James Schoening

James Schoening serves as a key procurement lead within the W6QK Acc-apg under the Department of the Army’s W91CRB organization, where he manages complex acquisitions for advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. His responsibilities center on securing cutting-edge aeronautical instrumentation, radio frequency platforms, and battlefield data analytics solutions that directly support modernized tactical communications and real-time situational awareness. He oversees the full lifecycle of R&D-focused contracts, from requirement definition and market research to source selection and contract execution, ensuring alignment with Army modernization priorities and technical readiness goals. Schoening collaborates with a broad ecosystem of defense contractors and research institutions specializing in electromagnetic systems, signal processing, and embedded sensor technologies. While no single vendor dominates his portfolio, he consistently engages with firms possessing deep expertise in classified aerospace and C4ISR integration, prioritizing vendors with proven capabilities in rapid prototyping, field-deployable hardware, and secure data fusion architectures. His contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and iterative development cycles aligned with Agile and spiral development methodologies. Schoening’s acquisition strategy reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of his procurements designated as non-set-aside. This underscores a mission-driven focus on securing the most capable technical solutions regardless of vendor size, rather than prioritizing socioeconomic set-asides. While small business participation is not formally mandated in his portfolio, he remains open to qualified small firms that demonstrate technical superiority and compliance with stringent military performance standards. His primary focus lies in NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where he procures advanced sensor systems, RF signal analyzers, battlefield analytics software, and prototype platforms for next-generation battlefield networking. His expertise spans electromagnetic spectrum operations, signal intelligence, and real-time data exploitation systems, making him a critical liaison between technical requirements and acquisition execution in the Army’s modernization pipeline.