Guardian Contracting Officer Funds the Fight

Published Oct. 4, 2021
By Tech. Sgt. Daryn Murphy
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- The United States Space Force may be the newest member of the armed forces, but they are well represented in the global coalition effort to defeat Daesh.

Among the Soldiers and Airmen at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, sits a lone Guardian contracting officer.

“It’s very interesting because I’m the only Guardian here at AAAB” 1st Lt. Luis Reyna, 387th Air Expeditionary Squadron administrating contracting officer, smiled and said. “I stand out. People love interacting just to hear about my experiences and it’s just different, you know?”

Reyna is not only recognizable around AAAB with his USSF Delta patch, but also because he manages 47 service lines directly impacting base life support for one of the most hostile environments in the area of responsibility.

“I manage the service lines at one of the most austere locations in the region…all base life support service lines under LOGCAP (The Logistics Civil Augmentation Program) V.” He said, “There’s a lot of research to figure out where and how things have occurred and how these processes have been implemented, then using my business acumen to find better solutions on how we can maintain accountability with the contractor.”

Reyna is the only Guardian in Iraq that falls under the Joint Expeditionary Tasked/Individual Augmentees, or JET/IA, with the 387th AES based out of Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. He is one of over 450 personnel from various career fields spread throughout 13 countries in the U.S. Central Command AOR that provide support for Operation Inherent Resolve.

Deployed out of F.E. Warren, Wyoming, he had to find his footing very quickly in his new role.

“So being the only person in my position can be kind of difficult because something is always popping up.” He explained “But it’s nice being the face of LOGCAP V contract out here because everyone knows once you see that Guardian with a delta, he directs Vectrus personnel out here.”

Reyna began his career in the Air Force then transitioned into the Space Force. While it may be out of the norm for him, he knows that the experience he’s getting under his belt will be something he can take away from this current deployment.

“I’ve been given the opportunity to forward deploy here, and it’s just like…this is the kind of stuff you always hear about but don’t actually get to experience in your Air Force or Space Force career,” he said, “But now here I am, and all the coalition forces kind of recognize me because I stand out. So for me, it’s exciting.

“It’s just like people recognize the Space Force has a big presence out here, even though it’s a one person show.”