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Posted Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Since October 2005, when AFIT’s School of Systems and Logistics taught its first Mission Ready Contracting Officer’s (MRCO) Course, more than four hundred officers have received their foundational contracting education at the School’s Kettering facility.
MRCO was developed and implemented as the initial skills course for all 64P Air Force officers. The course itself is a mix of lessons on the contracting profession, interactive exercises, case studies, computer simulations, and comprehensive examinations. Upon graduation from their 15-day course of study, students are authorized to wear the Air Force Acquisition Badge and are only one elective and several months of experience away from their Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) Level I certification.
The success of MRCO has exceeded all original expectations. What was intended to be the formal initial skills course for only Air Force officers has evolved into the premier and preferred training source for all Air Force contracting professionals, military and civilian. Responding to requirements from SAF/AQC, the career field manager for contracting officers, the School is expanding MRCO course offerings from an original four classes and 120 students in FY10 to the current plan for 12 classes and 360 students—an amazing 200% growth only one year away. While funding is in place to handle the extra student throughput, manpower and other resource considerations are being analyzed in an effort to accommodate these expanded expectations. Additionally, outside agencies such as AFOSI and our sister services have also requested allocations to the MRCO course.