DLA Troop Support begins journey to predictive data with AI integration

Stressing the urgency of a new strategic pivot for military logistics, the director of the Defense Logistics Agency returned to his former command in Philadelphia for a mid-year review, outlining a stark vision for achieving logistics readiness at the speed of war to ensure the nation's preparedness for any potential conflict.

"We have to transform now, and we have to do it with a sense of urgency," said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly. "The things we've done in the past, the processes that got us here, simply aren't how we need to do things to be successful in the future. In the contested environment we face today, the status quo will not be acceptable. We have to be at the leading edge of innovation if we are to support the Warfighter effectively."

Simerly, who previously commanded DLA Troop Support, met with the organization's current leadership for a semi-annual Annual Operating Plan check-in. The discussions centered on modernizing and digitizing the four primary supply chains managed from the Philadelphia post: Subsistence, Medical, Clothing & Textiles and Construction & Equipment. His message echoed a broader Department of War mandate to rebuild the military and reform internal processes, emphasizing that the primary challenge can often be a slow, risk-averse bureaucracy that stifles innovation.

A key component of this modernization is the Digital Adoption Readiness Team initiative. Its primary goal is to enable and accelerate the adoption of digital tools, data-driven decision-making and modernized workflows to deliver improved operational outcomes. The objectives for DART are to promote workforce digital literacy, reduce reliance on manual processes and spreadsheets and enable predictive, real-time analytics to improve the speed and quality of decisions.

"The DART initiative and the AI tools we have access to right now have created a solid foundation, but this is just the beginning," said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Sean Kelly, DLA Troop Support commanding general. "The only thing holding us back is our imagination. My goal is that in a year, this initial phase will be in the rearview mirror, and we'll be focused on more advanced predictive models that allow us to see around corners and truly anticipate the needs of the Warfighter."

This effort directly supports DLA's agency-wide goal to improve planned support accuracy for the services, reaching a target of 85% by September 2026. To achieve this, Troop Support has established aggressive local goals, including eliminating analog processes, reducing backorders and improving supplier on-time delivery.

"This is a huge technological change, and I understand that it's very disruptive. But it is also absolutely necessary," Simerly said. "We are moving from an age of reacting to supply chain problems to one where we can predict them. Old models of 'just-in-time' delivery are not on time in a contested fight. We have to prioritize and position materiel to ensure our forces have what they need, where they need it, before the battle even begins."

He was quick to reassure the workforce that technology would increase, not replace, their expertise.

"Technology is a tool, but our people are the advantage we have," Simerly said. "If we take care of our people and empower them with the right tools, they'll take care of the mission every time."

A key part of that empowerment is changing the organizational mindset about information itself. This modernization is guided by what DLA calls the "Sensor-Shooter-Sustainer-Supplier" framework, designed to directly link the Warfighter's real-time needs to the nation's Defense Industrial Base through an integrated, data-driven network.

"In a contested logistics environment, data is the currency of war. It's as valuable as fuel, ammunition or any piece of equipment," Simerly said. "Having visibility on our assets, using analytics to predict demand, and leveraging AI to identify potential disruptions before they happen is what gives us the advantage. Logistics is a battlefield imperative."