Mary O'CONNELL

Mary O’Connell serves as a key procurement lead within the W6QK Acc-pica office under the Department of the Army, specializing in the acquisition of defense manufacturing and operational support systems critical to military readiness. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts for ammunition production, facility maintenance, and logistics infrastructure, ensuring alignment with Army modernization priorities and force projection requirements. Her work directly supports the sustainment of combat systems and the reliability of munitions supply chains, with a focus on high-integrity, mission-critical acquisitions governed by FAR and DFARS regulations. O’Connell maintains long-standing relationships with leading defense contractors including Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, General Dynamics OTS (Wilkes-Barre), LLC, and Pioneering Decisive Solutions Inc., partnering with firms possessing specialized expertise in ammunition manufacturing, precision machining, and military-grade facility operations. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical compliance, and supply chain resilience, often engaging vendors with proven track records in high-security, regulated environments. She prioritizes stability and technical fidelity over transactional sourcing, fostering enduring vendor partnerships built on rigorous quality assurance and mission alignment. Her procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 66.7% of awards issued without set-aside designations, while 33.3% are structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This balanced approach ensures access to innovative small business capabilities while maintaining the scale and capability required for complex defense manufacturing. She actively leverages small business participation to enhance competition and innovation without compromising mission-critical performance standards. O’Connell’s expertise is singularly focused on NAICS 332993—Ammunition (except Small Arms) Manufacturing—where she procures high-explosive ordnance, propellant systems, and associated production equipment. Her domain expertise encompasses advanced manufacturing processes, safety-compliant facility operations, and defense-specific supply chain controls, making her a central figure in sustaining the Army’s strategic ammunition readiness posture.