Presentation to outline AF contracting transformation

Published July 28, 2008
By 1st Lt. Barbara Leo
21st Contracting Squadron

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The 21st Contracting Squadron here will hold a presentation on Installation Acquisition Transformation for area businesses and industry associations that do business with the Air Force from 1 - 3 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Peterson Air Force Base Auditorium.

IAT is an Air Force-wide initiative to modify contracting practices at all the continental United States installation levels to create a more efficient acquisition process. IAT will transform contracting from 71 separate buying offices into five Regional Contracting Centers located at Peterson; Randolph AFB, Texas; Scott AFB, Ill.; Langley AFB, Va; and Warner-Robbins AFB, Ga. Currently, the 71 different buying offices concentrate on purchasing items for their bases only. In the new system, the regional buying centers will purchase common items for all the bases in the region and get better pricing by buying in bulk.

"IAT is driven by two forces," Col. Mark Hobson, Air Force Materiel Command, said to Air Force Space Command Public Affairs. "First, our Air Force is telling us we have to find money to recapitalize our aircraft. Restructuring the contracting/acquisition function is our contribution. It will help our Air Force operate more effectively and provide money back to recapitalize. The second force is the operations tempo. We have an ops tempo that is driving us hard. We are deploying our military while our civilians at home have to take up that extra work. By centralizing the effort more and working across the Air Force through the five regional contracting centers, we will help reduce the workload, provide savings back to the Air Force and still support our warfighters with all the things they need every single day."

Attendees at the presentation will learn about the new business opportunities and changes the contracting transformation will bring here as a part of the installation-level and regional-level procurement.

For more information on IAT, visit http://ww3.safaq.hq.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=11457 and http://www.afspc.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?id=123105595.

The Air Force is restructuring the installation acquisition support function to centralize the process.