Fort Belvoir, Virginia –
Surrounded by colleagues, family and friends, retired Army Col. Robert Jarvis was inducted into the third annual Defense Logistics Agency Energy Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Oct. 23 for his legacy, which defined the history of DLA Energy and set the standard for today’s warfighter energy solutions.
Jarvis’ exemplary 28-year military service as a “fuelie” was punctuated by 12 years supporting DLA Energy in numerous positions and areas of support. His assignments included: commander, Defense Fuel Region Middle East; director, Alternative Fuels; director, Business Enterprise Office; director, Supplier Operations; and director, Bulk Fuels.
“A respected leader in the fields of bulk petroleum supply and logistics within the Department of Defense, he is a man of unquestionable integrity whose dedication to excellence was demonstrated in many initiatives he implemented that continue to have a positive impact on the energy and logistics communities,” said Dan Jennings, DLA Energy Supply Chain Management deputy director and nominating official.
Jarvis, who attended the ceremony with his wife Mary Ann, said it’s quite an honor to be included amongst his colleagues who have already been inducted into the DLA Energy Hall of Fame.
“I have worked with most of the inductees, and I have the utmost respect for them … and to be grouped with that caliber of professionals is very humbling,” he said.
Unique for military personal, Jarvis served a total of 12 years at the agency while on active duty.
As an Army captain, Jarvis served in the Defense Fuel Supply Center Caribbean region as a petroleum quality assurance representative from 1978 to 1981. He said he worked with so many great teachers at the start of his joint military service.
As an Army major, Jarvis was assigned to the DFSC from 1984 to 1988 and was the deputy chief of the Bulk Fuels Procurement Division. He said he learned a tremendous amount about petroleum procurement from his teammates.
Later in his career, Jarvis was selected to command the Defense Fuel Region Middle East, Bahrain, from 1991 to 1993. He provided forward-deployed support to the United States Central Command during the transition of Operation Desert Storm from active combat to cease-fire operations. He was responsible for the quality assurance of more than 61 fuel tankers, carrying approximately 9 million barrels of critical petroleum products that exceeded a value of $254 million. Additionally, he initiated a project that resulted in the recovery of $2 million of petroleum additives that would have otherwise been lost to the U.S. federal government. His intercessions with Saudi defense officials to continue and improve petroleum assistance-in-kind resulted in cost savings to the government of $10 million per month.
“I was fortunate that my wife (Mary Ann) worked close by at the Office of Military Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain, and I was able to work with her on logistics issues and the Embassy side of our duties,” Jarvis said.
Jarvis’ last military tour with Energy was from 1993 to 1996 where he participated in significant organizational changes.
As the director of four different directorates during his tenure, Jarvis was an efficient leader. As the director of Bulk Fuels, he was recognized for his superior management and outstanding leadership during major contingencies when he received a Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his contributions in cost savings of more than $1.5 billion.
“Jarvis was instrumental in numerous cost-saving initiatives and improvements,” Jennings noted. “His innate ability to anticipate logistical challenges allowed him to implement initiatives that greatly enhanced the effectiveness and efficiency of numerous programs.”
Serving as director to both Supplier Operations and Bulk Fuels, he was responsible for providing critical energy products to more than 450 military customers and federal agencies. He also directed petroleum support during military operations such as Restore Hope and Joint Endeavor.
In fact, Jarvis said Defense Fuel Region Middle East received praise for its fuel support to the Persian Gulf War and Operation Restore Hope from General Colin Powell, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his visit to Bahrain.
“His leadership and management efforts formed the basis for superior host-nation support to U.S. military contingencies during Operations Southern Watch and Restore Hope, providing hundreds of thousands of gallons of jet fuel per day to aircraft,” Jennings said. “Additionally, he was responsible for initiating and supervising aircraft re-fueling contracts to support the United Nations intervention in Somalia.”
Holding a high allegiance to the agency, after retiring from the military, Jarvis continued to support DLA Energy as a civilian contractor with Petroleum Management Consultants, Inc.
“As a consultant, I traveled the world to teach new employees, customers and suppliers, and what I learned is that the evolution of DLA Energy was dramatic and substantial, with simple beginnings during World War II that evolved to the world-class Energy organization it is today,” Jarvis said. “I am proud to have been involved in many facets of this great journey.”
The DLA Energy Hall of Fame, and its inductees, represents 76 years of history, which stretches back to World War II.
“In this year’s ceremony, we recognized four individuals who guided DLA Energy through four challenging decades beginning in the late 1970s through 2014,” said DLA Energy Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. Albert Miller. “They represent history and centuries’ worth of experience … their legacy will positively influence DLA Energy for a far greater span of time.”
Energy’s Hall of Fame was established in 2016 to honor and preserve the memory of past associates for their exceptional leadership, service, dedication to duty, and contributions in supplying fuel to the warfighter.