FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Defense Logistics Agency and Air Force leaders discussed DLA’s strategic plan, readiness, demand planning and other issues during Air Force-DLA Day May 24, the first service day since COVID-19 caused lockdowns and mass telework.
About 200 participants from the Defense Department, Air Force, Space Force, DLA and other agencies comprised the group, which hadn’t met since November 2019.
DLA Director Navy Vice Adm. Michelle Skubic reiterated Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s priorities to defend the nation, take care of people and succeed through teamwork. She reviewed DLA’s leadership changes and said the agency has forged ahead during the pandemic by quickly adapting to maximum telework to execute mission requirements.
“DLA’s commitment to the services is the backbone to a strong strategic partnership that will ensure warfighter readiness,” she said. “This is a terrific forum to share a common operating picture, tee up some tough complex issues and work toward joint solutions.”
Skubic also addressed the tenets of DLA’s new strategic plan, released in April, which she said will leverage unique logistics capabilities for the agency’s customers and partners and grow the whole-of-government mission without compromising warfighter support.
“Our strategic plan meets evolving requirements of the warfighters and the nation,” she said, adding that the five-year plan is grounded in employee and customer perspectives.
Meeting topics included a review of 2019 action items, operational and structural readiness, material availability and order response time, sustainment of aging aircraft and F-35 Lightning II support. The group also discussed funding issues and solutions for reducing processing times that impact DLA’s ability to close back orders.
The event was the final Air Force-DLA Day for DLA Logistics Operations Director Air Force Maj. Gen. Allan Day before his retirement.
“We need to continue strategic communications across the services to improve readiness, focusing on joint metrics that achieve the ‘best bang for the buck’ in the current fiscal environment,” he said. “Returning to service days after a prolonged absence due to COVID-19 is an important piece of that puzzle.”