DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. –
Whether it’s thousands of pounds of spent ammunition, unused office equipment or retired aircraft, DLA Disposition Services is there to help. By ensuring equipment is reused, resold or properly disposed of, DLA saves the Air Force time and money.
DLA Disposition Services, part of the Defense Logistics Agency, has an extensive mission that includes inventorying a wide variety of old or unused Air Force equipment and finding a proper use for it. If an item can’t be reused or resold such as hazardous materials or contaminants, DLA sees to the proper disposal.
"Our main mission is to support the warfighter," said Phillip Coward, DLA property disposal specialist. "We're the end of the supply chain, so anything that the military services don't want anymore comes to us for disposal.”
One of the primary goals of DLA is reuse and revitalization. This results in less waste and greater use of taxpayer dollars.
"When we process property that can go out into the general public and is sold, all that money goes back into military funds so the military can purchase new items,” said Coward.
In addition to saving taxpayers money, DLA also seeks to give back to local communities.
“We have items such as specialty learning computers as well as musical instruments that can be purchased by schools at no cost to the students,” Coward said.
In addition to schools, DLA gives back to state and local civilian law enforcement agencies by selling them a wide variety of surplus equipment such as vehicles, firearms and battle dress uniforms.
With a dedicated mission of community support and environmental responsibility through recycling and reuse that reduces government spending, DLA proves to be an invaluable asset to the Air Force.
Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base website.