Sarah Elledge

Sarah Elledge serves as a key procurement lead within the FA8617 Aflcmc Wndi/wnb Trng Arcrft unit, responsible for managing the lifecycle acquisition of tactical pilot training aircraft systems. Her role centers on sustaining and modernizing the U.S. Air Force’s T-6 and T-7 trainer fleets through the procurement of airframe overhauls, avionics upgrades, engine component repairs, and integrated system modifications. She ensures operational readiness by aligning contracting actions with the unit’s mission to deliver combat-ready pilots, coordinating closely with engineering, logistics, and flight test teams to translate technical requirements into enforceable contract deliverables. Her acquisitions are predominantly performance-based, emphasizing reliability, maintainability, and technical compliance under MIL-STD and DO-160 standards. Elledge maintains strategic partnerships with Tier 1 aerospace OEMs and specialized maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers with deep expertise in military trainer platforms. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, her contracting patterns reflect a preference for vendors with proven track records in T-6 and T-7 sustainment, including those with FAA Part 145 certifications and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) accreditation. She prioritizes long-term vendor relationships grounded in technical proficiency and supply chain transparency, often leveraging indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts to ensure responsive support across geographically dispersed training bases. Her procurement activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of contracts awarded under open competition without socioeconomic preferences. This reflects a mission-critical focus on technical capability and schedule certainty over socioeconomic targeting, consistent with the urgency of maintaining pilot training throughput. While small businesses are not formally prioritized, qualified firms are evaluated on equal footing based on technical merit and past performance. Elledge’s acquisitions are exclusively classified under NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing), focusing on the integration of flight control systems, cockpit avionics, engine overhaul kits, and structural refurbishment for advanced jet trainers. Her technical domain expertise lies in military flight training systems, with deep familiarity with military specifications for flight safety, digital integration, and mission-critical component reliability.