Michelle C Rivera

Michelle Rivera serves as a secondary procurement specialist within the FA8528 Aflcmc Wika, supporting the Department of the Air Force’s mission to sustain and modernize high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms—primarily the U-2 Dragon Lady fleet. In this role, she contributes to the acquisition lifecycle for engineering services and propulsion system components, ensuring operational readiness through timely contract execution and technical oversight. Her work is integral to extending the service life of legacy aerospace systems while integrating advanced sensor sustainment capabilities, often coordinating with lead contracting officers on complex, mission-critical procurements requiring deep technical expertise and systems integration. Her primary contractor relationship is with The Boeing Company, which provides sustained engineering, logistics, and systems integration support for the U-2 platform. Rivera engages in long-term, performance-based partnerships with Boeing to deliver technical refreshes, avionics upgrades, and propulsion unit modifications aligned with evolving ISR requirements. These collaborations emphasize continuous contract management, technical risk mitigation, and compliance with defense acquisition regulations, reflecting a preference for established aerospace prime contractors with proven heritage in high-altitude platforms. Rivera’s procurement portfolio reflects no set-aside preferences, with 100% of acquisitions awarded under full and open competition. This indicates a strategic focus on technical capability and mission necessity over socioeconomic preferences, consistent with the specialized nature of U-2 sustainment activities where only a limited pool of qualified vendors exists. Her procurement focus is evenly split between NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services) and 336415 (Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit Manufacturing). She routinely acquires advanced systems engineering, flight control integration, and propulsion component fabrication services critical to maintaining the U-2’s unique operational envelope, demonstrating deep expertise in aerospace sustainment, high-altitude platform modernization, and propulsion system lifecycle management.