My DCMA: Richard Lehosky, QAS

My DCMA showcases the Defense Contract Management Agency’s experienced and diverse workforce and highlights what being a part of the national defense team means to them. Today, Richard Lehosky shares his story.

My name is Richard Lehosky, and this is “My DCMA.”

I am a quality assurance specialist at DCMA West, based at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. I provide government quality oversight for the Shadow, Hunter, Warrior, Raven and Gray Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles’ safety of flight.

My job duties include developing and maintaining government surveillance plans and providing mandatory government inspections; working with supply chain management and auditing principles; and performing data collection and analysis related to performance metrics and associated performance improvement methodologies. Government inspections are required to ensure contract requirements are met, including the existence and adequacy of the contractor’s inspection/quality system. This ensures the contractor has a process for properly extracting and translating requirements into appropriate inspection, test, engineering, production, manufacturing, packaging or marking, shipping, purchasing, and receiving functions.

I document audit findings and look for corrective actions or improvements, while actively engaging with the contractor and customer to review and improve programs. I also maintain a working knowledge of the policies and procedures of related acquisition functions, including contract administration, cost and price analysis, contract termination, and property management.

I have been a part of the DCMA team for 14 years. I love being given a job to do and then knowing leadership has the confidence I can complete the mission independently. I love the flexibility I have when it comes to work-life balance. Leaders care about us, encourage growth by providing opportunities to learn new skill sets, and appreciate us for the jobs we perform for the warfighters.

One great thing about working at my location is operating on my own and knowing that my supervisor can trust that I will complete the tasks given to me, whether it’s a normal duty day or one where I have to change my schedule to coincide with the contractor.

DCMA is important to me because it’s a part of the Department of Defense. We work with defense contractors to ensure all services and supplies are on time, are at cost per the contract, and fulfill all operational conditions.

DCMA has changed over the years. Employees used to work more independently. Now that has changed, and we are encouraged to work and solve problems together and to share ideas to work smarter and more efficiently. I’m excited about the quality of the people that are coming to DCMA to support our warfighters and about what the future will bring, and I think the best is yet to come.

My current and future career goals are to perform my job to the best of my ability and continue to provide the best products to the warfighters. There is always room for improvement, and I strive to continue to better myself in any situation that arises.

My favorite hobbies include traveling around the world and seeing new places and being outdoors. Something unique about me is that I’m constantly seeking to improve, learn from my mistakes, and challenge myself. I’m also exceptionally organized in terms of tracking my results, progress, and any trends in my work and output.