Field Ordering Officer and Paying Agent Handbook

Handbook 09-16
July 2009

Preface

This first edition of the Battlefield Field Ordering Officer and Paying Agent Handbook contains a summary of acquisition policies, procedures, and managerial skills field ordering officers (FOOs)* and paying agents frequently require in deployed environments. FOOs and paying agents operating in deployed environments face realities not found in operations in the continental United States.

The authors extracted the information in this handbook from numerous sources within the defense acquisition community and hard lessons learned from countless FOOs, paying agents, and contingency contracting officers in deployed environments.

The handbook's design allows readers to begin reading at any point, so start with a topic that interests you. You can use the table of contents to identify general areas of interest and find what you need. Place the handbook in your uniform’s cargo pocket, and tackle any FOO or paying agent task with confidence.

This handbook is the second in a series of five handbooks produced by the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology) Integration Office (ALT-IO) and the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center (via the Center for Army Lessons Learned) in response to the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command’s (CASCOM) operational contract support gap mitigation strategy. Remember, this handbook is only a guide and should not be used as a substitute for official policy and training. Your supporting contracting officer provides actual training to FOOs; your local disbursing officer provides training to paying agents. 

The approving authority for this handbook is the CASCOM commanding general. The technical review authority is the HQ U.S. Army Materiel Command. Send comments and recommendations on Department of the Army Form 2028, Recommendation Changes to Publications and Blank Forms, to: Commander, U.S. CASCOM, ATTN: ATCL-ALT-IO, 3901 A Avenue, Suite 137, Fort Lee, VA, 23801-1899.

* Note: The term field ordering officer is a recognized term by the Defense Acquisition University and the Joint Staff J4 and is synonymous with ordering officer as described in the Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFARS) 5101.602-2-90.

Figure P-1. Contracted transport gets ready for a mission