NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
Army Brig. Gen. John S. Laskodi has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal for his numerous accomplishments while serving as commanding general of DLA Distribution in New Cumberland, Pa.
Laskodi joined the organization in June 2016, and immediately went to work assessing the efficiency of the network of 35 distribution centers and 25 other locations, spanning 20 states and 8 countries, managing 2.5 million stock items worth $105 billion.
His first major task was to order the organization’s strategic planners to focus on the distribution strategy in Central Command for the Arabian Peninsula countries. This effort resulted in a dedicated ground route for deliveries in CENTCOM- the Trans-Arabian Network- which has yielded transportation cost savings and reduced wait times for Warfighters in the Arabian Peninsula countries.
Additional support to U.S. Central Command included a new material processing center in Salalah, Oman, which has reduced overall costs and logistics response time to U.S. Navy vessels and other U.S. customers in the region.
In support of U.S. Africa Command, Laskodi led the push to establish DLA Distribution Djibouti, Africa, the first DLA distribution center on the African continent, which reached initial operating capability on October 1, 2016. The improved forward stocking has reduced logistics response times enormously, from 39 to 7 days, directly contributing to Warfighter lethality in that critical region.
In support of U.S. Pacific Command, Laskodi responded to the expansion of the operational footprint at Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan, by placing a distribution center on site. On May 22, 2017, the organization cut the ribbon for a new on-site DLA Distribution facility supporting future operations and force structure of over 100 additional aircraft being relocated there.
Laskodi also brought DLA Distribution’s Joint Expeditionary Force to maturity. The four elements – the active duty military component; the reserve military component; the Expeditionary Distribution Center and the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce of volunteers – expanded the capabilities of DLA Distribution during continuity events, contingency support, exercises, and unit deployments.
The team tested out its expanded range and versatility during its response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017.
When Hurricane Harvey made landfall in August 2017, the DLA Distribution Expeditionary (DDXX) set up an Incident Support Base at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and, within days, was processing over 300 tractor-trailer trucks a day.
In September 2017, as DLA was still in high gear fulfilling requirements generated by Harvey, Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida.
As a result, DLA provided another DDXX capability at an ISB operated at Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama, and yet another at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. By the end of the humanitarian effort, the DDXX teams in charge of the ISBs at Randolph AFB, Texas, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, had collectively processed nearly 3,500 containers filled with over 22 million meals and more than 40 million liters of water.
Despite these challenges, throughout the last 24 months DLA Distribution has consistently maintained “green” performance on its customer-focused metrics.
Laskodi also positioned DLA Distribution for the future by pursuing strategies to modernize its capabilities without passing the cost on to customers.
His next assignment is with Army G-8 as the director of Joint and Integration.