Mark Dahilig
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: 413th Contracting Support Brigade, Regional Contracting Office-Hawaii
TITLE: Supervisory contract specialist
YEARS OF SERVICE IN AAW: 16
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Contracting professional
EDUCATION: M.Ed. in administration; BBA in finance; and BBA in marketing—all from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
AWARDS: Contracting Officer of the Year, 413th Contracting Support Brigade (CSB), Regional Contracting Office, Hawaii (RCO-HI) (2024 and 2022); Contracting Officer of the Quarter, 413th CSB, RCO-HI (2024); Achievement Medal for Civilian Service, 599th Transportation Brigade (2024); Civilian Service Commendation Medal, 413th RCO-HI (2022)
by Cheryl Marino
Mark Dahilig believes that the strongest careers are built by looking beyond a single lane. Experience and growth are best achieved by embracing a combination of cross-functional training within one’s organization and developmental assignments to broaden perspective, boost confidence and sharpen decision-making—an approach he lives out in his own role supporting the Soldier’s mission from the civilian side.
“I would recommend chasing the experience not the grade,” Dahilig explained. “Broaden your perspective. If you have opportunities to cross-train within your organization or rotational assignments, jump on them, as this increases your competitiveness and ability to be more confident and poised, and to make better decisions.”
As a supervisory contract specialist supporting the 413th Contracting Support Brigade (CSB), Regional Contracting Office-Hawaii (RCO-HI), Dahilig leads a team that oversees minor construction-related work for all U.S. Army Garrison installations in Hawaii and on various islands in the Pacific; ensuring the execution of projects needed for mission, sustainment, repair and infrastructure support.
“By executing requirements actions, I ensure that Soldiers can focus on their jobs without worrying about not having the basic necessities like a roof over their head or power to their buildings,” he said. “In short, I turn mission requirements into reality, making sure our people have exactly what they need to stay safe and successful.”
Aside from the mission of supporting Soldiers, he said the best part of his job is the satisfaction of perpetually “solving a different puzzle.”
“My team focuses on construction related work. With every project, we take a complicated problem—like repairing a barracks—and we make it happen.” He said there’s a great feeling with knowing that without his team’s work behind the scenes, the mission would just stop. “I also get a huge kick out of seeing my team grow. Watching a specialist I’ve coached finally ‘get it’ and handle a tough negotiation on their own is a proud moment for me. It’s about knowing that we’re the ones making sure the money is spent right and the job is done well. At the end of the day, I love being the person people can rely on to get the ‘un-doable’ done.”
Dahilig joined the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) to bridge a deep personal connection to the military with a professional desire to serve.
“Although I never served in uniform, my father and grandfather were both Army veterans, and I grew up with a profound respect for the institution. Transitioning into the AAW allowed me to honor that family legacy by supporting the Soldier’s mission from the civilian side,” he said. Before joining the federal service, he was fresh out of graduate school and working as a graduate assistant.
“I also only had one year of work in the private sector. This proved to be the perfect training ground for my current role,” Dahilig explained. “Those positions taught me how to manage high-pressure deadlines, negotiate with diverse stakeholders, and—most importantly—lead people through complex challenges. That background in operational problem-solving gave me the foundation I needed to step into acquisitions and immediately focus on what matters most, the warfighter.”
This being his first acquisition position, Dahilig said what immediately drew him to the field was the profound sense of purpose found in supporting Soldiers’ downrange. “The most impactful project I’ve tackled was supporting Task Force ’Ohana (TFO) during the Red Hill water crisis in 2021, when thousands of gallons of jet fuel leaked into the aquifer that serves as a primary source of drinking water. Being on the front lines of an emergency that affected over 3,000 families brought the stakes of my work into sharp focus,” he said. “There was definitely a need for speed and accuracy to ensure these families got what they needed in a matter of hours, and the logistics of those directly impacted the health and welfare of those families reaffirmed exactly why I chose this career: it’s about providing the critical support our community needs when it matters most.”
When Dahilig stepped into a supervisory role, he wasn’t just looking to manage contracts and people; he was looking to build a real cohesive team.
“My philosophy is that you can’t demand respect or hard work—you have to earn it by being in the trenches with your people. I wanted to focus on creating a culture where we actually have each other’s backs, balancing high standards with the kind of empowerment that lets specialists take ownership of their workload,” said Dahilig. “I’ve reached that goal by being consistent, staying approachable and showing them that I’m just as committed to their professional growth as I am to the mission. Today, the ‘we’ve got this’ attitude in the office is proof that when you treat your team with genuine respect, they’ll give you their absolute best in return.”
In December 2023, Dahilig received a Tier 4 Warrant—achieved through appointment by the senior contracting official to a senior-level technical and tactical expert who provides specialized expertise, mentorship and advice to commanders from battalion to brigade levels and higher. Dahilig said this required long hours of study and years of experience exemplifying critical thinking and capabilities of being a contracting officer.
Another significant point in Dahilig’s career was his participation in the Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program which he attended from October 2024–June 2025.
“The program shifted my focus from localized problem-solving in the Pacific to a strategic, enterprise-wide perspective. The ‘reach-back’ network I built through the program is now a primary tool in my kit; having a ‘brain trust’ of peers across the country allows me to leverage interagency contract experiences to solve complex challenges at RCO-HI without reinventing the wheel,” he said. “IDEAL provided a bridge between my technical proficiency and the strategic leadership required at the 413th CSB. I’ve applied methodologies I’ve learned during the three-week program.”
Furthermore, he said, IDEAL equipped him with high-impact tools like Crucial Conversations and Getting Things Done. “I proactively apply these frameworks to lead my team at RCO-HI, ensuring we maintain organizational agility and clear communication when supporting the warfighters’ most critical requirements.”
Outside of work, Dahilig is a golf coach. “When coaching my junior players, I try to assist with their decision making on deciding to take a risky shot over water or playing it safe,” he said. “Professionally, in the acquisition world, there is always risk assessment on contract vehicles, performance, timeline and costs risk and understanding how to mitigate these challenges.”
The most important lesson he’s learned is the value of interpersonal skills. “Technical skills can get you in the door,” he said. “But interpersonal skills and reputation as a reliable, collaborative partner is what actually moves projects forward and get things done.”
“Faces of the Force” highlights the success of the Army Acquisition Workforce through the power of individual stories. Profiles are produced by the Behind The Frontlines team, working closely with public affairs officers to feature Soldiers and civilians serving in various Army acquisition disciplines. For more information, or to nominate someone, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/army-btf/.
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