Daniel “Dan” Cary

Captain, U.S. Air Force  |  Contracting Officer & Acquisition Leader

dc@dancary.com dancary.com undisclosed location

Air Force contracting officer with 18+ years of enlisted and officer experience in defense acquisition, contingency operations, and aircraft maintenance. Unlimited warrant holder with experience leading teams, supporting multi-billion-dollar modernization programs, and improving acquisition processes.

Experience

Acquisition Flight Commander / Contracting Officer

Jan 2026 – Present

U.S. Air Force · undisclosed location

  • Leads Air Base Air Defense contracting, supervising four contracting professionals and coordinating a 12-person acquisition team.
  • Developed a $2.75M acquisition strategy for a defense test bed and operations-center connections, reducing contractor fees by 10%.

F-16 Contracting Leadership

2022 – 2024

Air Force Life Cycle Management Center

  • Led a seven-person team supporting 34 contracts and a multi-billion-dollar F-16 modernization portfolio.
  • Executed 100+ acquisition actions and obligated $250M across 10 modernization programs; helped develop tracking software that saved 300 staff hours annually.

Contingency Operations & Contracting Team Lead

2017 – 2022

U.S. Air Forces in Europe & Africa / Air Force Installation Contracting Center

  • Led contracting support for contingency, humanitarian, and evacuation operations across two combatant commands, 104 nations, and 29 NATO allies.

Contracting Officer / Specialist

2012 – 2017

319th Contracting Squadron

  • Managed a 12-person team and $150M portfolio; completed 58 deployed contract actions and saved $285K as lead negotiator.

A-10 Aircraft Maintenance / Crew Chief

2007 – 2012

355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

  • Maintained A-10 aircraft in home-station and deployed operations, supporting combat readiness and pilot training.

Education

M.S., Defense Contract Management · Naval Postgraduate School · 2025 · GPA 3.98

B.S., Business Administration · Southern New Hampshire University · 2015 · Summa Cum Laude

Associate degrees: Contract Management (2013), Aviation Maintenance (2012), and Liberal Arts (2006).

Credentials & Recognition

Unlimited Contracting Officer Warrant · Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) · APDP Contracting Levels I, II & III

DoD Acquisition Workforce Individual Achievement Award in Contracting for AFLCMC · Three Meritorious Service Medals