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News | Jan. 16, 2019

Norfolk’s Medical Mission Team wins DLA Team Performance award

By DLA Distribution Public Affairs

DLA Distribution Norfolk, Virginia’s Medical Mission Team was honored with the DLA Team Performance award during the agency’s 51st annual employee recognition ceremony held at Fort Belvoir Dec. 13.

 

The 10 person team receives and processes virtually all medical materiel for East and West Coast naval vessels, the Coast Guard, the United States Naval Ship Fleet, five overseas naval hospitals, the Naval Reserves, and other branches of military service with units that are forward deployed. 

 

According to distribution center commander Navy Capt. Andrew Matthews, the Medical Mission Team’s success is directly tied to their commitment to perform a widely diverse and extensive set of logistics tasks with exceptional accuracy in full support of the warfighter, regardless of workload volume or customer location. 

 

“Their efforts largely consist of facilitating that difficult ‘last mile’ of distribution to the end user for medical supplies and pharmaceuticals procured via DLA Troop Support Medical Prime Vendor contracts providing critical items to the worldwide DLA medical mission,” said Matthews.

 

This year alone, the team received, inducted, manifested, and transshipped more than 88,000 pieces of medical freight. 

 

The team also played a key role in the logistical support of Hurricane Maria’s humanitarian relief mission, which affected thousands of people.  Well aware of the sense of urgency, the team expeditiously prepared and loaded four ships with critically required medical material and pharmaceuticals that were sent to assist with disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico. 

 

Over the course of one month, multiple truckloads of emergency supplies arrived daily at the DLA Distribution Norfolk, Virginia receiving docks. These critical items were received by the Medical Mission Team, validated and processed.  In total, 90,000 line items were processed by the team and made ready for delivery to Military Sealift Command and U.S. Navy ships scheduled to deploy to Puerto Rico. 

 

“The Medical Mission Team is the epitome of the highest performing version of a team and is most deserving of this award.  [The team’s] accomplishments and superior performance continually set an example for other teams to emulate,” said Matthews.