HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah –
My DCMA showcases the Defense Contract Management Agency’s experienced and dedicated workforce and highlights what being part of the national defense team means to them. Today, Kelly Johnson shares why he enjoys working for the agency and his upcoming retirement plans.
My name is Kelly Johnson, and this is “My DCMA.” I am a quality assurance specialist on the DCMA Geographic & Systems Support staff. My work involves updating policies and supporting contract management offices after Inspections and Evaluation Team reviews. I’ve always advocated using our skills collaboratively at the staff level because it helps our CMOs work better together. I also act as a go-between for the field and our policy makers, ensuring the policies we create are practical and our teams in the field have the clear guidance they need.
I believe that a job is more than just a list of duties. For me, it’s about looking for the gaps and finding ways to contribute that might not be in my official job description. That is what makes my work exciting and meaningful. I’m a big believer in sharing my knowledge to help others grow. My personal philosophy is simple, and it comes from my days on a farm: what you get back is a direct result of the effort you put in.
DCMA career experience over the years
With a career spanning nearly 25 years at DCMA, I have built a comprehensive foundation of experience across a wide range of critical roles. My journey began within the private sector in October 2001 as a quality assurance specialist in Utah, where I provided essential oversight for high-profile initiatives, including the space shuttle program.
I earned a promotion to a technical lead position in 2004, which involved relocating a program to a new contractor to oversee the Minuteman III refueling effort. My leadership responsibilities expanded in 2006 when I became a supervisor at a geographic CMO in Salt Lake City. It involved navigating a new environment focused on sustainment efforts, which demanded a shift in mission focus and continuous learning.
In 2012, I became the deputy commander of a tertiary CMO in Utah. In 2019, I became a team member on the Western Region staff and last year, I joined the GSS staff, where I apply my extensive field and leadership experience to broader strategic initiatives.
Why DCMA is important
My appreciation for DCMA is rooted in my early career in private industry. While working on the other side of the aisle, I regularly worked with representatives from the Air Force Plant Representative Office, DCMA, and other agencies. I was consistently impressed by the DCMA employees’ professionalism and their commitment to explaining their purpose, which in turn made my own work more effective.
What truly sets DCMA team members apart then and now is their ability to drive positive change. On occasions when my own leadership was unable to implement necessary process improvements, the DCMA quality assurance specialists assigned to my area would use their influence to help us move forward. It was these individuals, who I collaborated with almost daily, who inspired me to join the agency and contribute my own expertise.
Since joining the agency, DCMA has reciprocated the effort I have put in by investing deeply in my professional growth. The agency has provided me with invaluable leadership development programs, supported me in earning two master’s degrees, and offered me unique opportunities such as leading recruitment efforts at job fairs and universities. My career here is a testament to DCMA’s culture of empowerment and its commitment to rewarding dedication with real opportunity.
I learned why DCMA is important to our warfighters when I deployed as a lead QAS for six months on behalf of the agency to Kuwait in 2008. I got the opportunity to speak with soldiers and hear about the challenges they were having with their equipment. The experience was a humbling and powerful reminder of who we work for.
That deployment gave me a new perspective. It showed me that our most important role as an agency is to be a bridge. We must take the real-world feedback from a soldier in the field and give it directly to the program offices back home that can make a difference. It’s one thing to talk about the importance of data, but it’s another to hear the relief in a soldier’s voice when they know their concerns are being heard.
Many of us at DCMA are veterans or have family members in the military, so we get it. We know what’s at stake. But experiences like my previous deployment drive it home. Our work at DCMA isn’t just about contracts and compliance, but it’s about ensuring our warfighters have what they need to do their jobs and come home safely.
Navigating changes
When considering how DCMA has changed over my career, I find the word “changed” to be a nuanced term. The fundamental, bottom-line mission of this agency has remained steadfast and unwavering. What has evolved, however, are the methods and tools we use to execute that mission.
We have navigated significant transformations in technology, business processes, environmental policies and internal tools. Perhaps one of the most interesting shifts has been demographic as some CMOs now have four or more generations working at their location. This generational blend has been a powerful catalyst in helping to drive necessary improvements and to foster a more adaptive environment.
It proves that even in an established organization, learning and innovation are constant. While change is a perpetual force and new variables will emerge, the constant factor that ensures our agency’s relevance is the unwavering dedication of our people. This shared commitment is what keeps DCMA a vital and viable asset to the Department of War.
The most important future goals for anyone in the quality assurance field should revolve around two key themes. First is an unwavering commitment to data integrity. We must accept that human error will always be a factor in our work. Because of that, we must actively foster a daily discipline of ensuring our data is not just entered, but that it’s accurate.
The second goal is to embrace artificial intelligence. We need to learn it and use it but also remain cautious. AI can process information, but it can’t process ethics. We can use AI to make us smarter and faster, while ensuring that human judgment and our core principles lead the way.
Preparing for retirement
When I’m not at work, my hobbies revolve around the outdoors. Fishing is my primary passion, and I enjoy it year-round. I enjoy waterfowl hunting in the marsh, as well as golfing and camping. Above all, my family is my driving force, so I cherish any opportunity to include them in my hobbies. Sharing these activities and passing them on to my grandchildren has become especially important to me.
As I approach my retirement in October, I’m most excited about what comes next. I have a passion for helping others with their career development. My goal is to work as a career coach for high school and college students. I want to offer them the guidance and support they need as they begin their professional journeys.
I want to make each day count. I am not someone who enjoys sitting idle, so I’ll have plenty of things to keep me busy. I’m excited about traveling and seeing the country. A big part of that will involve lots of camping trips with my family and friends. I also want to find some service projects to get involved with. I’ve always felt that helping others is one of the best ways we can grow as people, so I’m looking forward to giving back.