Arnita C. Waters

Arnita C. Waters serves as a Contract Specialist within the Mschq Norfolk office of the Department of the Navy, where she plays a pivotal role in securing mission-critical logistics, maintenance, and maritime support services essential to the operational readiness of U.S. Navy surface and auxiliary vessels. She manages the full lifecycle of complex acquisitions under FAR and DFARS guidelines, with a focus on ship repair, marine equipment procurement, and specialized logistics contracts that sustain fleet deployment cycles. Her work directly enables the Navy’s ability to maintain continuous operational capability through timely, compliant, and strategically aligned contracting actions. Waters maintains enduring relationships with a select group of high-capacity contractors, including ExxonMobil Marine Limited for fuel and marine logistics, Vigor Marine LLC for shipyard repair and overhaul services, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. for technical and analytical support, Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc. for critical component fabrication, and the Foreign Policy Research Institute for strategic maritime policy analysis. These partnerships reflect a preference for established, technically proficient vendors capable of delivering integrated solutions across naval sustainment domains, often under time-sensitive and security-sensitive conditions. Her contracting activity reflects a strong emphasis on open competition, with 89.7% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a prioritization of capability and capacity over socioeconomic preferences. Small business participation remains modest but intentional, with 9.2% of awards designated as total small business set-asides and a minimal but consistent allocation to women-owned small businesses, demonstrating compliance without compromising mission requirements. Waters specializes in procurements governed by NAICS codes 811310 for industrial machinery maintenance, 336611 for shipbuilding and repair, and 333618 for engine equipment manufacturing. Her technical expertise spans marine propulsion systems, overhead crane infrastructure, and commercial refrigeration systems used aboard naval vessels, positioning her as a subject matter expert in the intersection of maritime engineering and defense logistics procurement.