NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
On March 19, students in the Navy Supply Corps School’s International Leadership Executive Advanced Development course visited the Department of Defense’s largest distribution center, located in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, to discuss DLA Distribution’s network.
DLA Distribution Future Plans Director, Scott Rosbaugh, provided the foreign military officers representing Chile, Jordan, Italy and Malaysia, an organizational overview describing how DLA’s 24 worldwide distribution centers store and distribute supplies to troops, foreign military allies and intergovernmental partners.
“Distribution has $105 billion in inventory and 2.9 million items on the shelves, it’s our job to get the warfighters what they need, when they need it and the way they want it,” said Rosbaugh.
Rosbaugh also explained that one of the organization’s more valuable aspects is its agile and flexible nature. “We are able to add capabilities and decrease them as needed. It is good for our customers, as well as the taxpayers. Additionally, it enables us to take what we do best to some very austere locations in support of the warfighter.”
Describing central Pennsylvania’s role as a transportation mecca, Rosbaugh said “With the convergence of major highways and the second largest rail hub in the country—the bottom line is DoD’s largest distribution center is strategically located—which allows for us to move $105 billion inventory to austere locations in support of the warfighters.”
Following the discussion, the group visited DLA Distribution Susquehanna’s 1.7 million square-foot Eastern Distribution Center—the largest warehouse in the Department of Defense to see the distribution network in action. There they viewed the Air Line of Communication air pallet building operation, Consolidation and Containerization Point, and Radio Frequency Identification tag process.
Students from the Naval Supply Systems Command-sponsored nine-week course regularly visit as part of a DLA Distribution program that allows foreign and domestic service members to gain a firsthand look at Department of Defense logistics and develop an understanding of DLA’s global distribution support.