Air Force Col. Lee E. Akers is the Chief of Staff for the Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support (Columbus) in Ohio.
DLA Weapons Support, a DLA major subordinate command (MSC), is the agency’s combat logistics and supply chain manager for Class IX repair parts and components, supporting aviation, ground-based and maritime weapon systems across the Department of War. Established Oct. 1, 2025, the MSC replaced the former DLA Aviation and DLA Land and Maritime MSCs with a single unified organization to enhance warfighter support. DLA Weapons Support leverages expertise from two locations, with operations led by commanders in both Richmond and Columbus until the MSC reaches full operational capability on Oct. 1, 2026.
As Chief of Staff for DLA Weapons Support (Columbus), he serves as a principal advisor to the Commander and Deputy Commander on operations and readiness of DLA Weapons Support (Columbus) supply chains delivering repair parts to the military services. He helps lead 2,700 joint military and civilian professionals spanning 30 worldwide locations to include DLA depot-level reparable detachments, Army and Marine Corps industrial sites, detachments supporting U.S. Navy shipyards and numerous deployed units. DLA Weapons Support (Columbus) core functions include purchasing materiel, monitoring inventory levels, maintaining technical data, and assuring quality conformance of approximately two million spare and repair parts used by more than 21,000 military units and federal and civilian agencies. In FY24, DLA Weapons Support (Columbus) sales exceeded $4.8 billion.
Col. Akers previously served as Global Transport Support Division Deputy for U.S. Transportation Command’s Acquisition Directorate, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. In this role, Akers provided guidance and direction for 12 information technology acquisition programs used to securely develop and sustain the command’s distribution operations and in-transit visibility.
Col. Akers commissioned through the Basic Officer Training School in 2004. He is a career program manager with assignments within the F-117 SPO, F-22 Engine SPO, Force Protection Acquisition Branch, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and as Branch Deputy within the Human Resources Systems Division. He has served in leadership positions within the 2d Air Force and Officer Training School. Col. Akers’ command assignments include commander of Detachment 6, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, and commander of the 311th Recruiting Squadron, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, where he led a team spread across eight flights and 60 recruiting offices spanning a 69,000-square-mile region of Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.
Col. Akers holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Buffalo State College and a Masters of Project Management from American Graduate University. His awards and recognitions include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters and the Army Commendation Medal.