Carla Ashby

Carla Chris Ashby serves as a key procurement lead within the Headquarters of Air Combat Command’s Acquisition Management Integration Center (FA4890), where she supports the Department of the Air Force’s mission to sustain and modernize air dominance capabilities. She manages complex acquisition cycles for advanced training systems, command and control infrastructure, and mission-critical technical services that enhance pilot readiness, surveillance effectiveness, and tactical communications. Her portfolio spans high-technology aerospace systems and operational support services, ensuring alignment with Air Combat Command’s strategic objectives for combat-ready force readiness. Ashby maintains consistent working relationships with specialized contractors including VETPRIDE-EMI MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS, LLC, MILTRAIN JV II LLC, and JBW FEDITC JV LLC, which provide integrated maintenance, simulation training, and defense electronics support. These partnerships reflect a preference for joint ventures and experienced defense contractors capable of delivering mission-essential capabilities under stringent performance and security requirements. Her contracting approach emphasizes reliability, technical proficiency, and seamless integration with existing Air Force platforms and operational environments. While the majority of her acquisitions—approximately 90%—are conducted without set-asides, Ashby maintains a deliberate 10% commitment to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured but consistent focus on small business participation. She does not prioritize specific socioeconomic categories such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB, instead favoring broad small business eligibility to foster innovation and competitive pricing within the defense industrial base. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334511 for aeronautical system manufacturing, 488190 for air transportation support, and 517919 for other telecommunications services, reflecting deep expertise in avionics, mission data systems, and secure communications infrastructure. She also oversees ancillary services in landscaping and hazardous waste collection to support base operations, underscoring a holistic approach to sustaining combat-ready airfields and training facilities.