Yara Halil

Yara Khalil serves as a Contract Specialist at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), where she plays a pivotal role in acquiring mission-critical technologies that enhance the operational superiority of elite special operations forces. Her responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of procurement actions—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and administration—with a focus on rapid prototyping, field-deployable systems, and experimental capabilities in electro-optics, tactical communications, and advanced sensor platforms. She operates within USSOCOM’s agile acquisition framework, ensuring compliance with DoD innovation directives while accelerating delivery of capabilities to the battlefield. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, Khalil consistently engages with a dynamic ecosystem of small businesses, technology innovators, and defense subcontractors capable of delivering rapid, low-volume, high-precision solutions. Her working relationships are characterized by close collaboration with vendors who specialize in rapid iteration, prototype-to-field transitions, and non-traditional defense contractors with niche technical expertise in electronic warfare, night vision, and secure comms systems. Khalil maintains a 100% Small Business Set-Aside preference across all her acquisitions, reflecting a steadfast commitment to socioeconomic contracting under FAR 19.5. She prioritizes partnerships with small disadvantaged businesses, HUBZone firms, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, leveraging set-aside authorities to foster innovation from non-traditional sources and expand the defense industrial base. Her primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 711320, which, despite its apparent misalignment, is used here as a procedural vehicle to facilitate the acquisition of specialized event-driven technical demonstrations, experiential prototyping events, and rapid capability integration exercises. This reflects her domain expertise in procuring not just hardware, but the experimental ecosystems and agile testing environments that enable USSOCOM’s cutting-edge technological experimentation and operational readiness.