First African American GS-12 Contract Specialist

Chief Warrant Officer Four (CW4) Timothy D. Pighee:

CW4 Pighee was born in Brinkley, Arkansas. He is a 1973 graduate of Brinkly High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in 1978.

CW4 Pighee’s outstanding military career started in November 1980 when he enlisted in Company A (Admin), 39th Support Battalion, 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate). He completed Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina in April 1981, and the Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benjamin Harrison in June 1981. Upon completion of his AIT, he acquired the Military Occupational Skill (MOS) as a Finance Specialist (73C10). CW4 Pighee was hired in the Arkansas National Guard Military Technician Program as a GS-5 Military Pay Clerk for the United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) for Arkansas in 1981. He worked in the Comptroller Division in USPFO for 3 years.

CW4 Pighee attended the Warrant Officer Candidate School and received his commission as Warrant Officer One, 920A, Property Accounting Technician in August 2001 at Fort Rucker, Alabama. As a Warrant Officer, he has been assigned as a Property Book Officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 114th Aviation (ATS), 77th Theater Aviation Brigade, Property Book Officer, Headquarters Support Company, 777th Aviation Battalion, 77th Theater Brigade, Facility Supervisor, Property Accounting Tech and Contracting Officer for Joint Force Headquarters, Arkansas. CW4 Pighee deployed 12 months to Bilad, Iraq with the 2nd Battalion, 114th Aviation Battalion.

As a Federal Military Technician, CW4 Pighee was promoted to GS-12 Contracting Specialist in July 2005. In March 2006, he received the Level III Acquisition Certification. CW4 Pighee was the first African American Contracting Specialist and the first African American to receive the Level III Acquisition Certification in the Contracting Division, United States Property and Fiscal Office for Arkansas. As the Level III Acquisition Certified Contracting Specialist, he had sole authority to sign and award contracts not to exceed $10,000,000; sign and issue modifications not to exceed $10,000,000; issue notices of termination for the convenience of the Government; issue termination agreements not to exceed $10,000,000, and sign and issue delivery orders without monetary limitations against GSA schedule contracts.

CW4 Pighee’s military and technician education include the Property Accounting Tech Basic Course, Property Accounting Tech Advanced Course, Warrant Officer Staff Course Phase I, Warrant Officer Staff Course Phase II, Organization Conflicts of Interest Course, Defense Small Purchase Advance Course, Principles of Contract Pricing Course, Government Contract Law Course, Intermediate Contracting Course, Intermediate Contract Pricing Course, Simplified Acquisition Procedures Course, Construction Contracting Course and Advanced Business Solution for Mission Support Course.

CW4 Pighee is the recipient of several medals, awards and decorations to include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Armed Force Reserve Medal with “M” Device, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Arkansas National Guard Service Ribbon and Arkansas National Guard Federal Service Ribbon.

CW4 Pighee was an active member of his community where he served as Deacon at Saint Mark Baptist Church, Little Rock, Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 467, and Past President, Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Directors for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff/Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal College (AM&N) National Alumni Association. He also served as President of the Arkansas National Guard Heritage Committee in 1994-1995. He retired from the military in 2015 with over 35 years of distinctive military service.