Karen Thompson

Karen Thompson serves as Supervisory Contract Specialist and Group Manager at the W6QK Acc-pica under the Department of the Army, leading a team responsible for the end-to-end acquisition of critical defense manufacturing and operational support systems. She oversees the planning, solicitation, negotiation, and administration of contracts essential to sustaining combat systems, maintaining installation infrastructure, and ensuring reliable munitions supply chains. Her portfolio is exclusively focused on high-stakes, mission-critical acquisitions in ammunition manufacturing and related defense logistics, requiring deep technical expertise in defense production standards and regulatory compliance under FAR and DFARS. Thompson maintains long-standing, high-trust relationships with key defense industry leaders including Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, General Dynamics OTS (Wilkes-Barre), LLC, and Pioneering Decisive Solutions Inc. These partnerships are characterized by consistent performance, technical collaboration, and adherence to stringent military specifications. She routinely engages with prime contractors possessing advanced manufacturing capabilities and security clearances, ensuring seamless integration of complex ammunition production systems and associated support services into the Army’s operational readiness framework. Thompson’s contracting approach reflects a firm commitment to full and open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted without set-asides for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic programs. This reflects the specialized nature of the procurements, which demand advanced industrial capacity, classified facility access, and precision manufacturing expertise typically available only through established defense primes with proven track records in high-consequence environments. Her primary procurement focus is exclusively under NAICS 332993—Ammunition (except Small Arms) Manufacturing—encompassing the acquisition of medium- and large-caliber munitions, propellants, detonators, and associated production equipment. Thompson brings deep domain expertise in explosive ordnance lifecycle management, defense industrial base resilience, and the regulatory frameworks governing munitions production, ensuring all acquisitions align with Army modernization priorities and national security requirements.