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News | March 5, 2020

DLA Distribution Navy Reservists support DDDE theater retrograde mission

By DLA Distribution Public Affairs

Since the middle of January this year, Navy Reservists from Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Joint Expeditionary Force, have been on ground at DLA Distribution Europe to assist with their Theater Retrograde mission of processing unused material for return to inventory or onward processing to DLA Disposition Services.

With the reservists’ assistance, the Theater Retrograde mission processed over 41 thousand lines of material during 2019 valued at $125 million,” said Army Lt. Col. Jonathan Ackiss, commander, DDDE. “The collective Navy effort is responsible for roughly $30 million of serviceable material being returned to inventory positively impacting Army Readiness across the European Command area of responsibility. Over the past year the mission efficiency has increase from less than 60% of material being returned to inventory to currently over 85% being returned to inventory.”

Ackiss shared the below baseline numbers from the team that were on station at DDDE between January and February 2020.

• $7 million of material returned to inventory
• 81,000 individual items inspected
• 4,900 receipts executed

Another group of sailors are on station now continuing the Theater Retrograde mission – they'll work up until mid-March.

“The reservists were sent to DDDE to assist with a considerable backlog of United States Army retrograde material from forward deployed European units and also assisted with preparation for the upcoming Joint exercise DEFENDER 2020,” said Jennifer Cook, force provider, DLA Distribution Organizational Management and Reserves, Expeditionary Logistics.

The mission provides valuable training and practical hands-on experience for the reservists to support future missions.

“The reservists working this mission have had a direct impact to the DLA mission in Europe and have directly impacted Army Readiness across the European Command area of responsibility,” said Cook.

“We’ve had great success over the past year bringing in the DLA Joint Expeditionary Force/Navy Reserve teams to DDDE with the help of the J9,” said Ackiss, adding, “Future rotations are planned in June and August, targeting the post Defender 2020 retrograde surge. The J9 is also supporting seven officer rotations from April to September to serve in an operations officer role here at DDDE.”