READY Forum connects employees to DLA mission, culture

Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime employees gained deeper insight into DLA's mission and culture during a READY Forum at the Operations Center Auditorium on Defense Supply Center Columbus Sept. 4.

Designed as an informal discussion, the forum aims to acculturate new employees and re-engage the existing workforce with the agency's mission, leadership, customers and culture, said Jamila Bayard, People Support and Culture Division chief.

DLA Land and Maritime Commander Navy Rear Adm. Julie Treanor welcomed attendees and emphasized the importance of connection before offering an overview of the DLA Strategic Plan's Transformation Imperatives.

"Some of you don't have a direct military affiliation," she said. "So the purpose of today is to help you all not only to connect with the larger team…but more importantly to connect to the mission that is DLA Land and Maritime, and to help you understand that while we sit in Columbus, around the world there are warfighters who are depending upon the actions you take every single day."

"There is no distinction really between me in my uniform and you in civilian clothes," she added. "We all serve. We all support. We all sacrifice. And it is more important than ever that we all align to the mission. My door remains open for you to walk in at any time…I don't want the floors or the offices to separate us. We are truly one team."

Attendees then had the opportunity to hear warfighter stories demonstrating how their roles impact real life situations and support warfighter readiness.

DLA Land and Maritime Deputy Commander Kenneth Watson shared insight into his career, highlighting deployments to Afghanistan, where he saw firsthand the criticality of DLA's support.

"It's so important to tie the physicality of the things that we buy to warfighting capabilities," he said. "When you're lying on your back in some place you don't even know the name of with bullets whizzing over the top of your head, and out of nowhere a helicopter shows up to pick you up...and there's no better feeling on that day than to get on that helicopter. We all make that possible right here."

Following Watson's powerful reflection on the impact of DLA's mission, the focus turned inward toward growth and personal development of the individuals who make that mission possible. DLA Land Supplier Operations Director Army Col. Sue Styer led a discussion on empowerment and encouraged each attendee to take opportunities to learn new things, learn from others and to "be a character who grows."

"When we become accustomed to our environment, our aperture becomes very small, and we miss out on opportunities," she said. "You are the folks we're looking for to have those thoughts and ideas. Don't dismiss those people in your spaces because they see things differently. Those might be your most innovative people."

DLA Land Customer Operations Director Army Lt. Col. Juan Amador offered a military perspective on the importance of agility in ensuring the 'right parts are in the right location at the right time,' and Business Process Support Deputy Director Jamieson Duvall connected data-driven analytics to mission outcomes before Nathan Reynolds, a customer account specialist for Land Customer Operations, shared how his experience as a soldier and a five-time civilian deployer helped shape his journey within DLA.

"I've seen the tangible impacts that you can have and how it relates to the warfighter," Reynolds said. "Having been a soldier myself - an infantryman - a 17-year-old [private]…there's very few, I would think, veterans who [can] say that there hasn't been a time that they were not fully mission capable in having all the gear that they needed. Every single one of you are in a place where you can make an impact to change that."

"I think that's important to remember and understand every day, what you're doing has a bigger impact than what you can see while sitting behind your desk in Columbus, Ohio," he added.

Bayard closed the forum by offering new employees her own words of encouragement.

"Be motivated by these genuine presentations," she said. "Connect the faces to the names of your senior leadership and say hello when you pass in the hallways. Or maybe be inspired to participate in the DLA deployer program. Whatever you decide, be proactive - develop your story."

The READY Forum is a command-sponsored event hosted by the People Support and Culture Division and is offered twice a year as a requirement for individuals that have recently joined the DLA Land and Maritime workforce.

The acronym "READY" represents: Relationships - building leadership connection to the workforce; Enrichment - protecting the workforce and resources; Accountability - managing talent and perform/reward; Development - sustaining people and culture; and Your Story - solidifying employee connection and involvement.