Justin Merrit

Justin Merritt serves as the primary point of contact for the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Office of Human Capital and Acquisition (USCG/CG-HCA), playing a critical role in advancing mission-critical procurement initiatives under the Department of Homeland Security. He facilitates the acquisition of specialized equipment and training services essential to sustaining maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and aviation operational readiness. His responsibilities include coordinating requirements validation, solicitation development, and contractor engagement for high-priority capabilities that directly support crew training and equipment performance. Merritt’s work ensures alignment between acquisition strategy and operational needs, bridging technical specifications with procurement execution across complex federal contracting frameworks. While specific contractor names are not publicly available, Merritt routinely engages with a diverse ecosystem of vendors specializing in commercial and service industry machinery and flight training solutions. His procurement patterns reflect collaboration with both large-scale manufacturers and nimble small businesses capable of delivering customized, mission-adapted hardware and simulation systems. He maintains a collaborative, transparent working relationship with vendors, emphasizing technical compliance, delivery reliability, and performance-based outcomes in line with Coast Guard operational standards. Merritt demonstrates a balanced commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with approximately half of his procurement activities directed toward small business set-asides and the other half open to full and open competition. This pattern underscores a deliberate strategy to foster innovation through small business participation while ensuring access to scalable, proven capabilities. His approach supports broad-based vendor engagement without favoring specific socioeconomic categories, reflecting a pragmatic alignment with agency-wide goals for competitive sourcing and workforce resilience. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 333310 (Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing) and 611512 (Flight Training), indicating deep expertise in acquiring specialized maritime and aviation training systems, maintenance equipment, and simulation platforms. He routinely sources ruggedized instrumentation, flight simulators, and mission-specific support hardware designed for austere environments, demonstrating technical fluency in both mechanical systems and adult learning technologies critical to Coast Guard readiness.