EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Support Services Management Branch in the Engineering and Acquisition Excellence Directorate is a little-known acquisition team supporting the Air Armament Center's mission. 

To most, this is not a familiar name, but the acquisition programs they manage are familiar to many: TEAS and TAMS. 

The Technical and Engineering Acquisition Support and the Technical Acquisition and Management Support contract programs provide Eglin organizations (as well as several other non-Eglin organizations) nearly 1,100 contactors on three separate contracts valued at approximately $150 million annually. 

The three contracts are sub-divided into 160 individual customer task orders tailored to the customer organization's requirements. This ensures the best fit of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, technical writers, configuration managers, acquisition project managers, financial managers, logistics managers, etc - all the advisory and assistance services talent needed to get the acquisition mission accomplished.
A significant portion of the Eglin acquisition support workforce (military, civilian, or contractor) is provided by the TEAS or TAMS contracts program. 

The TEAS/TAMS program office team is small considering the scope and value of the contractor program managed. 

The Support Services Management Branch team works in unison, with guidance from functional leadership, to ensure uninterrupted A&AS contractor support to Eglin and many non-Eglin customers, some across the globe. The team's high level of efficiency hides the level of effort required to keep the contract programs running. 

The team's routine workload is high. At any given time, new task orders are created or modifications processed to change work support, TDY actions, or other contract deliverables. 

Over 360 task order actions were worked in 2008, and are expected to be higher in 2009. Another trigger for action is monthly contract reports; these reports spur management and financial reviews, and adjustments and evaluations on all 160 task orders. Each quarter, every task order is evaluated for performance with award fees paid semi-annually for assessed contractor performance. 

Financially, the program is supported by the largest Operations and Maintenance reimbursement program in Air Force Materiel Command with a current value of over $800 million across six fiscal years. Monthly payments are made to contractors with ensuing bills to more than 1,600 financial funding documents. In addition, the team is receives numerous administrative and suspense actions. Slow work periods seldom occur, and the future brings greater challenges. 

The A&AS team operates in an environment of continuous improvement, performance ownership, and personal development. To keep synchronized, meetings and training sessions are conducted to maintain high productivity. 

On the horizon, both the TEAS and TAMS contract programs are due re-competition. The TAMS program is at the forefront with new contracts due in place by Aug. 1, 2010. The TEAS program is next for re-competition in late 2011. Both programs expect policy changes from top military levels. 

Regardless of the changes, the ENRS, A&AS, TEAS and TAMS team members are proactively working to mitigate the impact of change while adapting to ensure continuous service to all customers. 

When someone needs A&AS contractor support or wants to change the level of effort on their A&AS task order, there is an experienced team that can manage the program for mission accomplishment.