Dollars to Power Projection: 39 CONS Achieves Banner Year for 39 ABW

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  • By 39th Contracting Squadron

In June 2024, the 39th Air Base Wing was struggling to spend its annual budget, with a spend rate that was the lowest across U.S. Air Forces in Europe.  

By the end of Fiscal Year 2024, however, the 39th Contracting Squadron (39 CONS) led the wing to triple its initial distribution, setting a 7-year high spending record. Furthermore, 39 CONS became the most awarded contracting squadron at the MAJCOM and DAF levels during the 2024 annual contracting awards, while also positioning the wing to exceed these spending rates in the following fiscal year.

How did they accomplish this?

They prioritized PEOPLE, ensuring aggressive development and empowerment. They pursued elite PERFORMANCE, developing creative solutions to execute at the speed of the mission. And they took PRIDE in their work and their winning heritage, recognizing that 39 CONS is tasked with one of USAFE’s most critical missions: defending NATO’s southern flank.

Near the end of Fiscal Year 2024, the 39 CONS Mission Support Flight rapidly obtained USAFE approvals and awarded a large ordering contract faster than any other unit in USAFE, updating the wing’s critically aged land mobile radios.

They were also by-name-requested to provide acquisition assistance to Armenia. Subsequently, their Surety Support Flight coordinated across three nations, developed a USAFE-first acquisition solution, and facilitated Armenian forces' first-ever participation in a NATO-wide exercise.

Recognizing the need for rapid construction capabilities at Incirlik Air Base to update aged base infrastructure, their Infrastructure Flight formulated a 9-year, $150 million Multiple Award Construction Contract with such ingenuity that it earned a USAFE "best practice" designation and led to a request for assistance from Moron Air Base in conducting a similar acquisition.

The Plans & Programs Flight, responsible for the wing’s purchase card program (second-largest in USAFE), oversaw 50 accounts, 147 cardholders, and 21 approving officials to facilitate 2,100 rapid purchases totaling $14.6 million. This resulted in an additional $212,000 in rebates for the Wing, achieving a 4-year high.

Throughout all of this, the unit remembered that PEOPLE was its number one priority., so amidst the record-breaking execution, 39 CONS also focused on resiliency and morale, recognizing that taking time to recharge allows for even faster progress in the future. With this balanced approach to daily operations, 39 CONS was able to lead 39 ABW to maximize converting dollars to power projection and better posture the U.S. and its allies amidst Great Power Competition.

39 CONS… live free, buy HARD!