Even though Jay Nickeson’s Oxford-based company was recently awarded a five-year, $47 million contract to provide training for the U.S. Army Special Forces, he knows it’s ‘not all about the money.?
‘Getting awarded with the contract, I can now move people around and insure that my former friends and associates are getting the best training possible. Their lives are depending on it,? he said. ‘That honestly really means something to me.?
Nickeson, a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Army Special Forces, is the founder and owner of the four-year-old Integrated Directives Inc. (IDI), which specializes in special operations, mission training and support. It also installs secure information technology infrastructure at base camps overseas and trains for electronic warfare.
IDI beat 11 other competitors to be awarded the contract and will train various special forces units at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Carson, Colorado; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; and at other locations throughout the U.S. and Germany beginning May 1.
Since the global war on terror erupted in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Nickeson said there have been so many troops being moved out and not enough time to properly train them, so the government ‘out-sources? the training to private companies such as IDI.
Generally, individuals who have retired from the special forces, like Nickeson, and other government agencies run the training programs at these companies.
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Brighton) said it was an easy choice as to which company was going to receive the contract.
‘The quality of the employees and the quality of their presentation and what they had to offer really was the selling point in this whole thing,? said Rogers, who’s congressional district includes Oxford. ‘I think it’s a great example of how a small company in a relatively small town can make a big impact on a national security issue.?
Being a small business, Nickeson and his wife Dawn, who helps run the business development end of IDI, said the help they received from Rogers and U.S. Sen. Carl Levin’s offices in writing a proposal was ‘unbelievably helpful.?
‘We really feel like they’re advocates of small business and that their knowledge of that really contributed to that,? Dawn said. ‘I think any small business owner in this district should really take advantage of the excellent resource that they have in Washington.?
During his years working in operations, planning, logistics and training in the special forces, Nickeson spent a majority of his time in central and south America, but he didn’t spend his days firing guns at the enemy.
Special forces units often have several different missions, like building schools in remote villages or giving poverty-stricken children medical treatment and food.
‘That’s very important because you’re helping people survive,? he said. ‘It’s very, very rewarding.?
Although he retired from the service due to an injury, Nickeson considers it an honor to serve his ‘brothers? in this capacity.
For more information on Integrated Directives Inc., visit their website at www.int-dir.com.