Two-year test ends, Comptroller-Contracting Squadron 'demerging'

  • Published
  • By Joe B. Wiles
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  An almost two-year long Air Force test of merging comptrollers and contracting is over at the five test bases, which included Vance. As of May 31, the 71st Comptroller-Contracting Squadron at Vance was split into the 71st Comptroller Squadron and the 71st Contracting Flight.

The comptroller squadron will remain under the 71st Flying Training Wing while the contracting flight will go back to the 71st Mission Support Group.

The test period began July 16, 2008. The other test bases were Malmstrom AFB, Mont.; Columbus AFB, Miss.; Robins AFB, Ga.; and Ellsworth AFB, S.D.

"We had a squadron demerger potluck party May 28," said Maj. Tina Nguyen, commander of the former 71st CPTS-CONS, and now 71st CPTS. "We put a copy of the original merger orders on a 'transformer' piñata and had a symbolic demerger," she said.

"I guess the merger didn't work so well at the other test bases," said Major Nguyen. "For us it worked because the contracting flight was a smaller group so it was easier for them to become part of the squadron. The others bases had full-up squadrons that merged."

Customers shouldn't see any difference in services, only a different location for contracting matters, said Major Nguyen. "Of course, the signature blocks will change."

The five members of the contracting flight will move to Room 205 on the second floor of the Wing headquarters, Bldg 500. The move should be complete not later than June 18. The comptroller squadron will remain on the first floor in Room 102.

The split generated several office location changes in the headquarters building. The Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century office moved to Room 107, Quality Assurance Standardization and Evaluation moved to Room 206 and Protocol moved to Room 220.