DLA Intelligence and Security celebrates 15th anniversary

The team that keeps the Defense Logistics Agency's intelligence and information safe just celebrated a milestone.

The DLA Intelligence and Security office marked its 15th anniversary with a ceremony in the Kabeiseman Conference Center Sept. 23.

The event paid tribute to the organization's history, honoring past and current employees. Guests included Tom Michelli, the first acting director of DLA Intelligence, and Stephanie Samergedes, the group's first official director from September 2010 until her retirement in April 2023.

Adrain Clay, only the second director of DLA Intelligence and Security, started his career with DLA shortly before the group formed.

"To say that a lot has changed over the last 15 years would be an understatement," he said. "We've navigated challenges, celebrated incredible successes and grown in ways that many of us could not have imagined back in 2009 and 2010."

In the years since its inception, DLA Intelligence and Security created initiatives like the insider threat awareness program, the counterintelligence cyber program, a supply chain security program and the industrial security program.

Clay thanked the past and present employees for their dedication to the agency and directorate.

"There is one constant that has made all of this possible, and it's each of you, the employees," Clay said. "Fifteen years is more than just a number. It represents countless hours of hard work, a relentless commitment to excellence and a shared passion for our mission to provide intelligence and security to this agency."

DLA Vice Director Brad Bunn recalled former DLA Director Navy Vice Adm. Alan Thompson's commitment to properly handling sensitive information and intelligence.

"He wanted to elevate, formalize and refine intelligence practices in the agency, and DLA Intelligence was born from his vision," Bunn said. "And what foresight. As the world has really gotten smaller, information abounds, and the threats have only exponentially increased."

The directorate changed its name to DLA Intelligence and Security in January 2025, which clarifies its mission and aligns with the Department of War's intelligence and security portfolio, Bunn said.

He called the 48-member office "small but mighty," adding that the entire nation benefits from the work they do.

DLA is a part of the nation's warfighting element, and intelligence is a critical component of the agency's daily work, Bunn said.

"The value DI&S brings is the interpretation of information between so many different sources, and then applying that to our environment," he said.

The office's work is critical in helping DLA's leaders make better logistics and supply chain decisions based on security considerations, Bunn added.

He also thanked the DI&S employees for their work over the last 15 years.

"For a decade and a half, you stood at the intersection of logistics and national security, quietly and expertly safeguarding the information that fuels our operations and protects our people," Bunn said. "You are the quiet sentinels behind our agency, guardians of information, protectors of trust, enablers of secure operations across the globe. This anniversary is a testament to your impact."

Ten employees who have been with the office since it started received plaques of appreciation from Clay and Bunn.