DLA Troop Support Academy connects workforce to the warfighter mission

For the civilian workforce at Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, the daily routine often revolves around spreadsheets, contracts and administrative procurement. However, during the Troop Support Academy held May 19-21, nearly 100 newer employees from around the world stepped away from their desks to bridge the gap between their office tasks and the front lines. The three-day event provided a comprehensive overview of the agency's four main supply chains and staff offices, highlighted by an immersive field trip to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, where participants saw real-world examples of how the equipment, medical supplies and food they procure directly sustain active-duty service members.

"The Troop Support Academy gives our workforce a necessary chance to step outside their daily administrative routines and see the bigger picture of military logistics," said Kimberly Maund, a management and program analyst who organized and led the event. "While our employees generally know what their specific supply chain or office does on a day-to-day basis, this program provides a firsthand perspective from subject matter experts across all directorates, showing how every piece fits together."

The academy's robust curriculum was structured to break down organizational silos through expert panels and detailed briefings covering Subsistence, Clothing and Textiles, Construction and Equipment and Medical. The event also featured a keynote address from U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Gavin A. Lawrence, deputy commanding general of Army Materiel Command and former DLA Troop Support commander. Lawrence used his time to emphasize the critical and direct link between the procurement tasks executed in Philadelphia and the survival of soldiers operating in austere environments across the globe.

"Behind every one of those line items is a warfighter relying on you," Lawrence said. "You are buying survivability, lethality and readiness. The speed at which you identify a vendor, secure a contract and move that materiel directly dictates the speed at which Army Materiel Command can project power. Your urgency sets the pace for the entire Joint Force."

Day two of the academy shifted the focus entirely from classroom instruction to a boots-on-the-ground perspective, centering on the trip to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The installation visit provided a tangible connection to the agency's mission by giving participants real examples of Troop Support assisting service members. DLA employees were able to interact directly with the end-users while observing the real-world application of the uniforms on their backs and the meals provided to sustain them.

"Taking the team to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is always the most impactful and eye-opening part of the academy for our attendees," Maund said. "Classroom briefings are important for foundational knowledge, but actually seeing the service members utilizing the equipment and supplies we provide connects our civilian workforce to the warfighter mission in a way that PowerPoint slides simply cannot replicate. It makes the mission real."

During his keynote, Lawrence also highlighted the continuous, interdependent supply chain formed by the partnership between DLA and AMC, bringing a rare perspective as someone who has directed both strategic procurement and operational sustainment. He noted that DLA Troop Support secures the absolute foundation of readiness, which ultimately allows AMC to build and project combat power effectively.

"In high-intensity conflict, strategic acquisition cannot lag behind operational execution. The supplier and the sustainer must move at the exact speed of the shooter," Lawrence said.

To conclude the three-day academy, participants transitioned from site visits and lectures to practical application during a final interactive module. The cohort was divided into nine distinct teams and presented with real-world logistical scenarios. Each group was tasked with analyzing complex operational challenges, identifying critical supply issues, and determining exactly which of DLA Troop Support's specific supply chains were required to assist in procuring and delivering the necessary materials to support the simulated missions.

"The final scenario module challenged the teams to synthesize everything they learned over the three days and put it into practice," Maund said. "By working through these complex situations, the groups had to actively rely on each other's diverse expertise to figure out exactly how Clothing and Textiles Subsistence, Medical, or Construction and Equipment would step in to solve the problem and get the warfighter exactly what they need."