PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo – It’s Mission Monday. Meet Lyndsey Kauth, acquisition team lead here at the Air Force Installation Contracting Center’s Operation Location Space.
Kauth and the OL-SPC acquisition team provides support on contracting policy and operational and enterprise contracting matters for the 21st Contracting Squadron and Space Acquisition and Integration Office at Peterson, 50th CONS at Schriever SFB and 460th CONS at Buckley SFB, Colorado; 45th CONS at Patrick SFB, Florida, and 30th CONS at Vandenberg SFB, California.
We asked her to tell us a little more about her job and what she delivers for AFIMSC and the Department of the Air Force.
What do you love about your job?
I enjoy working with my team to navigate the ever-changing contracting acquisition ecosystem. Operational and enterprise acquisition is tough. Our team embraces the opportunity to assist our mission partners in translating complex Federal Acquisition Regulation policy and regulation into actionable executable acquisition strategy.
When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?
Every acquisition is unique and no two are the same. Each day brings a new challenge, and I am motivated to find solutions that will not only provide installations the best contracted support available but to do so in a cost-effective manner. In addition, working on high-level teams affords me the opportunity to work with contracting professionals to push the envelope on how acquisition can optimize the way installations can leverage nonorganic capabilities.
Why are you and your team important to the DAF enterprise and your customers?
Our office only sees acquisitions that reach significant cost or risk thresholds – anything else we empower our contracting officers to execute. Our value lies in aggregating DAF enterprise acquisition lessons learned and applying our business acumen to provide top cover for contracting officers that have complex acquisition requirements.
Describe a project/event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:
Our team recently provided strategic contract support on a critical $3.95 billion Base Maintenance Contract supporting Thule Air Base, Greenland. Thule is home to sensors providing missile warning, space surveillance and satellite control to the U.S. Space Force and mission partners. Thule’s runway and its seaport, the northernmost deep-water port in the world, provide a unique platform for Arctic training, international scientific research and environmental programs.
How does what you do support AFIMSC’s strategic priorities?
Pursue organizational excellence. Our office’s daily mission is to remove barriers or roadblocks and act as force multipliers for the contracting officers at the installations we support. We take extreme pride in the development of our contracting Airmen and assisting them in reaching the pinnacle of their careers – obtaining their unlimited contracting officer warrant.
Is there anything else you’d like to add which might help people understand the importance of what you do for the Department of the Air Force?
We assist our contracting units in putting cost effective solutions in place to not only maintain military superiority but increase our military installation’s ability to generate warfighting capabilities.