Episode 17 What is an 8X in Contracting? Contracting and More in Medical Acquisition & Procurement Guest LTC Owen Roberts II

 Ever wondered what an "8X" in contracting really means? Contracting in the Medical Service Corps? LTC Owen Roberts II joins us to unravel this mystery and shed light on the pivotal role of contracting within the realm of Army medicine.

LTC Roberts, with his vast experience and knowledge, navigates us through the intricacies of procurement processes, highlighting the critical importance of efficient and effective contracting in ensuring that our medical services remain top-notch.

LTC Owen L. Roberts II is the Joint Product Manager for Chemical Defense Pharmaceuticals. In this role, he is responsible for providing the research, development, acquisition management, and joint service integration for products transitioning from the technology base through full life cycle management of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medical countermeasures against chemical, radiological, and nuclear threats. 

Previously, LTC Roberts served as the Product Lead for Vaccines, Therapeutics, and Enablers for the Joint Program Executive Of­ficer for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND), Joint Assisted Acquisition (JA2). In this capacity, LTC Roberts was responsible for domestic and global vaccine requirements, and the $56 billion joint Department of Defense (DOD) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) program ensured the President's COVID-19 response effort was capable of developing and producing more than one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 19 million therapeutics doses, and over two billion needles and syringes. His work resulted in nearly 600 million doses being safely administered in the United States, and more than 200 million doses donated around the globe.

 LTC Roberts has served in the U.S. Army for 21 years in various command and staff level positions within the military health system, medical logistics, and acquisition communities. In the Republic of Korea with the U.S. Army, his various roles included Battalion Medical Platoon Leader, HHC, 2/72 Regiment, and Deputy SPO, 16th Medical Logistics Battalion. Upon completing his tour, he was assigned to the 45th Sustainment Brigade Schofi­eld Barracks, Hawaii, where he served as a Medical Operations Planner and later deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 Following deployment, LTC Roberts was assigned to Scho­field Barracks Health Clinic, serving as Chief of Logistics and subsequently selected to command, B Company, Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii. Following command, LTC Roberts attended the United States Army Medical Department’s Acquisition and Procurement Internship Program (APIP) at Joint Base San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas, and was assigned to serve as the first-ever Chief of Contracting for the Defense Health Agency's National Capital Region. He has completed Command and General Staff College and is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act-trained in Contracting and Program Management. LTC Roberts is also the Deputy Consultant for Medical Acquisitions to the Army Surgeon General. In 2020, he was selected by the Secretary of Defense to serve on the COVID-19 Presidential Task Force, formerly called “Operation Warp Speed.”

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are the guests and host’s alone and do not reflect the official position of the Medical Service Corps, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. All information discussed is unclassified approved for public release and found on open cleared sources.

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