DLA director visits Pacific region to recognize employees, engage leaders

Defense Logistics Agency Director Army Lt. Gen. Darrell Williams visited DLA installations throughout the Pacific Aug. 14-17 as part of his command familiarization tour.

The trip was designed for Williams to meet with DLA personnel and customers in Korea, Japan and Hawaii and to assess the agency’s support to U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Forces Korea and U.S. Forces Japan.

Williams’ first stop was South Korea, where he attended the Rehearsal of Concept drill and met key senior leaders including the commanding general of U.S. Forces Korea, Army Gen. Vincent Brooks.

Afterward, Williams met the Eighth Army commanding general, Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal, and visited Korean Theater of Operations strategic sites to meet with the DLA Energy Pacific at Korea team. Army Lt. Col. Faith Chamberlain, the DLA Energy at Korea commander, briefed the general on the new defense fuel support point at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, a Republic of Korea-funded military construction project and the future northern distribution hub for the Army.

“The DLA Energy Pacific at Korea team has made considerable investment in coordinating and planning bulk fuel support across the peninsula,” Chamberlain said. “The director’s trip was a timely opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions of the team.”

During the trip, Williams visited DLA Disposition Services at Gimcheon and DLA Distribution at Camp Carroll, and received a variety of briefings. At Camp Henry in Daegu, Williams received DLA Energy Pacific at Korea’s Armistice-to-Contingency mission brief and recognized the strategic contributions of Energy Korea’s logistics and operations division team.

Afterward, Williams traveled to Yokosuka, Japan, where he met with Navy senior leaders.

The final destination was Honolulu, Hawaii, where Williams addressed the DLA Pacific region workforce during a town hall Aug. 16. DLA Pacific is the agency’s primary liaison to USPACOM, U.S. Forces Korea, U.S. Forces Japan and Alaska Command and provides a unified DLA interface for warfighters throughout the USPACOM area of responsibility.

Management Analyst Randy Grant was recognized by the general for his outstanding performance and efforts toward warfighter readiness. Williams presented what he has branded the DLA Director’s ‘Ya Done Good’ certificate to Grant for his support of DLA transformation in Korea.

“I have been in the Pacific region since 2012 for DLA,” Grant said. “This was quite an honor to receive this recognition.”

Grant expertly laid the groundwork and developed the action plan that will relocate DLA personnel, equipment and resources to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys as part of the Yongsan Relocation Plan. While temporarily assigned to Korea, he established support agreements with key Army entities; validated DLA space requirements; and established working relationships with USFK Transformation personnel to ensure DLA remains integrated into their program.

“Our customer base is moving from Yongsan to USAG Humphreys and the majority of our customers will be in this new location,” Grant said. “We are moving other assets to make them closer to the USFK leadership so we can have a better pulse on what they need and how we can best support them. It took a lot of synergy to make this massive effort a success.”

Williams also presented a “Ya Done Good” award to the DLA Energy Pacific at Korea Logistics and Operations Divisions, for their work supporting Operation Pacific Reach and other activities, as well as to Rodrigo Gonzalez for his achievements as acting chief of the Quality Assurance Division and as a customer account specialist, meeting urgent, late-breaking requirements.

Williams presented the DLA Non-Commissioned Officer of the Quarter award for the third quarter of 2017 to Navy Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Brianna A. Glynn for her support of DLA’s global distribution network and USPACOM’s 360,000 personnel across 36 nations, sustaining more than 1,600 aircraft and 200 ships. As staff duty officer, she ensured after-hours operational support to all DLA Distribution Pearl Harbor customers, said DLA Pacific Acting Deputy and Chief of Staff John Hamilton, Ed.D.

“LS2 Glynn exemplifies DLA’s core values and significantly contributes to the success of the Pacific region and the DLA Distribution organization,” Hamilton said. “She is the customer service lifeline between DLA Distribution Pearl Harbor and her customers worldwide, highlighting DLA’s commitment to effective and efficient warfighter support.”

The DLA director also presented Army Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Braddock, the Senior NCO of the Quarter, a “Ya Done Good” Award for his assessment and planning work in support of recent readiness actions.

Williams also recognized the DLA Pacific Region Ohana Committee. “Ohana means ’family’ in Hawaiian,” Hamilton explained. “The Ohana Day events are family-oriented and dedicated to improving the culture, morale and welfare of all DLA civilian and military employees.”