News

Bed-down package clears path for 787th IAG

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • 78th ABW/PA
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Robins is on a path toward the standup of the 787th Installation Acquisition Group that will create at least 300 new job positions here and serve as a regional contracting office for 11 Air Force bases in the Southeast.

Lt. Col. Todd Pospisil, the provisional director of the 787th IAG, announced in an event for media and community members Oct. 30 that the group is on track for standup in fiscal 2010. It will be one of five regional contracting offices in the nation that are part of the Air Forces Installation Acquisition Transformation.

The bed-down package for the 787th IAG has been signed, which is the first step toward the standup as it allows for funds to be spent on facilities. Three contracts have been awarded for work on Bldg. 255, which the 787th IAG will share with the existing 78th ABW contracting squadron.

According to Colonel Pospisil, the reason Robins has made such progress towards standing up the regional office here is due, in large part, to the strong community support.

The current contracting done at the base is focused on the combat sustainment mission, Colonel Pospisil explained. That will continue as a separate operation, but he said 787th IAG will focus on buying everything from ordinary office supplies to securing construction contracts. The creation of the regional offices will make the buying process easier, reduce acquisition of redundant goods and leverage buying power.

The 787th IAG will oversee more than $5 billion in purchases each year, he said. Some of that contracting will be done at the individual bases, but will go through the 787th IAG.

He made the comments at the Museum of Aviation at an event attended by representatives of chambers of commerce in the area and other community officials attended. MaryTherese Tebbe, executive director of the 21st Century Partnership, an advocacy group for Robins, said the 787th IAG standup is big for the area.

"I think this is certainly going to strengthen ties between Robins and the community," she said. "This is one of those moves that truly shows the community and the rest of the DOD how that relationship is nurtured."

Colonel Pospisil said once the 787th IAG stands up in fiscal 2010, it will start with about 100 employees and ramp up to 300 to 350 by fiscal 2012. Many of those positions will be filled by transferring contracting personnel from the 10 other bases being served by the office, while others will be filled through local hires.