Samantha Decker

Samantha Decker serves as the primary procurement lead for the Aviation Supply Chain under the Department of Defense’s Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Aviation, where she ensures the timely acquisition of mission-critical aviation components essential to maintaining U.S. military aircraft readiness. Her responsibilities encompass managing the full lifecycle of contracts for precision-engineered hardware, including fasteners, structural airframe parts, and engine subsystems, all subject to stringent military specifications. She operates within a high-stakes environment requiring strict compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) standards and defense-specific quality controls, ensuring that every procured item meets the operational demands of combat and support aircraft platforms. Her contractor relationships are characterized by a broad base of Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers specializing in aerospace-grade manufacturing, with no single vendor dominating her portfolio. She consistently engages with certified manufacturers of aircraft components, leveraging competitive bidding and performance-based contracting to ensure reliability and supply chain resilience. While she maintains relationships with established defense contractors, her approach prioritizes technical capability and compliance over vendor size, fostering a diverse supplier ecosystem capable of meeting exacting military standards. Samantha’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 98.1% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions. Only 1.9% of her acquisitions are designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, indicating a mission-first procurement philosophy where technical necessity overrides socioeconomic preferences. Though small business participation is not a primary driver, she remains compliant with all applicable socioeconomic requirements and evaluates vendors based on capability, quality, and delivery performance. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336413 (Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing) and 336412 (Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing), reflecting deep expertise in airframe and propulsion systems. She also routinely procures hardware components under 332510, including high-strength fasteners and specialized fittings, demonstrating technical fluency in metallurgy, tolerancing, and aerospace certification standards.