PHILADELPHIA –
The Defense Logistics Agency director said that while DLA Troop Support has done great work supporting the warfighter over more than 15 years of conflict in the Middle East, the strategic environment is changing.
During a town hall with DLA Troop Support employees Jan. 5 in Philadelphia, Air Force Lt. Gen. Andy Busch said that potential threats from peer-level adversaries in Europe and Asia may drive changes in the way DLA executes its mission.
“You’re doing great work, but there’s things we need to do differently going forward,” Busch told employees.
He also said that the services and combatant commanders are thrilled with Troop Support’s efforts toward DLA’s first strategic goal – Warfighter First.
The director then discussed the second strategic goal – People and Culture – and said that DLA employees submitted 29,000 comments during the 2016 Culture Survey. Busch and other senior leaders read every one. While he can’t address each comment, he noticed trends that he aims to address.
He also said that the new Department of Defense Personnel Management and Appraisal Program, known as DPMAP, will increase communication within DLA when it’s implemented in April.
“The opportunity to provide increased and improved feedback is a good thing,” he said.
The next strategic goal Busch addressed was Strategic Engagement. He thanked Troop Support employees for helping DLA meet its small business goals.
“I am very grateful that in my two years on the job, I have not had to spend any effort on small business goals other than to say thank you for helping us to achieve them,” he said.
Busch then spoke about Financial Stewardship, the fourth DLA strategic goal.
As DLA continues to support the ongoing audit, the private auditor has provided positive feedback about DLA’s transparency during the process, he said
Busch also said he appreciated Troop Support’s impact on the agency’s cost recovery rate, reflecting the level of cost efficiency with which DLA executes its mission.
He then discussed DLA’s fifth strategic goal – Process Excellence. He said Troop Support’s Continuous Process Improvement office “is doing a superb job.”
He also highlighted the efforts of Ray Finch and Jontell Platts, from the Command Support Office, who recently applied process-improvement principles to improve the travel system and government travel card program at Troop Support.
Busch also discussed the impact of the changing administration in Washington.
“We (DLA) will change, but I think we’ll be fine,” Busch said. “We won’t lose any sleep over this because as long as we do our jobs, follow our policies and do right by the taxpayers, we will be OK.”