Talks pave way for future agency support

Darwin, Austrailia – Defense Logistics Agency support in the Pacific may soon be expanding after promising meetings in “the land down under.”

Eric Mills, DLA Disposition Services’ area manager at Okinawa, Japan, reported recently that key logistical partnering became closer to a reality after a successful site assessment in Australia of the Marine Rotational Forces-Darwin. Mills said strategic engagement with in country contract partners proved extremely useful in showing how the business model could be used to support the U.S. Marines at Darwin.

“Our support services such as sales contracts comes to mind,” Mills said. “We have different avenues we can explore to deliver disposal support in Darwin.”

Mills met with leaders of MRF-D that included the commanding officer and the entire supply section and the officer-in-charge of the Forward Coordination Element located at Darwin’s Larrakeyah Barracks. He said the discussion insured long-term support parameters were identified such as helping Marines avoid the cost of shipping heavy equipment like generators home by finding disposal solutions in country.

“This is only the beginning of the story to the world-class support DLA Disposition Services will be delivering to the Marines in Darwin,” Mills said.

Since Mills’ trip to Darwin he also met with the III Marine Expeditionary Force Supply commanding officer and the DLA Pacific commander to conducted a table top discussion that outlined support services offered by DLA and the engagement of DLA Disposition Services with the Marines in Darwin. The review included ascertaining an agreed memorandum of understanding and possible courses of action regarding disposal of Marine Rotational Forces -Darwin property. Mills described the session an “overwhelmingly positive office call with nothing but praise to DLA and appreciation …of DLA Disposition Services for making positive strides in its support level at Darwin.”