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News | March 10, 2022

Army logistics leader visits DLA Troop Support, gains insight on mission

By Christian Deluca DLA Troop Support Public Affairs

The Army Headquarters G-4 Deputy Chief of Staff Sergeant Major visited the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support March 9, to learn more about their mission and discuss ways to enhance the two organizations’ partnership.

Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Sellers met with DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Eric Shirley and other senior leaders to gain a better awareness of Troop Support’s mission.

“We at G-4 work in concert with DLA,” Sellers said. “This visit is to get a better understanding of the DLA enterprise and to see how we can assist in improving support for our soldiers.”

The Army G-4 is comprised of eight directorates whose mission is to set Army logistics policies, as well as plan, program and oversee their execution.

During his visit with the Construction and Equipment supply chain, Sellers spoke with John Finchen, customer operations supervisor, about ways to improve the customer relationship with Army logisticians who may not be familiar with the proper procedures to request support from DLA.

Finchen, who regularly travels to military units to train them on C&E’s ordering process for their varied products and programs, said that one way to improve customer integration could be to provide training earlier.

“A problem we run into sometimes is that the customer thinks we are the DLA of the 1980s, where we stored everything in a warehouse somewhere and you put the order in and we send the item out because it’s in stock. We don’t operate that way anymore,” Finchen said.

Instead, he suggested integrating training on how DLA works at the early stages of logisticians’ careers to avoid misperceptions that solidify as they develop into senior leaders.

Sellers said the visit was very productive, and he was impressed by the workforce’s passion and professionalism.

“I learned a lot more than I thought I would in just a few hours,” he said. “[DLA] Troop Support has a dynamic mission that looks like its very rewarding. The workforce here is excited about what they do, and there are a lot of great things happening here.”