July 30, 2015 -- Marines and civilian-Marines welcomed home Capt. Kelly Crone, contracting officer, Marine Corps Logistics Command, after a six-and-a-half-month deployment to Djibouti, Africa, July 24.
Crone concluded her deployment in front of LOGCOM Headquarters, Building 3700, with banners, hugs and handshakes for a job well done.
While deployed, Crone served as the contracting officer, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, Djibouti, Africa, providing contracting support for troops in nine countries in East Africa including Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya.
“I predominately supported vehicle requests in Somalia for troops that were arriving and leaving the country,” Crone said.
The contracting officer said she enjoyed learning about the African culture and the experience gave her a new perspective on life.
Crone volunteered for the deployment, filling an individual augmentee billet.
“The experience was great and I would recommend other Marines volunteer for IA billets,” she said. “Normally when you leave as a unit you work as a unit, but being part of the IA I worked by myself in a joint environment with other service members from different branch of services.”
Master Sgt. William Tolleson, procurement chief, Contracts Department, LOGCOM, was one of several Marines to welcome Crone home.
“It is great to have the (officer-in-charge) back from her first contracting deployment where she represented the Marine Corps in true fashion,” Tolleson said.