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What DLA Buys

Jet refueling in the air

As the Nation’s Combat Logistics Support Agency, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) manages the global supply chain – from raw materials to end user to disposition – for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard, 11 combatant commands, other federal agencies, and partner and allied nations. DLA also supplies 86 percent of the military’s spare parts and nearly 100 percent of fuel and troop support consumables, manages the reutilization of military equipment, provides catalogs and other logistics information products and offers document automation and production services to a host of military and federal agencies.

DLA consolidates requirements by supply chain and procures items in sufficient quantities to meet our customers’ projected needs. Many of DLA’s procured items are delivered directly from a commercial vendor. Other items are stored and distributed through a system of worldwide depots. 

Determine if DLA manages a given Federal Supply Class (FSC):

Major Subordinate Command Purchasing

Servicemembers pushing a wrapped pallet of supplies A helicopter landing on a ship A service member using electronic medical equipment


DLA has six major subordinate commands responsible for purchasing commodities and services common to all military services, other federal agencies, and joint and allied forces, as well as, a worldwide distribution system and operations that dispose of surplus or excess materiel from the military services. These commodities and services are managed by supply chain: Aviation, Land, Maritime, Medical, Subsistence, Clothing & Textiles, Construction Supplies & Equipment, Industrial Hardware, and Energy.

  • DLA Aviation is DLA’s combat logistics and aviation demand and supply chain manager. The activity supports more than 1.7 million national stock number items, industrial retail supply and depot-level repairable acquisitions. Its primary mission is to procure repair parts for both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, bottled gases and cylinders, and oversee DLA’s green products initiative harnessing and recycling elements that would be hazardous to the environment. DLA Aviation manages the Department of Defense (DoD) map repository of aeronautical, digital, hydrographic and topographic map products and operates the federal government’s only industrial plant equipment facility providing a full range of maintenance services to include repair, rebuilding and acquisition of all types of industrial machinery, including lathes and milling machines. The activity also purchases some of the consumable hardware items such as screws, bolts, and rivets.
     
  • DLA Energy manages petroleum products including jet fuels, aviation and automotive gasoline, heating oil and lubricants, as well as coal, natural gas, electricity and alternative fuels. They manage aerospace energy including acquisition of missile fuels, liquid propellants for space launch and satellites; aviator’s breathing oxygen and other bulk industrial chemicals and gases. The DLA Energy supply chain also supports utilities at DoD installations including electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater systems.
     
  • DLA Land and Maritime manages consumable repair parts and depot-level repairable procurement operations for nearly 2,000 land-based and maritime weapon systems. The land supply chain manages parts for land vehicle operations including maintenance kits, transmission, engine and suspension components, tires and batteries, as well as radios and parts for small arms. The maritime supply chain procures repair parts for the nation’s ships including electrical parts, valves, pumps, motors and cabling. The MSC also purchases some of the consumable hardware items such as o-rings, and packing and gasket materials. 
     
  • DLA Troop Support provides support for humanitarian and disaster relief efforts at home or abroad, and provides warfighter support through the following four supply chains:
     
    • Subsistence – DLA Troop Support provides food for the military worldwide. They are the sole supplier of food to all branches of the U.S. military dishing out everything from operational rations to fresh fruit and vegetables. The Subsistence supply chain also supports other non-DoD activities, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State Department, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
       
    • Clothing and Textiles – The Clothing and Textiles (C&T) supply chain provides clothing, textiles and equipment to U.S. service members, other federal agencies and partner nations. C&T procures more than 8,000 different items ranging from uniforms, footwear and undergarments to ecclesiastical items, flags and tents. Factoring in the individual sizes of items, C&T manages more than 50,000 line items.
       
    • Medical – The Medical supply chain supports warfighters and their dependents around the world, from well babies to wounded warriors. To ensure their basic and critical medical and pharmaceutical needs are met, DLA’s support includes surgical items, preventive vaccines, pharmaceuticals, field hospital equipment and even medical supplies for animals.
       
    • Construction and Equipment – Through the Construction and Equipment (C&E) supply chain, Troop Support provides everything from light bulbs to bulldozers. This includes equipment to support fire emergencies and force protection, communication and tactical equipment and metal to keep critical weapon systems operational.
       
      • Construction and building supplies include – lumber; metal products such as wire, sheet, plates and bars; paint; lighting and lamps; electrical and plumbing supplies and heating, ventilation and air conditioning supplies and hardware.
      • Fire and emergency equipment supplied through Troop Support includes – marine lifesaving and diving equipment, tactical search and rescue equipment and personal protection gear.
      • Troop Support also manages a variety of storage equipment including – portable buildings, storage tanks, drums, cans, bottles, jars and bags.
  • DLA Disposition Services manages worldwide reutilization, recycling and disposal services for the military services. They purchase supplies and services in support of their mission to include maintenance services for material handling equipment, disposal services, such as tire disposal; professional services, such as temporary help or consulting services; demanufacturing services, and precious metals recovery services.

    A forklift moves through a warehouse
  • DLA Distribution is the lead center for DLA’s network of distribution depots responsible for receipt, storage, issue, packing, preservation and transportation of DLA-managed items. They purchase supplies and services in support of their mission and buy items such as packaging materials, conveyor systems and other services to support the DoD distribution network.

Other DLA Activity Purchasing

While the major subordinate commands listed above are DLA's major contracting activities, DLA also has a services contracting office that conducts the following:

  • The DLA Contracting Services Office (DCSO) manages DLA enterprise-wide requirements including major Information Technology (IT) systems and programs, IT products and services, business and facilities services, and other enterprise services for DLA worldwide. DCSO is also the DoD’s provider of document services, including conversion, digital warehousing, printing, duplicating, and distributing and copier management. Additionally, the office plans, facilitates and acquires services and supplies to support the storage and sale of strategic materials inventory. DCSO is responsible for acquiring, upgrading, rotating and disposing of stockpile materials as provided by the Annual Materials Plan to include storage, security, testing, contracting, quality studies, and maintenance and replacement of materials in the National Defense Stockpile.