JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
The Mission and Installation Contracting Command hosted three training courses in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 as part of their MICC University training initiative conducted at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas. By Spring of 2025, responsibility for two of the three courses will transition to MICC’s higher command, the Army Contracting Command in Huntsville, Alabama.
MICC’s Contracting Master Gunner (KMG) and S3 and Contracting Support Operations (S3/CSPO) courses will move up to ACC while MICC’s Contracting Leaders Course (KLC) will remain at Fort Sam. In their final act as primary facilitators, the command hosted the last two iterations of the MICC-led KMG and S3/CSPO courses as well as the KLC in staggard classes between Oct. 21 to Nov. 8.
“Everyone who participated in these courses was hand-selected leaders within our contracting enterprise,” Adams told the 14 KMGC and 14 KLC graduates during a combined ceremony on Nov. 1. “What we've done is we've invested this time to make you even better professionals. I trust that you learned a lot during your time in these worthwhile courses.”
Each course is a part of the MICC University, a training and professional development initiative originally conceptualized as a MICC Academy in 2022, by then MICC commander Maj. Gen. Doug Lowrey in partnership with Gusman, and MICC G3 operations planners and trainers, before officially launching the rebranded MICC University with fully mission capable courses in October 2023.
Lowrey, who assumed command of the ACC in June 2024, plans to move the responsibility of the KMGC and KLC course to the ACC headquarters with the first ACC-led iteration of the KMGC in June 2025. Gusman served as the MICC command sergeant major under both Lowrey and Adams. Though he will relinquish responsibility of the MICC after two years to assume responsibility at the Army Sustainment Command Rock Island, Illinois, Gusman sees the move as positive for the greater-good of all personnel under the ACC umbrella, to include the MICC.
“This move is to better streamline, coordinate and centralize the training for the contracting enterprise,” Gusman said. “Centralizing the courses at ACC allows the command to tap into a wider pool of resources and instructors while ensuring personnel across the contracting enterprise receive the same level of standardized training, we established with MICC University.”
The move will expand the reach of the training, education and professional development initiatives that grew while under the MICC, to the entire ACC enterprise, including contracting personnel outside of the continental United States. The MICC will continue to provide necessary continuity and subject matter experts for the KMGC and S3/CSPO courses. “We also don’t expect course content or goals to immediately change despite the change in ownership to ACC,” Gusman said.
Contracting Master Gunner Course
Since the first master gunner course in April 2022, MICC has conducted seven KMG courses and trained over 80 military and civilian personnel. Noncommissioned officers who successfully complete the course also earn a personnel development skill identifier code recognizing the increased capability they bring in meeting sustainment requirements. The purpose of the KMGC and competition will remain to bolster the contracting proficiency of contracting noncommissioned and civilians. The two-week course prepares participants to return to their home stations and assist their leaders with assessing contracting organizations and improving contracting competencies at the contracting execution level. The training event also helps to identify talented individuals and validate their technical expertise in the field of contracting.
“The Master Gunner Course was designed to ensure our people grow as leaders as well,” Gusman said. “Verified as contracting subject matter experts through the training, these graduates will go on to serve as mentors and liaisons to major support organizations. They will now be able to validate their unit's and support offices training and contracting abilities during their management review assessments.”
S3 and Contracting Support Operations Course
The final MICC-led S3/CSPO course concluded after two weeks on Nov. 8 with a small graduation. The final test for students was an elaborate rehearsal of concept drill exercise and brief to Adams, Gusman, and over 50 other in-person and virtual attendees at JBSA. This iteration of the course which was also initiated in Octoner 2023 yielded 16 graduates.
Over 100 contracting professionals have been trained through five resident classes and six iterations led by MICC mobile training teams. The S3/CSPO course focuses attendees on the military decision-making process as seen through a contracting lens. Graduates of the course are capable of leading MDMP within their organizations to assist Army warfighters in securing effective contracting solutions to a wide range of complex problems.
“The S3 and Contracting Support Operations course is essential for personnel involved in U.S. Army contracting and acquisition,” Gusman said. “The course is vital to our professional development, operational effectiveness, leadership abilities, management skills, strategic alignment and compliance and accountability.”
Contracting Leaders Course
With this restructure, the remaining flagship programs within MICC University remaining at JBSA are the MICC Intern Training and Acculturation Course for new intern employees, Contracting Officer Representative Training and the Contracting Leaders Course.
The MICC KLC is also a two-week course. It was designed to prepare new and incoming MICC directors, commanders, sergeant majors, and division chiefs to effectively manage MICC offices and contracting battalions.
Adams said, “Retaining the Contracting Leaders Course here locally at the MICC is essential because, through the course, we equip military and civilian contracting professionals with the necessary skills to lead, manage, and execute critical contracting functions related to our complex and evolving, MICC-specific environment.”
During the leaders course, students are provided clear guidelines for rapid and effective decision-making and ways to promote continuous improvement within their offices from instructors, senior leader mentors and the MICC command group.
“The development and empowerment of these leaders through the leader course is priceless,” Gusman said as he reflected on the impact of the initiative that has trained over 75 leaders through five resident iterations since October 2023. “We have watched as graduates of the course use the tools they develop or enhance during the training to facilitate positive command climates while meeting the mission and cultivating new and effective organizational changes across their organizations.”
MICC comprises about 1,500 soldiers and civilian employees assigned to two contracting support brigades, two field directorates, nine contracting battalions and offices across 30 locations, responsible for supporting Army commanders across the continental United States and Puerto Rico by delivering ready, decisive and synchronized business solutions and contracting support to the Army enterprise.
“Together, the master gunner, support operations and leader courses empower leaders to navigate a myriad of complex contracting challenges, ensuring they are prepared to meet both current and future demands,” Adams said. He told graduates that getting through the challenging curriculum of the courses was just a portion of their responsibility as contracting professionals. “This is just the beginning. So now your job, your task, is to go out and take some of the things that you've learned and to make your organizations better.”
To learn more about Mission and Installation Contracting Command or Army Contracting Command professional development initiatives visit https://www.army.mil/micc and https://www.army.mil/acc/.