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Schriever 'ambassador' earns AF award

By Tech. Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes, 50th Space Wing Public Affairs / Published May 03, 2016

As the 50th Space Wing Small Business director, Paul Aldrich meets with small and large businesses almost every day to talk about Team Schriever, its mission as well as the type of services or commodities it needs. He engages with businesses and informs them how the base procures these services and how he can help them. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes)
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As the 50th Space Wing Small Business director, Paul Aldrich meets with small and large businesses almost every day to talk about Team Schriever, its mission as well as the type of services or commodities it needs. He engages with businesses and informs them how the base procures these services and how he can help them. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes)

Paul Aldrich, 50th Space Wing Small Business director, recently won the Secretary of the Air Force Special Achievement Small Business Specialist Award. As part of his job, Aldrich meets with small and large businesses almost every day to talk about Team Schriever, its mission as well as the type of services or commodities it needs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes)
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Paul Aldrich, 50th Space Wing Small Business director, recently won the Secretary of the Air Force Special Achievement Small Business Specialist Award. As part of his job, Aldrich meets with small and large businesses almost every day to talk about Team Schriever, its mission as well as the type of services or commodities it needs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes)

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SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  "Self-praise stinks." This is according to Paul Aldrich's mom. He doesn't need to worry about praising himself too much though since the Air Force is already doing it for him.

Aldrich recently won the Secretary of the Air Force Special Achievement Small Business Specialist Award.

"This is huge. You don't praise yourself but the fact that somebody recognized what good we're doing here means a lot; it really does," said the 50th Space Wing Small Business director at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.

As part of his job, Aldrich meets with small and large businesses almost every day to talk about Team Schriever, its mission as well as the type of services or commodities it needs. He engages with businesses and informs them how the base procures these services and how he can help them.

"I would consider this position as an ambassador for Schriever," said Aldrich.

During fiscal 2015, he was responsible for the base awarding more than $60 million to small businesses and approximately $30 million to Service Disabled Veteran-Owned small businesses. These businesses include services for grounds maintenance, custodial works and roofing projects among others.

Additionally, because of his willingness to work with these type of organizations, the one-man Small Business office met all the goals set by the Secretary of the Air Force Small Business.

"(The award winners') contributions directly and positively impacted the ability of the Air Force to increase competition in the marketplace, grow the industrial base and provide vital support to our warfighters," said Air Force Small Business Programs director, Mark Teskey, on an email he sent out congratulating the award winners.

Although winning an Air Force-level award is a feather in his already full cap, Aldrich said this will definitely not change anything.

"It is because I love what I do and I am going to continue doing it," he explained.

Because of this passion for his job, he receives a lot of compliments thanking him for his candidness and responsiveness.

"It is because we open our doors and are willing to talk to them," Aldrich explained.

He also highlighted the importance of small businesses not just to Team Schriever but to the whole country as well.

"Small business is critical to national security," he concluded. "They support our defense industrial base with more business, supports national economy by creating more jobs, and stimulates innovation and technology advancement with new ideas."

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