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Pragmatic Defense Solutions LLC

About

A former federal auditor and an operator, working alongside your accountant.

Pragmatic Defense Solutions is a veteran-owned advisory practice founded by a disabled veteran. We help small and midsize federal contractors understand, document and demonstrate compliant contract accounting.

At a glance
ServeFederal contractors, 3 to 50 employees
WorkAssess, advise, prepare, support. Advisory only.
WhereRemote, nationwide. Denver-based.
Systems we knowQuickBooks, Xero, Sage, Unanet, Deltek
Reply timeWithin one business day

Why PDS exists.

Small contractors get the same accounting system criteria as large ones, with none of the staff. When a survey request or an audit notice arrives, the founder, the controller and the outside CPA are usually learning the rules on a deadline.

PDS was started to close that gap from the auditor's side. We know the checklists because we applied them, and we explain them in plain English so your team and your accountant can act.

William Austin, CPA

Founder · 24 years federal contract audit · Licensed CPA, Colorado
Founder timeline
2001B.S. Public Accounting, Mesa State CollegeLater licensed as a CPA in Colorado.
2001–2021DCAA, DenverAuditor → Incurred Cost Technical Specialist → Supervisory Auditor → GAGAS QA Auditor. Audit tours in Iraq and Afghanistan for DCAA and the State Department.
2021–2023VA Office of Inspector GeneralGAGAS quality assurance and policy auditor.
2023–2025Department of Energy OIGIncurred Cost Audit Division.
2026Founded Pragmatic Defense SolutionsAdvisory services for small and midsize federal contractors.

Roles and years are stated for background. Past government employment does not imply agency endorsement.

Brook Zink

Co-owner · Operations

Brook brings 15+ years running finance, HR and operations for growing companies. She runs intake, scheduling and delivery so engagements start on time and end with the documents you need.

What we do and don't do.

Do
  • Assess your system against the criteria the auditor uses
  • Advise on what has to change and why
  • Prepare submissions, schedules and written methodologies
  • Support you through audits and reviews
  • Train your staff on timekeeping and charging
Don't
  • Tax preparation or planning
  • Bookkeeping
  • Payroll
  • Software implementation or configuration
  • General management consulting

For CPAs and attorneys.

We work alongside the client's existing CPA, attorney or APEX Accelerator counselor. We do not take over the books, the tax work or the legal relationship, and we report back to you as the client prefers.

Refer a client →

How we work.

People

We talk to the person who will sit across from the auditor, and we prepare them.

Strategy

Fix what will stop an award first. Everything else is sequenced after.

Impact

Every engagement ends with a document you can hand to an auditor or a CO.

Plain English

We cite the regulation, then say what it means for your books.

Pragmatic Defense Solutions LLC provides advisory services. We are not affiliated with, and are not endorsed by, DCAA, DCMA or any federal agency. Nothing on this site is a determination of accounting system adequacy or legal advice.

Tell us what you received.

A survey request, an audit notice, a deadline. We reply within one business day.

Request a readiness reviewBook a consult