The Tampa Tribune July 06, 2007
Socom To Procure Additional Workers
Metal detectors, McCovey Cove measures in works
By John W. Allman and Billy House
TAMPA - With an acquisitions program budget now exceeding $1.9 billion, U.S. Special Operations Command plans to increase its work force to meet the needs of providing equipment to special operations forces fighting around the world.
Socom, based at MacDill Air Force Base, will increase its acquisition workforce by 75 percent by the end of 2008, according to a June 28 report by the Government Accountability Office.
That's a jump from the current 185 employees to about 300 employees, which military analysts say is on par given increases to Socom's program budget, which was $788 million in 2001.
Although the budget grew, the work force didn't, adding only 10 positions in the past six years, according to the report.
"This is a very logical and responsible thing for them to do," said Steven Schooner, a professor at George Washington University Law School, and an expert on government contracting. "It's having enough people to mind the store."
Acquisition employees do everything from identifying potential contractors to writing and managing the contracts, Schooner said.
"The bottom line is the government overall has been short on acquisition personnel for a decade," he said.
The increase in personnel likely won't begin until year's end when a study is completed, said Ken McGraw, Socom's deputy public affairs officer. The study, which will define where the new positions are needed most, will look at every aspect of acquisitions.
"They determine what work is being done now and does that work create a requirement for additional positions," McGraw said, "and, if so, who should those people be and at what level."
The GAO report offered a mixed critique of Socom's acquisition's program. It noted issues both in the program's ability to keep costs in line and equipment delivery on schedule, and its work force needs.
"In recent years, Socom has encountered difficulties in being able to hire personnel in reasonable time frames and ensuring that its program managers are fully certified" to federal Department of Defense standards, the report said.
President Bush's nominee to be the next Socom commander, Vice Adm. Eric Olson, addressed the issue as part of his confirmation hearing last month before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Olson offered written responses to questions that had been posed by committee members leading up to his June 12 hearing in Washington. He is expected to be confirmed by the Senate and, if so, would succeed retiring Army Gen. Bryan "Doug" Brown.
Asked how he would ensure "Socom had the highest quality acquisition work force," he responded by writing that the answer depended on finding personnel, whether military or civilian, that are properly trained and certified.
John Pike, the director of Globalsecurity.org, a military information Web site, said Socom's increased budget almost demands that more people are hired.
"If you've had that kind of increase in your procurement activity, without a comparable increase in your acquisition work force … you simply don't have enough people following the dollars," Pike said.
© Copyright 2007, The Tampa Tribune
