The Army Chief of Staff has announced that Army Col. (Promotable) John S. Laskodi will be the next commander of Defense Logistics Agency Distribution.
Laskodi is currently serving as director, Strategic Logistics Integration (G-45/7), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, United States Army at the Pentagon.
He is a native of New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University with his Bachelors of Science in Political Science and History and holds a teaching certification from the state of New Jersey. He earned a Master of Science Degree in Logistics Management from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University.
Laskodi enlisted into the U.S. Army as a combat engineer in 1982, serving at Fort Sill, Okla., and Karlsruhe, Germany, rising to the rank of sergeant before leaving active duty to attend Rutgers University. After commissioning, he served in the Army Reserve as the Executive Officer for B Company, 1st Battalion, 309th Infantry Regiment. After reentering active duty in 1990 and attending the Ordnance Officer Basic and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Courses, he assumed command of the 38th Ordnance Detachment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), Fort Stewart, Ga., deploying the unit to Kuwait in support of Operation Intrinsic Action. After attending the Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, Laskodi assumed command of the EOD Detachment of the 1st U.S. Army Support Battalion, Sinai, Egypt. His following assignments included: S3 plans officer and group adjutant for the 45th Corps Support Group and later the S2/3 for the 17th Corps Support Battalion, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; group maintenance officer for the 101st Corps Support Group and later the support operations officer and battalion executive officer for the 561st Corps Support Battalion, Fort Campbell, Ken., deploying in January 2002 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom I then deploying with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in March 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom I; G4, logistics operations officer for NATO’s Allied Land Component Command (Madrid), deploying to Iraq in January 2006 with the NATO Training Mission – Iraq; commander, 189th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion deploying the battalion to Kandahar, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom XVIII from January 2008 until April 2009. Laskodi assumed command of the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade on July 26, 2011, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, arriving from Alexandria, Va., where he served as chief, Enlisted Ordnance Branch, U.S. Army Human Resources Command.
Laskodi’s military education includes the Ordnance Officer Basic Course, Explosive Ordnance Disposal School, Airborne School, Air Assault School, Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, Logistics Executive Development Course, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
Laskodi’s decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Good Conduct Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, NATO Medal, Multinational Force and Observers Medal (2 awards), Kuwait Liberation Medal-Government of Kuwait, Senior EOD Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.
The DLA Distribution Change of Command is tentatively scheduled for June 17.