NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
The Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Expeditionary team performed an agricultural wash of vehicles and equipment, March 14 and 15, bound for Germany as part of the U.S. military participation in the DEFENDER EUROPE ’24 exercise. Conducted with NATO allies, it is the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe.
Washdowns are necessary for equipment moving between the United States and Europe to prevent the spread of animal diseases. Expeditionary team members received certification to perform washdowns through training provided by U.S. Army Forces Command.
As part of DEFENDER EUROPE ‘24, DLA Distribution is demonstrating its expeditionary capabilities to U.S. commanders and NATO allies.
“We’re showing our capability to respond to a request for forces to support combatant commands,” said Lizabeth Jock, distribution process worker supervisor. If a commander needs logistics support, DDXX is prepared to deploy a theater consolidation and shipping point capability within days.
The expeditionary team is supporting the U.S. Army in the exercise but has the capability to provide tailored support to any service, in any environment. As part of the training, they will be working in tents in an open field requiring DDXX to bring its own material handling equipment and power generation capabilities.
The expeditionary team consists of 22 members from different DLA locations across the U.S. They will provide TCSP capabilities, receiving and consolidating materiel and then shipping it to units. During the exercise, some cargo that would normally be routed through DLA Distribution Europe will go through the DDXX TCSP instead.
“This is some much-needed training,” said Michelle McClure, exercise planner, DLA Distribution Plans, Training, and Modernization. “The expeditionary team has not done a full international exercise since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. In that time there has been a change in institutional knowledge as new people have been brought on board.”
This exercise will provide valuable experience for DDXX personnel, preparing them for deployments overseas and in the U.S. DDXX can be called upon to provide support to military forces, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or other whole-of-government partners. This expeditionary capability extends the range of DLA Distribution’s fixed-base network to any location where it can be transported.