Al Udeid AB, Qatar -- Not all business women and men wear pant suits and ties. Some, much like the 379th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron, wear a military uniform.
The 379th ECONS enables decisive airpower and enhance the quality of life for members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and its mission partners.
“We [are] Air Force business leaders, making sure we acquire anything and everything based upon the needs of the mission, while preserving the integrity of the taxpayers’ dollars,” said 1st Lt. Jeffrey Wood, 379th ECONS construction flight commander.
The construction flight and the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron are a very close-knit team when it comes to property altering projects.
The teamwork starts with base personnel contacting the civil engineers to develop a requirement. The base leadership then references a priority list based upon its five to ten year plan.
“Every year we prioritize projects for Air Force Central Command,” said 2nd Lt. Patrick Ford, 379th ECES design cell officer in-charge. “Once we rank them for funding, we then draft a design plan for the project and solicit contractors for completion.”
Once confirming everything throughout the process is legally sufficient, and the project plans meet the end users needs, the construction flight presses forward to bridge the gap between the government and the contractors.
After the project is approved, the ECONS team ensures the contractor and all other participating parties abide by the federal laws and regulations. The team works with the 379th ECES project managers to make sure the quality of work is up to standards.
This process keeps everything moving smoothly for the personnel on base who require new or improved facilities. If ECES doesn’t have the resources or manning, the Airmen from the 379th ECONS construction flight, step in to contract the work. The local contractors can repair anything from critical HVAC issues, to paving the runways.
“We have our hands in every inch of this base,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Barnes, 379th ECONS contracting officer. “It’s nice to get a chance to see all the hard work unfold in front of you, and realize how important everything you do is.”
These Airmen mean business, and their business is the mission, wingmen, and partners of team AUAB.