Lt Col Kendra Crider

Lt. Col. Kendra Crider serves as Project Lead for the FA8823 Sustainment MCPNT SSC/PKL under the Department of the Air Force, where she directs the acquisition and sustainment of critical aerospace and space-based systems essential to national defense. Her role encompasses end-to-end management of complex procurements for guided missile systems, space vehicle platforms, and associated command, control, and communications infrastructure. She ensures operational readiness through strategic contracting that aligns with Air Force modernization priorities, overseeing technical requirements development, source selection, and contract execution for high-stakes defense capabilities. Lt. Col. Crider collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of prime contractors and specialized engineering firms, primarily those with deep expertise in missile systems integration, space vehicle sustainment, and advanced propulsion technologies. Her working relationships are characterized by long-term, performance-based partnerships with vendors capable of delivering ruggedized, mission-critical hardware and software under strict security and reliability standards. She emphasizes technical proficiency and past performance in source selection, fostering collaboration between industry and government engineers to address evolving operational threats. Her procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions classified as “No Set-Aside,” indicating a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic categorization. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her evaluations consistently reward proven technical excellence, innovation, and industrial base resilience, ensuring mission-critical systems are fielded without compromise. Lt. Col. Crider’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336414 (Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing) and 541712 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), reflecting her specialization in advanced aerospace systems and applied R&D. She procures next-generation guidance systems, satellite communication payloads, navigation payloads, and embedded software for space and missile platforms, demonstrating deep expertise in systems engineering, lifecycle sustainment, and defense-specific technical standards.