ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Positioned strategically outside the gates of Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, the Small Business Office serves a dual mission: guiding local companies into government contracting while ensuring base acquisition teams maximize small business opportunities.
The Small Business Office reviews everything from operational contracting requirements, like groundskeeping, all the way up through multi-billion-dollar weapon systems requirements.
“We review requests for information market research reports,” said Joseph Herrera, Small Business Office small business professional. “Basically, our strategy here is to maximize small business utilization to the highest extent practicable, including package reviews, making sure that the small businesses have a shot when there's a shot to be had.”
Internally, the office assists contracting officers in reviewing acquisition strategies to ensure strict adherences to federal small business regulations. Externally, its accessible location allows staff to directly counsel vendors on navigating the federal marketplace and effectively marketing their capabilities to the government.
“A large percentage of the dollars spent by the government ends up going to small business through subcontracting,” said Randy Miller, source development specialist at the Small Business Office. “We find that small businesses are a little more agile, a little quicker and a little more willing to work with the finer details. If they have the data, the equipment and the know how to do it, we get better results with small business.”
What constitutes a small business is a for-profit, independently owned company that meets the U.S. Small Business Administration’s size standards for a specific industry. At Robins AFB, small business contractors provide essential services – such as grounds maintenance and facility renovations – that directly support daily installation operations and the Airmen stationed here.
Federal contracting begins with SAM.gov. Vendors must establish and maintain an active registration to partner with the Small Business Office
“We strive to make sure that small businesses have a seat at the table,” said Miller. “When you have your large dollar contracts to go to your Raytheon’s and your Boeings, etc. we want to make sure that small businesses are able to have opportunities through subcontracting when it's a good fit, or it fits the acquisition.”
To turn small business opportunities into executable agreements, the Small Business Office works hand in hand with the Air Force Sustainment Center contracting office at Robins AFB, which provides the warranted contracting officers authorized to legally obligate the government.
The mission of the contracting office is to accelerate and deliver proactive, innovative and affordable contracting solutions to Robins AFB and its enterprise-wide partners. By developing mission-focused business leaders, the office ensures full readiness to support peacetime, humanitarian and warfighting operations across any future requirement.
“Airmen rely on the infrastructure, the hardened IT systems and mission support equipment to carry out missions here and abroad,” said Col. Jeffrey Peske, AFSC Contracting director at Robins AFB. “Our contracting divisions support the full range of warfighter readiness. This spans everything from equipping maintenance depots for aircraft production to ensuring our Airmen have quality living facilities.”
While base operations rely on essential services like dining facilities to function every day, executing those agreements comes down to one pivotal role: the warranted contracting officer.
Warranted contracting officers drive operations by exercising the legal authority to sign contracts, obligate government funds and translate mission needs into actionable contracts.
“Warranted contracting officers are really the driving force behind our divisions,” said Peske. “These are the sole individuals with the unique authority to sign a contract on behalf of the government, and without them, we simply cannot do our jobs. They represent our capacity to support our mission partners. Contract administrators and support staff are key, but without warrant holders, we cannot issue a contract and move that mission forward.”
Together, the Small Business Office and warranted contract officers ensure agile commercial capabilities that translate directly into mission-ready warfighter support.
For more information on the Small Business Office contact their organizational box at mailto:wralc.bc.frontoffice@us.af.mil.