NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
Students of the Navy Supply Corps School’s International Officer Supply Course toured DLA Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania’s Eastern Distribution Center warehouse in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania November 5.
The purpose of the visit was to receive a brief presentation overview of DLA Distribution’s mission capabilities and tour the EDC – the largest distribution warehouse in the Defense Department.
IOSCO’s goal is to familiarize students with the organizational structure of the United States Government, United States Navy, Navy Supply Systems Command, Defense Logistics Agency, and the relationship to the Foreign Military Sales process. IOSCO addresses the Logistics Supply Chain, defined as identifying, locating, ordering and tracking assets.
Donna May, IOSCO course instructor, Navy Supply Corps School, mentioned the course is in two phases and lasts for two months.
“We have a resident portion, which is five weeks, and a travel portion, covering three weeks. The travel phase supports what they’ve learned in the resident’s portion.
This tour falls under the travel phase, and this visit gives students a better understanding of the scale and scope of defense logistics, and a better understanding of the logistics distribution process.
The group saw various locations within the warehouse – Receiving Operations and Processing, Storage Retrieval and Sortation Systems – which included a visit to the High Rise Storage and Active Item Systems section – and the Out Loading Operations which encompasses Air Line of Communication Pallet Build Operations and CONUS/OCONUS Surface Staging.
According to May, they mention DLA often in their course work, so it’s a great opportunity for students to see the distribution process up close.
“One of the things that we teach them is about Foreign Military Sales, and included in that is the distribution of FMS, and where they would get their materials. We mention DLA in our course many times and that’s why we bring them here. We want to show them the full experience of the logistic distribution process,” said May.
May stated this is a first-time visit for students in her group.
“They’re getting to see how the material is distributed and are now making comparisons with the logistics distribution process in their respective countries,” added May.