JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- The Air Force District of Washington encompasses more than 30,000 Airmen in 1,758 units stationed at 500 locations in 108 countries. AFDW Airmen execute varied missions around the world alongside service members and civilians from different Air Force major commands, joint units and international organizations. AFDW highlights Airmen in these unique missions in its series, “AFDW and You.”
The Airman: Master Sgt. Tia Littleton is the Contingency Functional Area Manager for the Air Force District of Washington Contracting Directorate at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Her hometown is Newark, New Jersey.
The mission: As the AFDW Contingency FAM, Littleton oversees contingency contracting assets for three organizations located within the region. She works directly with 14 joint partners in support of Joint Task Force – National Capital Region, as well as the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing. She also directs the Contingency Contracting Officer training program for six Air Force agencies located within the National Capital Region.
The highlights: Something unique that Littleton enjoys as a part of her job is the ability to support and work with joint partners to provide contingency contracting support across the entire National Capital Region. Additionally, since this is her first headquarters staff job, she has a newfound opportunity to work more closely with other Air Force Specialty Codes in support of the AFDW mission.
The challenges: The biggest challenge in her current position has been re-establishing partnerships with many joint counterparts. When she first arrived, there were vacancies in key positions as well as turnover, which led to some of the communication gaps across the agencies. Additionally, learning to maintain these lines of communication with our partners through the challenges of the COVID pandemic has brought some unique challenges of its own.
The lessons: This job, and the Air Force, has taught her that stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to some of the most rewarding experiences in your career. Additionally, it is important to recognize and leverage the strengths of your team members. No single person can do everything on his or her own.
The hobbies: In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, writing and making memories with her family.