Six employees and their more than 200 years of combined service were celebrated during a Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support retirement ceremony Aug. 31.
“Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines want for nothing,” Richard Ellis, DLA Troop Support deputy commander and the ceremony’s presiding official, said. “They know they get what they need, when they need it. And it’s not by accident. It’s because of dedicated folks like you, that our armed forces are equipped with the best stuff out there.”
Three of the employees are retiring from the Clothing and Textiles supply chain.
Michael Ferguson retires after 41 years. He served in the Navy from 1975-1979 and worked at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard until 2004, when he began working in the Construction and Equipment supply chain. He eventually went to work for C&T and oversaw the clothing and equipment support for Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
During his retirement, Ferguson plans to keep playing the bagpipes, bass guitar and learn to play the upright bass fiddle.
Monica Roberts is retiring with 38 years of service and began her career as a GS-3 clerk with the Defense Contract Administration Services Region Philadelphia in 1979. She has worked for the Subsistence, Medical and C&T supply chains.
Roberts’s retirement plans include entertaining friends for lunch and visiting colleges with her daughter.
Marie McMillen retires after 36 years of service. She’s had several overseas assignments as a DLA employee, including: Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1999; Kuwait, 2000-2001; DLA Europe in Wiesbaden, Germany in 2002-2003; and several more in the Middle East while working for DLA Central.
Donna Dougherty retires after 35 years, beginning in 1979 when she enlisted in the Air Force. She started with Troop Support’s legacy organization, the Defense Industrial Supply Center, in 1991. She has worked in C&E’s Marine Lifesaving and Diving program and the Special Operational Equipment program
Maria Akey retires after 32 years and started as a hand sewer on dress coats at the former Defense Clothing Factory. But her background in clothing began before that. She said she was 12 when she watched in awe a tailor in Germany. She eventually became a quality assurance and product specialist for C&T.
Bob Weckesser retires after 27 years. He helped start the first Subsistence prime vendor program in the Pacific on the island of Guam. He went on to work in C&T. He said he’s gained the most satisfaction from mentoring interns and seeing them become productive employees.