Jim Lawson is the director for MEP’s Training and Technical Services Group. Since joining the team at MEP, Lawson has provided operational oversight of readiness and training exercises at several CONUS locations.

Q: Can you describe Mission Essential Personnel’s history and evolution?

A: MEP was founded in 2004 by U.S. Army and Special Forces veterans Chad Monnin and Greg Miller. They recognized there was a deficiency in meeting the language needs for operations in Central Asia and the Middle East, and knew they could do better. The company grew rapidly, winning its first major contract in 2007 when we captured the language contract for Operation Enduring Freedom.. Building on our successful genesis in language and cultural services, we have broadened our portfolio to include a full range of customtailored intelligence and training/technical services.

Q: What are some of your key products in the DoD training and simulation industry?

A: We have leveraged our reputation for providing the highest quality language services into delivering certainty in other markets such as providing role players, observer/controllers, instructors mentors and advisers.

Q: What are some of the new training/ simulation technologies Mission Essential Personnel is developing?

A: In coordination with a partner company, MEP is developing an embedded simulation tool that combines all command and control systems used in theater to train units for their missions. We look forward to its successful fielding later this year.

Q: How are you positioned for the future within the military?

A: When the Army published its cultural and foreign language strategy in December 2009, it formally announced goals of significantly increasing both cultural awareness and foreign language proficiency within its ranks. As the primary provider of language services to the Army and joint community, MEP is postured to help the Army grow this capability, from assessing officers and soldiers to preparing units for deployment using cultural immersion. In addition, MEP has partnered with other overseas contingency operations companies to provide law enforcement and reconstruction/stabilization support.

Q: What is Mission Essential Personnel’s connection with the defense community?

A: Currently we actively support several DoD contracts. We continue to achieve high fill rates on service orders under the INSCOM OEF-A contract, the Intelligence Support Service–Afghanistan contract, INSCOM’s OMNIBUS III contract and as a subcontractor on the warfighter FOCUS contract, among others.

Q: What is an example of your success in the military, and what are some of your goals (specific to the training/simulation industry) over the next year?

A: An excellent example of our success is our contract with the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, which trains support personnel in deployed operations with combat and related skills. The mission of the combat airman skills training (CAST) course is to train selected airmen for deployment to a hostile battlefield environment in support of contingency operations. MEP provides classroom and field training support to the USAF CAST course by employing more than 30 multi-skilled veterans. MEP has leveraged its strength in human capital to supplement the ability of the USAF to provide combatant command prerequisite training through CAST. Our instructors bring more than 200 years of combined military experience with subject matter expertise in all types of combat and urban operations. Over the next year, we are committed to growing a top-tier training and technical services capability that can compete in both domestic and international markets for even the most demanding customers.

Q: How do customers benefit from Mission Essential Personnel’s varied resources and expertise?

A: With offices around the world that provide and manage human-capital solutions, we can systematically match the global supply of talent with the demand for that talent. We have a unique capability to recruit, vet, prepare, place and manage the world’s foremost professionals that allows our customers to achieve their goals. MEP brings a number of skills to the customer that when combined provide a powerful capability set. MEP is an expert in both language and intelligence services, but with its experience in training, law enforcement and demolitions response, MEP has a unique capability to either prepare or support customers in a full spectrum environment.

Q: How do you measure success?

A: At MEP we pride ourselves in providing certainty to our customers. We know and understand their needs, we earn their trust and we constantly strive to exceed their expectations. We measure success through customer satisfaction. Our goal is to provide our customers with the support they need to accomplish their goals and objectives in a cost-effective manner. ♦

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