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News | June 24, 2019

Hall of Fame inductee helped expand mission, provide humanitarian support

By DLA Public Affairs

A career that helped modernize the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution mission and provide years of support to humanitarian aid earned Patrick McCormick a position in the 2019 DLA Hall of Fame.

Beginning a civilian career as a warehouse worker led McCormick to DLA, where he rose to the role of director of DLA Distribution Operations. Along the way, he took on leadership of 25 distribution centers and helped establish the organization’s mapping mission and first distribution center outside the continental United States, according to his nomination packet.

The one center was just the first. The Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, location would eventually be joined by locations spearheaded by McCormick’s teams in Italy, Guam, Kuwait, Southwest Asia, Korea Afghanistan, Bahrain and Djibouti.

His work during Operation Enduring Freedom helped ensure an increased and uninterrupted flow of supplies, all with a 17% decrease in costs. Efforts also went toward establishing an electronic total asset visibility method to make automated tracking systems more efficient, as well as starting an inventory integrity improvement program to reduce inventory record adjustments.

Later in his career, McCormick’s most remarkable accomplishments revolved around supporting humanitarian assistance, according to the packet. Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna, Ike and Sandy required coordination and delivery of relief supplies. Operation United Assistance had the team arrange for, store and receive materials used for Ebola treatment units in Liberia and Senegal.

“He was a true measure of professionalism daily and under intense pressure during contingency operations in the [U.S. Central Command area of responsibility], natural disasters and the Ebola crisis,” former DLA Distribution Commander Army Brig. Gen. Richard Dix said in the packet. “He made a lasting contribution and left a tremendous legacy within DLA that will be difficult to duplicate.”

Read more about the DLA Hall of Fame and previous inductees on the DLA Hall of Fame website.