDW/PK has the "Right Stuff"

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tabitha N. Haynes
  • Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs
Joint Base Andrews, Md. --  The Air Force District of Washington's Contract Policy Division (AFDW/PKP) was recently recognized at the Headquarters Air Force level with the 2012 Right Stuff award.

The team - including MaryKathryn S. Robinson, Maj. Andrew Nordin, Tamiko C. Blackson, Capt. Brian Sheehan, Grover W. Henderson, Warren L. Ector, Cathy L. Hamilton, Michael Nannery, James M. Ensign, Rodger O. Young and James H. Waggoner - was recognized for making a difference in returning acquisition excellence to AFDW and supporting the command's contracting mission.

"In this past year, the AFDW contracting team has implemented multiple new initiatives to support the AFDW and 11th Wing contracting communities," said Col. Timothy M. Applegate, contracting director. "The policy division has also breathed life into existing unit programs, proving they have the 'Right Stuff.'"

The team stood up the first AFDW Policy Community of Practice, providing over 80 contracting templates and samples for AFDW and 11th Wing. They also created AFDW's mandatory procedure program, publishing fifteen directives to guide and streamline the contracting process.

Under the Contracting Policy Division's direction, a service determination official process was put in place to permit AFDW customers to use non-Department of Defense agencies for contracting needs when in the government's best interest.

The team implemented a "Memory Jogger" peer review documentation process for all contracting actions, targeting self-inspection findings and ensuring much-needed oversight for contracting officers and contracting specialists.

AFDW/PKP implemented these new programs while continuing to oversee the organization's Power Hour Training Program, restructuring the organization's unit self-inspection program and reaching out to the 11th Wing to provide invaluable policy support and guidance.

The "Right Stuff" is a term popularized by author Tom Wolfe in the 1979 book about pilots engaging in the space program. This book characterized those who distinguished themselves from the masses because they had the "Right Stuff" to accomplish a mission amidst challenging situations.

The AFDW contracting unit holds the "check book" to the command during a time when the Air Force and DOD are asking everyone to find ways to conserve each unit's budget and make every penny count, according to Applegate.

"In 2011, the AFDW contracting committee review branch completed eighty reviews valued at $720 million, ensuring that all awards were being executed within government rules and regulations," he said. "As a result of the Contracting Policy Division oversight, there were no AFDW contracting protests in 2011."