Iceman brings expertise to PACANGEL Published July 26, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Zachary Perras 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- In a deployed environment, supplies are critical to carry out a mission. For one member of the Iceman Team, getting those supplies is an art which needs to be carefully executed. Tech. Sgt. Ruben Mindieta, 354th Contracting Squadron services flight contract administrator, deployed to the Xieng Khouang province of Laos in April in support of Operation Pacific Angel 2012. "The impact that we can bring to support the local populace [of a host nation] is amazing," said Mindieta, a contingency contracting officer while deployed. In Laos alone, the PACANGEL team Mindieta supported was able to provide service to more than 3,000 locals. PACANGEL is a joint and combined humanitarian assistance operation conducted in the Pacific area of responsibility to support U.S. Pacific Command's capacity-building efforts. Mindieta said his mission during PACANGEL is to support all aspects of his team, from providing the means to have food and water on a daily basis to finding a vendor pool for building materials and medical supplies. In order to do this, Mindieta constantly had to adapt to his settings, which inadvertently helped him become more efficient at what he does. "Every day that we're on the mission is a day where we can learn, and that's something for me to live by," Mindieta said. "[PACANGEL] serves as a chance to always hone your skills - especially in contracting, because our sole reason for working is to support missions of any type." As a contracting specialist, Mindieta's main goal is to provide supplies faster and cheaper, which relays to a larger benefit for the government due to any savings made being recycled back into the program. While saving money during PACANGEL is an important aspect for a contract administrator, Mindieta said an underlying goal is to interact and learn from a host nation. "There's a goal for mass participation - we can see how other nations do business and groom their forces," he explained. "Seeing firsthand how their troops are fostered and grown and simply having the chance to work with them is great." Mindieta's next trip during PACANGEL will be to the Pokhara province of Nepal in September. Although the new location plays a vital role behind the mission logistics, Mindieta said he is ready to continue what he started in Laos. More importantly, he is thankful for the opportunity. "Knowing that my efforts contributed to the mission and seeing the smiles after we were able to actually accomplish that mission was the greatest takeaway," he said.