Joseph Faris assumed his current position as the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Acting Deputy Commander in September 2025. Prior to this assignment he served as the Director of Strategic Plans, Modernization and Training for Logistics Agency DLA Distribution in 2023.
Throughout his civilian career with DLA, Faris has held several key leadership roles, serving as Director of Future Plans, Director of Business Development, Deputy Director of Operations, Division Chief, and as a Strategic Plans Officer. He was instrumental in the Agency’s assignment as F-35 North American Regional Warehousing provider (2019), DOD 5000 Policy (2017), and the Agency’s first Public Private Partnership Legislation (2017). Faris heavily influenced DLA Distribution’s overseas expansion that established forward distribution sites in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Korea and Guam. He also played a key role in domestic disaster support during hurricanes Katrina in 2005 and Ike in 2008. Faris also has extensive experience in BRAC and A76.
Faris retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in March 2015. In January 2009, he was again mobilized to Kandahar as the DLA liaison officer for the Central Command expansion in southern Afghanistan. He also led the establishment of DLA Distribution Kuwait to support Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to his DLA assignments, his early military career as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps began with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he served as a detachment commander, battalion logistics officer and support company commander. During this tour, he deployed on several operational missions to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, including Operation Safe Border. After graduating from the Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, he was selected for a one-year Training with Industry tour with a major Fortune 500 company where he worked for the Vice President of Logistics.
Continuing his academic development, he earned a master’s degree in National Resource Strategy from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (2013) and attended the Senior Executive Fellows program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (2017). Faris holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, magna cum laude, from Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Combined Arms Services Course, Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, Quartermaster Officer Basic Course, Airborne, Rigger, Jumpmaster and Pathfinder courses. His military decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Commendation Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. His civilian awards include the DLA Meritorious Civilian Service Award, and he was the recipient of the 1997 Combined Arms Support Command Award.