How do you even research procurement decisions in defense contracting?

Defense procurement is notoriously hard to crack through traditional interviews — try leaning on SAM.gov and USASpending.gov for actual contract award data, which tells you a lot about revealed preferences even when people won't talk. Former contracting officers and retired program managers are often way more willing to chat than active ones, so LinkedIn outreach targeting that group can unlock real insights. Also, small defense industry associations and niche trade shows like AUSA tend to have more candid conversations happening than you'd expect.