Richard Wahidi

Richard Wahidi serves as a procurement professional within the 771 Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Department of the Air Force, where he plays a critical role in securing enterprise-level professional and technical services to sustain Air Force mission readiness. He manages the acquisition lifecycle for complex, mission-critical support services including custom software development, engineering solutions, and specialized instrumentation systems. His work directly enables the modernization of command and control infrastructure, cybersecurity capabilities, and installation resilience, ensuring the Air Force maintains operational advantage through agile and responsive contracting. Wahidi typically handles performance-based, fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contracts under full and open competition, prioritizing technical excellence and mission alignment over socioeconomic set-asides. Wahidi’s contracting approach emphasizes strategic vendor partnerships with firms possessing deep domain expertise in aerospace systems, defense-grade software development, and mission-critical engineering services. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, he consistently engages with mid-to-large-tier defense contractors and specialized technology firms capable of delivering integrated solutions across multiple technical domains. His working relationships are characterized by rigorous performance metrics, compliance with DoD acquisition regulations, and a focus on long-term service continuity rather than transactional procurement. Wahidi’s procurement activity is entirely under full and open competition, with no set-aside preferences applied to his acquisitions. This reflects a strategic alignment with the 771 Squadron’s mission to rapidly deploy high-performance capabilities without socioeconomic constraints, prioritizing technical capability and schedule fidelity over socioeconomic targeting. His approach underscores a commitment to mission necessity over socioeconomic quotas, ensuring the Air Force receives the most capable solutions available in the marketplace. His primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 541511 (custom computer programming), 541310 (architectural services), and 541330 (engineering services), with significant activity in specialized manufacturing categories including 334511 and 334515 for aeronautical and electrical testing instrumentation. He procures mission-enabling systems such as secure software platforms, facility design services, radar and avionics test equipment, and embedded systems critical to air operations and infrastructure resilience.