Herbert A. Thompson, Jr.

Herbert A. Thompson, Jr. serves as a Contracting Officer for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (HDTRA1), where he leads the acquisition of critical capabilities to counter weapons of mass destruction and emerging national security threats. He manages a diverse portfolio of research, development, and technical support contracts aligned with the agency’s mission to detect, deter, and neutralize chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive threats. His acquisitions typically involve advanced scientific instrumentation, threat intelligence systems, and high-performance computing solutions, requiring deep technical oversight and compliance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) requirements. Thompson maintains strategic relationships with leading technical contractors including TECHTRANS INTERNATIONAL INC, BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, AERIS LLC, APPLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC., and AMAZON WEB SERVICES, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established federal contractors with proven expertise in defense science, systems engineering, and cloud-based analytics. His procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, leveraging long-term vendor relationships to ensure rapid response and technical innovation in high-stakes operational environments. While the majority of his acquisitions are conducted as unrestricted competitions (68.6%), Thompson consistently prioritizes small business participation, with nearly 30% of awards designated as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. He also actively supports Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-asides, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic goals without compromising mission-critical requirements. His primary NAICS focus areas include Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (541715), Software Publishing (511210), and specialized manufacturing of measuring and controlling devices (334519). These reflect a technical emphasis on threat detection systems, data analytics platforms, and engineered instrumentation used in field-deployable defense applications, underscoring his expertise in science and engineering-driven procurement.