Troop Support focuses on warfighter readiness during DLA vice director’s quarterly visit

Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support hosted DLA Vice Director Brad Bunn for a mid-year Annual Operating Plan review with the organization March 17.

"We chose to focus on warfighter readiness today," DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Sean P. Kelly said. "We are really excited to demonstrate for you that, although it has been a busy operational tempo through the campaigning process and current operations, the team has never taken their eye off of the ball."

Kelly expressed his appreciation of the DLA Troop Support workforce in sustaining warfighters' needs in real-time.

"Whether it's in crisis right now or how they balance crisis in day-to-day operations, the collective group at Troop Support- the folks who are down in supply chains, what they do every single day -is just remarkable and has me blown away," Kelly said. "I told you before, it's the best job I've had and I mean it."

Bunn expressed the importance of these regular check-ins with DLA's major subordinate commands.

"What we're talking about today-every one of these topics-is something critical to the future of DLA and the Department of War," Bunn said.

DLA Troop Support's work helps agency leadership understand warfighter support capabilities across an array of circumstances, Bunn said.

"You guys are clearing out the fog; bringing precision, bringing clarity to what we can do in support of the warfighters that are in the fight every day," Bunn said.

Troop Support's successful completion of recent DLA exercises provided important information for agency leadership and prepared the workforce to meet a surge in demand, Bunn said.

"You've gotten some muscle memory from what we've been practicing for," Bunn said. "We've got some reps and sets under our belt just in the past couple of years that have allowed us to close that gap significantly between understanding what is required on the battlefield and understanding what we're able to do to support it."

DLA Troop Support's excellence in warfighter support, despite an array of challenging circumstances, contributes to the cohesion of the joint logistics enterprise, Bunn said.

"It feels to me like we're in game day now," Bunn said. "From my observation, not just having been in DLA for 15 years, but also my observation after 35 plus years in the Department of War…. I look at the elements of commands, the services, Office of the Secretary of War, the joint staff, our whole joint logistics enterprise is now coming together."

Bunn addressed the importance of consistently supporting both daily and surge operations to maintain warfighter readiness.

"As much as we're focused on the current fight," Bunn said, "we need to keep in mind the business as usual, keep doing those routine things exceptionally well."

Bunn thanked DLA Troop Support's dedication to supporting DLA's mission.

"We are moving with speed at the speed of relevance," Bunn said. "It has been impressive. I just want to thank you on behalf of the agency for what you all are doing."

During his visit, Bunn also recognized the following DLA Troop Support employees for their dedication to warfighter support:

• Don Weyler, Logistics Program specialist, J3/5
• Jessica de la Hoz, Contract specialist, Medical supply chain
• Geremy Ganaway, Customer Account specialist, Clothing and Textiles supply chain
• Sean Wood, Supervisory Logistics Systems analyst, Subsistence supply chain
• Army Lt. Col. Matthew Szarzynski, Executive agent, Construction and Equipment supply chain