FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
The command’s mission, vision and priorities were among the
topics discussed by the commanding general for the Army Contracting Command
during an operational command assessment at Fort Sam Houston Oct. 1-2.
This was the first visit to the Mission and Installation
Contracting Command by Maj. Gen. James Simpson since taking command of ACC in
an August ceremony at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Joining the commanding general was
ACC Command Sgt. Maj. David Puig.
Upon arriving at Fort Sam Houston, the ACC command team met
with leaders from the 410th and 412th Contracting Support Brigades for
operational briefings before conducting a town hall for members of both
brigades and the MICC to discuss various topics as well as recognize efforts by
the contracting organizations during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.
At the town hall,
Simpson thanked the workforce for all their hard work into the final
hours of the fiscal year to make the yearend a successful one and attributed
the command’s success to a team effort.
He spoke on the former Army chief of staff’s “3 Cs” that
consisted of character, competence and commitment and how they relate to
finding the right people for the job. He also discussed a number of subjects
making up his command philosophy that includes people as the greatest resource,
proactive leadership, good stewardship, professional development, communication
and a commitment to integrity, ethical behavior and standards of conduct.
“For our customers and stakeholders, we must make sure that
what we do is value-added,” Simpson said during the town hall referring to the
fiscal environment faced by the Army over the next few years. “It’s not so much
the dollars and number of actions but how what we do is value-added” downrange.
While in San Antonio, Simpson also took the opportunity to
meet with leaders at the command’s supported activities, including the
Installation Management Command, Army South and Army North. Puig conducted an
NCO call with Soldiers from the MICC and two brigades, discussing readiness and
NCO initiatives on the landscape.
The visit by Simpson served to assess the command’s morale,
workforce skill, structure, mission command and execution, and strategic
outcomes during his first months of command at ACC.
Simpson took command of ACC following an assignment as the
director of contracting and the deputy to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the
Army for procurement. His previous assignments also includes serving as the
chief of staff for ACC.
ACC, a major subordinate command of Army Materiel Command,
serves as the contracting arm for the Army by executing acquisitions in support
of warfighters engaged in military operations, weapon system acquisition, life
cycle management and sustainment and acquisition of goods and services.