Faces of the Force: Protect Your Time - Tiffanie Bachar
Tiffanie Bachar
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Mission and Installation Contracting Command, 418th Contracting Support Brigade
TITLE: Chief and supervisory quality assurance specialist, Customer and Field Support Division
YEARS OF SERVICE IN AAW: 20
MILITARY OR CIVILIAN: Civilian
YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 3 (Air Force)
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Advanced in engineering and technical management
EDUCATION: M.S. in systems engineering management, Naval Post Graduate School;
B.S. in business management, Colorado Technical University
AWARDS: Civilian Service Commendation Medal (2024); Special Act of Service Award (2023)
For Tiffanie Bachar, effective time management isn’t just a workplace skill—it’s a mindset. By valuing her own time and prioritizing herself, she believes everything else has a way of aligning naturally.
“The most important lesson I’ve learned is to protect your time,” she said. “Not everything is urgent, and not everything deserves immediate attention. The work will still be there—requirements, tasks and even challenging customers aren’t going anywhere—but that important game, recital or moment with a loved one might not come around again.”
As the supervisory quality assurance specialist and customer and field support division chief for the 418th Contracting Support Brigade (CSB), Bachar is responsible for managing the brigade’s quality program and leading a geographically dispersed team of seven quality assurance (QA) specialists who oversee service contract performance across ten continental United States installations.
“In addition to the QA team, our brigade division includes contract analysts, systems analysts and government furnished property administrators. Together, we provide exceptional customer support and subject matter expertise to a wide range of stakeholders across the installations,” she explained. “Our support spans systems access, assisting with defining and refining requirements packages, delivering training and conducting data analytics.”
Data tracking is a major component of the mission. “By closely monitoring metrics across the organization, we are able to identify areas of weakness and provide targeted assistance where it is most needed.” This data‑driven approach ensures she and her team maintain high standards of performance and deliver consistent, reliable support to customers—ending with the Army and the warfighter.
Bachar joined the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) in 2011, when she applied for an internship within the Career Program 15 (CP-15) Quality and Reliability, and was then selected by the Expeditionary Contracting Command as part of a GS-07/09/11 internship class of thirteen. After completing the program, she was assigned to the 410th CSB in San Antonio, Texas, where she eventually earned her GS‑12 position.
Before stepping into this role, she served as a quality assurance specialist, ammunition surveillance, at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, where she performed surveillance on everything from small‑arms ammunition to missiles and large rockets.
“I gained hands‑on experience in all aspects of ammunition surveillance, including explosive safety, logistics, storage, handling and even demilitarization—which quickly became my favorite part of the job,” Bachar said.
Her first acquisition position was with the 410th CSB at Joint Base Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, where she supported commands and personnel across the Central and South America area of responsibility.
“I had the opportunity to travel to several countries to conduct surveillance on service contracts and to provide contracting officer representative (COR) training to government personnel responsible for monitoring contract performance,” Bachar said. “I was also entrusted with developing and implementing the process for the first independent audit for Army Contracting Command.”
Bachar’s main goal in her current position is to improve the programs and processes that enable personnel to conduct effective oversight of government contracts. Together with the Mission Installation Contracting Command (MICC) Quality Assurance Specialists Team, she developed and implemented a redesigned one‑day COR capstone training course (the previous course spanned two days and included an exam).
“We identified that much of the content was redundant and did not focus on the practical knowledge CORs need to be successful,” she said. “As a team, we reviewed and revised the entire curriculum, ultimately streamlining the course, removing the exam and concentrating the material on enabling effective surveillance of government contracts.”
This effort returned valuable time to busy CORs—many of whom perform this role as an additional duty—while improving the relevance and clarity of the training. Another key accomplishment was creating a streamlined requirement‑review process for the Contracting Operations Division at the brigade, which improved transparency, strengthened version control and ensured documentation reviews are consistently completed ahead of suspense dates.
The most pivotal moment in Bachar’s AAW career was applying for—and accepting—an overseas assignment. The opportunity to serve with the 409th CSB in Grafenwöhr, Germany, she said, remains “the most challenging and the most rewarding” experience of her career.
“Contracting overseas is a completely different environment. I was exposed to new contract types, unique requirements and complexities I had never encountered before. I also had the privilege of working alongside German local nationals who brought fresh perspectives and approaches to the table,” she said. “Their insights pushed me to view our processes through a different lens and to rethink how we conduct business. The assignment stretched me, challenged me and ultimately made me a better professional. It was truly a transformative experience.”
The most recent career development program Bachar completed was the Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program, which she said she would recommend to anyone aspiring to lead.
“Each week focused on a different theme—self‑development, interpersonal relationships and strategic management—providing a well‑rounded foundation for leadership growth,” Bachar said. The program also included three crucial learning workshops: Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue, Crucial Influence and Getting Things Done. “My favorite was ‘Getting Things Done’ because it offered practical tools for managing workload both at the office and at home, and it reinforced the importance of protecting your time.”
In addition to IDEAL, she earned an M.S. in systems engineering management and a systems engineering certificate from the Naval Postgraduate School and completed the Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program.
“Together, these tools helped me understand my personality preferences and recognize my natural approaches to learning, leading, navigating conflict and adapting to change. The program encourages deep self-reflection, prompting you to examine not only how you show up as an individual but also how you interact with others,” she said. “As you become more aware of your own tendencies and reactions, you begin to see their impact on your team and, ultimately, on your organization.”
Bachar’s biggest takeaway from the Naval Postgraduate School’s systems engineering management program was learning to view everything as a system—or even a system of systems.
“In practice, this means seeing your organization as an overarching system, with its branches, divisions and sections functioning as smaller, interdependent subsystems within it. Each of these subsystems relies on its own processes and procedures, and those internal mechanisms directly influence how effectively the larger organization operates,” Bachar said. “When a branch, division or section lacks well‑defined processes, the performance of the entire organization suffers. The impact shows up not only in reduced productivity but also in the organization’s overall professionalism and credibility.”
This systems‑based perspective has shaped how Bachar approaches her work. By applying it, she’s been able to assess, refine and implement several processes that have streamlined and improved operations across the brigade and even the MICC.
Her advice to junior acquisition personnel is to take ownership of their career progression early. “When you come across an opportunity that interests you—even if you’re not sure you meet every requirement—apply anyway,” she said. “Let the program coordinators or hiring managers decide whether you qualify. Too many opportunities are missed because we underestimate ourselves or doubt the value we bring.”
Outside of work, Bachar said she’s known as the “traveler who can’t sit still, the foodie who will cross town for the perfect bite or drink, the karaoke enthusiast who sings like the crowd is bigger than it is, and the artist who always has paint somewhere it shouldn’t be.”
For the most part, she’s happiest with a good book, a blank page to write on, her family nearby and “Walter [her bloodhound] dramatically snoring like he’s the main character in all of our lives.” She said these passions aren’t separate from her work, they “fuel it.”
“Travel makes me adaptable. Art keeps me creative. Reading and writing sharpen my thinking. Karaoke builds confidence. And Walter reminds me not to take life too seriously,” she said. “Together, they shape a leader who is curious, grounded and always ready for the next challenge.”
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