Belvoir contracting professionals support Arlington National Cemetery restoration

In preparation for the 150th Anniversary of Arlington National Cemetery, contracting professionals at the Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Belvoir, Va., became heavily involved with much needed updates to the ANC Memorial Amphitheater Display Room.

Since being built in 1920, the Amphitheater's Display Room received its only update in 1975. The room houses exhibits and a collection of gifts presented throughout the years to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

"With the surge of historical interest in ANC because of the 150th, this space was identified as one that needed updating that included the context of historical exhibits," said Dr. Stephen Carney, Arlington National Cemetery historian. ANC was established June 15, 1864.

Carney felt the public, the president, and other VIPs were seeing a space in desperate need of repair and updating.

"As a national shrine we had to show we were taking appropriate care of items of historical significance, which include flags and Medals of Honor for each of our unknown entombed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," Carney said. "The contracts that were awarded met the requirements for sufficient updating. The space is now a safe environment for those artifacts because of the contract support from MICC-Fort Belvoir."

The display room has been used as the VIP entrance and holding area for major ceremonies and events at the Memorial Amphitheater since 1920. Presidents, heads of states, senior domestic and foreign military and civilian leaders frequent the room. In addition, a large number of the cemetery's 3.5 million-plus visitors annually walk through the space either before or after they watch a changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

"This Memorial Day, the updated display room was the first room the president of the United States, the secretary of Defense, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff entered after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown. How cool is that? Contracting professionals involved with the project should be extremely proud of what they accomplished," said Maj. Justin Schaeffer, a 7-year contracting veteran and leader of the ANC contract support element.

The process to update the display room for the anniversary began in September 2013 when ANC officials identified three requirements in order to improve the room. With subsequent ANC leadership approval and budgeting in October, the on-site contract support element began its work with the customer.

The activity identified its requirements early, conducted market research with local small business vendors and submitted the requirements package in a timely manner to MICC-Fort Belvoir. The requiring activity immediately identified and nominated its contracting officer representative, trained by the on-site MICC Quality Assurance Representative Kathy Manokey, who Schaffer said, was extremely responsive during the review phase of the requirements package.

During the performance of the contract, the customer's contracting officer representative was constantly on-site using all resources necessary to ensure the contractor was meeting specifications of the awarded contract.

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Belvoir contracting professionals support Arlington National Cemetery restoration