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Pope contracting NCO leads deployed contingency contracting flight

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  In a deployed location, getting items and services a deployed unit needs often means someone has to go out and get it. Most often, that job goes to people like Tech. Sgt. Craig Castleman and his contingency contracting flight with the 380th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron here at a non-disclosed base.

"Contracting is in charge of procuring almost every commodity and service in the deployed theater of operations," Sergeant Castleman said. "We deploy every other six months. Our job is to generate contracts for requirements to build anything this base needs. After we find a local or stateside company that is capable of fulfilling a requirement, we enter into a contract with them and ensure they complete the contract for the base and the U.S. government."

Sergeant Castleman, deployed from the Air Mobility Command's 43rd Contracting Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., is the 380th ECONS contingency contracting flight chief. The Shelbyville, Tenn., native said what contracting does for a deployed unit is also "extremely important" for the sustainment of a contingency operation.

"The quality of life for our deployed service members we support depends heavily on what we procure and build for them," Sergeant Castleman said. "For example, I work in awarding and administrating construction contracts. Where our people live and work are dependent upon how and who we have build our infrastructure through the contracts we process. Contracting, without a doubt, affects the lives of all deployed members."

The seven-year Air Force veteran said every Airman and every service member should know that contracting Airmen and those members of other services with the same responsibilities take their role in deployed operations very seriously.

"We have to support every branch of the military to build new bases," Sergeant Castleman said. "We also work to sustain bases that are already in place. I'm proud to work with a group of Airmen, such as in my flight, and with other professionals who know the impact they make every day."

Sergeant Castleman said he is proud to be a U.S. Air Force Airman and to be deployed to support the nation's needs in overseas contingency operations. "My time in the Air Force has been rewarding," he said. "It has enabled me to see things and have experiences that I would have never had if I hadn't joined. Serving with the contingency contracting flight while deployed has also been great. I'm proud to do my part."

The 380th ECONS is part of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The 380th AEW is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. Some of the operations supported by the wing include Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.