Richmond, Va. –
Nearly 150 professionals gathered in the Frank B. Lotts Conference Center on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia July 31 - Aug. 2 for the third annual Marine Aviation Logistics (AVLOG) Off-Site team building and training event.
Training content at the event focused on improving material availability to ensure readiness for U.S. Marine Corps troops assigned to Defense Logistics Agency Aviation. The Marines are tasked with overseeing four consumable lines of effort: organizational, intermediate, and organic depot support for both aircraft and aviation depot level repairables (AVDLR) component repair and overhaul.
“Relationships help build readiness,” said Defense Logistics Agency Aviation Marine Corps Lead Marine Corps Col. Anthony Manuel. Manuel said AVLOG goals at DLA Aviation are to coordinate with the fleet, individual Program Managers and Fleet Readiness Centers to develop consumable supply chain solutions that produce desirable readiness outcomes, improve material availability and/or supply or order response times while at the same time reducing Not Mission Capable Status, Issue Priority Groups One (IPG1s) and back orders. “What can we do to improve for 2019 to get it to a better state?” he asked.
While the first day of the event focused on the big picture, day two content emphasized expedited roles and focused efforts for the next year, as well as addressing the “low-hanging fruit,” said Manuel. “The final day was reserved for finishing briefings and presenting the out brief. “We go from the tactical, all the way to the strategic,” he explained.
DLA Aviation Deputy Commander Charlie Lilli said DLA material availability is at 88 percent, but, he asked, “What can we do to improve that?” Lilli told event participants that the major focus of ensuring readiness through greater material availability is an issue that is important to the Marine Corps. “In my view, it has changed the way we think about it. It has increased our understanding of [Marines’] problems and has improved the way we work together.”