SABER contract saves time and money

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Colby L. Hardin
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  For the last 10 months, the 22nd Contracting Squadron here at McConnell Air Force Base and Fort Riley's contracting unit have been working together to save money while improving their infrastructures.

A Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirements contract allows a base to have only one contractor for various small jobs that need to be fulfilled. A joint SABER contract between Ft. Riley and McConnell which allows the two bases to share the same contractor has recently been approved.

"It works out well for both locations because we are so close geographically," said Dennis Fry, 22nd CONS business operations director. "We'll get the same service but at a faster pace, so it's really a way to get more bang for our buck."

The current contract is worth $45 million over five years, with $1 million going to McConnell every fiscal year and Ft. Riley receiving the other $8 million because of their larger facility.

"The SABER contract is such a good idea because it allows multiple tasks to be worked on at the same time," said Tech. Sgt. Justin McMurray, 22nd CONS contract administrator craftsman. "Being able to complete multiple task is essential if we want to get anything finished around the base."

The main contractor's office will be located at Ft. Riley due to the higher volume of task orders of the base and a second office stationed at McConnell.

"I think this whole thing shows that we are headed in the right direction as far as buying smarter," said Fry. "We are implementing this while also standardizing the equipment that we use in the Air Force."