Deirdre Blankenship

Deirdre Blankenship serves as a key procurement lead within the FA8307 Aflcmc Hnck C3IN unit of the Department of the Air Force, where she manages acquisitions critical to advancing secure command, control, communications, intelligence, and cyber (C3I) capabilities for air and space operations. Her work centers on procuring mission-critical software systems, cyber defense platforms, and resilient computing infrastructure that enable real-time decision-making and operational superiority. She routinely handles complex, technology-driven contracts requiring strict compliance with DoD cybersecurity standards, including NIST SP 800-53 and RMF frameworks, ensuring acquisitions align with the agency’s modernization priorities in cyber resilience and mission computing. Her primary contractor relationship is with AANTILIA LLC, a trusted vendor with demonstrated expertise in secure software development and cyber-enabled systems integration. Blankenship fosters long-term, performance-based partnerships with this contractor, often awarding task orders under indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) vehicles for agile development and rapid fielding of mission-critical applications. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical proficiency, proven track records in classified environments, and adherence to strict compliance requirements, reflecting a preference for established defense-industry partners with deep domain knowledge. Blankenship’s contracting portfolio reflects a strong orientation toward open competition, with 87.5% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions. However, she consistently supports small business participation, allocating 12.5% of opportunities as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, enabling qualified small firms to compete for high-impact technical work. This balanced approach ensures innovation and competition while maintaining mission readiness. Her procurement focus is concentrated in custom computer programming services (NAICS 541511), with additional emphasis on computing infrastructure, systems design, and facilities management services. She specializes in acquiring secure software development, cloud-native architectures, and cyber-secure data processing solutions tailored to high-threat operational environments, demonstrating deep expertise in the intersection of defense IT and mission-critical cyber operations.