Rachel Sawayda

Rachel Sawayda serves as a key procurement lead within the FA9401 377 Msg Pk unit of the Department of the Air Force, supporting the acquisition of advanced aerospace and defense systems critical to air force operational readiness. She manages contracts for mission-critical instrumentation, secure communications infrastructure, and laboratory-grade analytical equipment, ensuring the modernization of electronic warfare and sensor systems. Her role is central to sustaining the Air Force’s technical edge through timely, compliant procurement of high-precision scientific and technical services, with a focus on rapid deployment and system interoperability across classified and unclassified environments. She maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of specialized contractors, including J STAR ENTERPRISES INC, LARON, LLC, FIVEBYFIVE, LLC, VISION DISTRIBUTORS LLC, and Boh Environmental, L.L.C. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical alignment, with vendors providing niche expertise in custom software development, systems integration, and environmental compliance for defense applications. Her procurement approach favors established contractors with proven track records in delivering complex, high-integrity solutions under strict security and performance standards. Sawayda’s contracting activity reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of awards issued without set-aside designations. This indicates a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic categorization, prioritizing mission need and vendor performance over targeted small business programs. While small business participation is not formally incentivized in her portfolio, the nature of the services procured often naturally engages small, agile firms with specialized technical expertise. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services), which accounts for two-thirds of her activity, reflecting heavy reliance on expert advisory services for sensor system integration and electronic warfare analysis. The remaining third falls under NAICS 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services), underscoring her domain expertise in developing and sustaining bespoke software for mission-critical aerospace platforms and secure data systems.