USPFO recognized by Secretary of the Army

Award is latest in a string of successes for state office

Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman
California National Guard Public Affairs

Jan. 12, 2022

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – 2021 ended on a high note for the California National Guard's United States Property and Fiscal Office as it received national recognition from the Secretary of the Army during Excellence in Contracting Awards competition.

U.S. Air Force Col. Jonathan Cartwright, the United States Property and Fiscal Officer for California, who oversees Cal Guard's statewide USPFO directorate, received the Secretary of the Army's Mission Partner Award for fiscal year 2021 and credited his team’s knowledge, dedication, and work ethic..

"California’s Contracting Team is doing phenomenal things for the California National Guard," Cartwright said.

Over the past two years, he said, the directorate doubled the state's warrants and increased warrant levels to $100 million, making it the largest state amount and second only to National Guard Bureau headquarters.

In 2021, the team was the National Guard’s first state to add warrants to give traditional guardsmen the authority to award contracts while working in their military roles.

"We continue to partner with NGB, the California program managers, and comptroller offices to deliver capabilities for our Soldiers, Airmen, and federal civilians," Cartwright said. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by such a talented team.”

California was the sole National Guard Bureau award recipient at the Secretary of the Army level.

“The competition among the Army Contracting Enterprise for the Secretary of the Army Awards for Excellence in Contracting is fierce," said Effie Fragogiannis, executive director of acquisitions and head of contracting activity for the National Guard Bureau.

"Col. Cartwright receiving the Army’s Mission Partner Award for his unbounded commitment and invaluable contributions to California and the National Guard enterprise is yet another indication of the high level of excellence and far-reaching impacts of the California team," she said. "I am so proud and looking forward to seeing all the great things the team will bring in 2022."

The award is the latest highlight for California's USPFO and capped off a year during which it marked its 100th anniversary and received three individual awards during the National Guard Bureau - AQ Excellence in Contracting & Agreements competition.

In that competition, Jamaal Valentine, who is based at the USPFO's Contracting Office at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, received the bureau's Leadership in Contracting Award. Quentina Thompson, who works in USPFO's Mather office, received the Outstanding Government Purchase Card Program Award and the 163d Attack Wing's Senior Master Sgt. Crystal Rossman received the Customer Service Award.