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$300K goes to Kyrgyz vendors -- 11K families benefit from new coats, blankets

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan --  The 376th Theater Security Cooperation division purchased more than 12,000 coats and blankets from local Kyrgyz vendors, contributing warmth and revenue to local communities.

The TSC humanitarian assistance section was awarded a $300,000 grant for Operation Warm and Dry. The purchasing team responsible had their work cut out for them.

Before receiving the money, the humanitarian assistance purchasing team spent 10 days conducting market research in local communities; traveling to villages where distributions were scheduled and talking with coat and blanket vendors.

"I've done million-dollar buys that haven't required this much research, but that's what it took," said Capt. Michael Reimers, South Central Asia for humanitarian assistance contracting officer with U.S. Central Command.

Hoping to bolster the local economy, the team made every effort to purchase items in the respective distribution areas. When vendors couldn't support the large order of coats and blankets necessary for a specific distribution location, these items were purchased in other areas of Kyrgyzstan.

"In order to have the economic impact desired, the coats and blankets had to be made in Kyrgyzstan," Reimers said.

More than 2,000 coats and blankets from different vendors were purchased in Karakol and distributed there: local vendors profited and Kyrgyz citizens received warm coats.

"I am very proud that Americans purchased goods from me. It's my honor to sell blankets knowing these blankets will go to the poor people in our country. That makes me very happy," said Akmol, a vendor in Dordoy Market.

Staff Sgt. Igor Pogrebnyak, TSC host-nation liaison is a Russian interpreter. He acts as the middle man for Warm and Dry purchases.

"I help our HA team and Capt. Reimers find vendors, negotiate prices and purchase the coats and blankets for Operation Warm and Dry" Pogrebnyak said, "I'm originally from Ukraine. It has a lot of similarities with Kyrgyzstan, so I can relate to the Kyrgyz people."

Since December, more than 30 contracts have been written for Operation Warm and Dry with Kyrgyz vendors using a simple contract.

"I would love to do business with Americans in the future," Akmol said. "Thank you all for the purchase and for helping our people."

"This is my ninth deployment and the most rewarding, mostly because I get to work with the citizens of Kyrgyzstan. In the past I've supported the war fighters, Iraqis and Afghans, but this is the first time I've actually been able to give back to the community, in this way," said Reimers.