DLA News Archive

June 11, 2026

Former CIA supply chain director describes of new paradigms in logistics support

The era of permissive environments for military and intelligence logistics is ending, and a new era of complex, multi-modal supply chains demands improved risk management and better communication, a former CIA supply chain director told Defense Logistics Agency employees.

May 18, 2026

USSTRATCOM: Sustaining the force is top imperative

Sustaining the force is a top operational imperative for U.S. Strategic Command, and the Defense Logistics Agency is an indispensable partner in achieving it, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Lutton, deputy commander of USSTRATCOM, during a Warfighter Talk at McNamara Headquarters Complex March 31.

May 1, 2026

Campaigning to Win: DLA Exercises to Sustain the Joint & Combined Force

Training to achieve mission success through the threats posed by our most capable strategic competitors and testing that training in realistic exercises integrated with Joint and Service headquarters is key to Agency readiness. By transforming through exercise campaigning, DLA is building the culture and capabilities to sustain a war-winning Joint force during large scale combat operations.

May 1, 2026

U.S. Military Footprint in the USSOUTHCOM AOR: WWII–Cold War Posture and Modern Sustainment Implications

The Caribbean Basin region, containing land in both Central America and Northern South America, has long been strategically important to the United States. In order to protect its interests in the region, the U.S. has historically maintained a strong military presence in the basin, sustaining this presence by building a resilient logistics network that adapted its posture to fit the current operating environment. An examination of the U.S. military's footprint in this area, from the extensive build-up during World War II to the more constrained, access-based presence of the Cold War, reveals enduring logistical and geopolitical patterns. This paper provides a consolidated historical analysis of the U.S. military's posture in the region, arguing that this history offers critical lessons for contemporary challenges in basing, access, and sustainment within the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility. By assessing the evolution from permanent bases to flexible access, this analysis seeks to inform a resilient sustainment strategy, particularly for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in its role supporting joint and interagency operations.

May 1, 2026

Logistics Posture as Deterrence: The Role of Distribution Networks in Homeland Defense

The Joint Force can no longer assume uncontested sustainment. As laid out in the Department of War’s 2026 National Defense Strategy, homeland defense is the top priority of the United States, requiring critical infrastructure and population protection, as well as the ability to generate, project and sustain combat power. This responsibility extends beyond operational forces to the systems that enable them, including the global distribution network that delivers material, fuel and equipment to sustain operations. As the operating environment becomes more contested and adversaries gain the ability to disrupt supply chains and lines of communication, the Joint Force can no longer assume sustainment will be available when and where it is needed. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Distribution’s posture must be treated as a strategic decision, requiring DLA, in coordination with the Joint Force, to balance efficiency and readiness to ensure combat power can be sustained under pressure and adversary action deterred.

April 6, 2026

DLA Dialogues: Understanding DLA's role in nuclear, space deterrence

The Defense Logistics Agency’s role in supporting the nation’s nuclear and space enterprises is a foundational component of strategic deterrence, says Air Force Col. Matthew York in a recent episode of the “DLA Dialogues: Factory to Foxhole” podcast. As the executive director of the Nuclear and Space Enterprise Support Office, York joins host Jake Boyer to discuss how DLA ensures warfighter readiness.

March 30, 2026

DLA's whole of government support bolsters national security, reduces costs

The Defense Logistics Agency’s support extends beyond the traditional warfighter, says Jake Swantkowski, chief of DLA’s Whole of Government Support Division. DLA provides a strategic advantage to the nation by supporting a wide array of federal agencies.

March 24, 2026

DLA focuses on reclaiming critical, strategic materials for national security

The Defense Logistics Agency is increasing its efforts to recover critical and strategic materials from military assets, transforming potential waste into valuable resources that bolster national security and warfighter readiness, say two DLA employees on a recent episode of the “DLA Dialogues: Factory to Foxhole” podcast.

March 19, 2026

Beyond factory to foxhole: DLA transforms for a contested future

For decades, the U.S. military’s logistics system prioritized global efficiency, cost savings, and reliable throughput, fostering a culture of centralized stockpiling at large, fixed supply depots. As a result, this system is dangerously inadequate for confronting emerging global threats, particularly from the People Republic of China (PRC) in the Indo-Pacific theater. Today, logistics functions are no longer relegated to rear area support; logistics has become the "central front" in great power competition.

March 19, 2026

Internet of behavior and digital dust: Implications for supply chain security and mission assurance

Moving can be a stressful event. Whether you have moved once or several times, it is an event that upends the lives of the entire family. SSG Alex Kallus, an Army logistics NCO, had just received orders to PCS (Permanent Change of Station) from Fort Novosel, AL, to his new joint assignment in DLA at Fort Belvoir, VA. His spouse, Kay, and their two kids were ready for the move and were busily making plans for the new location. As any military family knows, PCS moves meant chaos, checklists, and lots of internet searches.