JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – It’s Mission Monday! Meet Maj. Jacquelyn Stringfield, deputy director for the Air Force Installation Contracting Center’s Enterprise Solutions Support Directorate at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
Maj. Stringfield leads a team that keeps AFICC running smoothly across 82 units and 10 major commands. Her team is dedicated to supporting the AFICC mission through the Acquisition Center of Excellence and the Enterprise Innovation division.
“I began my Air Force journey inspired by my family's legacy of service to our nation,” Stringfield said. “This calling deepened through my own military family: my husband Daniel, an Air Force veteran, and now extends to our daughters, Diana and Gwen. I continue to serve not only to honor this heritage but to help shape the Air Force that my children and future generations will inherit, ensuring they have the same opportunities to grow, lead and contribute to our nation's defense.”
We asked Stringfield, a Rio Rancho, New Mexico native, to tell us more about herself and the work she does for DAF.
Briefly tell us why you joined the Air Force.I joined the Air Force following the exceptional example set by my parents. My father is a retired Chief Master Sergeant, and my mother had a remarkable 39-year federal service career, including 22 years as an active-duty Staff Judge Advocate followed by 17 years as Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Legal Counsel. Their dedication to service inspired me to forge my own path in the Air Force, where I've found my calling in contracting leadership. Their example taught me that service is not just a career choice, but it's a way of life that combines professional excellence with meaningful contribution to our nation's defense.
What do you love about your job?Being a collaborator is at the heart of what I love about my role as a 64P Contracting Officer. I thrive on the dynamic nature of leading acquisitions, whether I'm conducting market research with industry partners, strategizing with program managers or collaborating with finance and legal teams to structure effective contracts. This collaboration allows us to see the bigger picture of DAF operations and empowers us to directly impact mission success through strategic acquisition solutions.
When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?The airmen, the mission and my family drive my motivation every day in contracting. I see the direct results of hard work, dedication and devotion through multiple lenses. When I mentor junior contracting officers and see them grow into confident mission- focused business leaders, it reinforces the importance of developing our next generation of leaders. When a complex acquisition delivers mission-critical capabilities to our warfighters, it shows the value of our contracting expertise.
Why are you and your team important to the Department of the Air Force?Contracting is integral to every aspect of the Air Force and Space Force enterprise, touching virtually every facet of daily operations and mission execution. From the office chair you sit in during mission planning, to the contractor expertise integrated within your organization, to the advanced F-35 taking off from the runway, our work enables it all. We are the mission focused business leaders and acquisition professionals who transform requirements into reality.
Describe a project/event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:My team has undertaken a comprehensive initiative to develop strategic sourcing solutions for 26 essential base operating support services. We began with two key services - dormitory maintenance and dining facility operations - which proved to be valuable pilot efforts. What made it challenging was constantly changing requirements during the acquisition process. As we defined requirements and developed acquisition strategies, we faced shifting mission needs, new installation priorities and changing market conditions. Despite these challenges, our team demonstrated remarkable agility, adjusting procurement strategies midcourse while staying compliant with acquisition regulations.
How does what you do support AFIMSC’s strategic priorities?We increase lethality and readiness by streamlining emergencies and contracting. In addition, we utilize category management and strategic sourcing to optimize spending on mission essential equipment and supplies. By mentoring and training the next generation of contracting professionals, we pursue organizational excellence and amplify warfighter culture. We keep closely connected with the operational contracting units to better understand and support warfighter needs.