PHILADELPHIA –
The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support celebrated the careers of seven civilian employees during a retirement ceremony December 16.
DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Eric Shirley thanked the retirees and their family members for their combined 293 years of service to the country.
“You committed your entire working lives to the benefit and welfare of our service members,” Shirley said. “You have my personal appreciation and on behalf of the entire team at troop support, especially those that serve in uniform, you have our unwavering gratitude for your years of support.”
Shirley added that the organization is losing decades of know-how with the loss of the retirees.
“There are some great histories here with these individuals,” he said. “I would invite all of you, after the ceremony, to touch base with them. This is a great reference point for you all. The ethos of this organization, what makes troop support special is embodied right here. Learn a little about where they come from, what they’ve experienced and what their thoughts are for the future.”
Janine Samoni, who retired from the Subsistence supply chain after 39 years, paraphrased the sentiment of the retirees while speaking to the audience.
“I want to reiterate what everyone said about this being an amazing place to work. Thirty-nine years went by very quickly,” she said. “When we first started working in the 80s there were no computers, and then one shared computer for the office. Just the amount of innovation that has happened over forty years, I really hope continues at Troop Support and you continue to innovate and find even better ways to support the warfighters.”
The retirees were:
- Richard K. Schoeniger, 44 years, Construction and Equipment
- Sheila A. Clark, 44 years, Medical
- Lenora P. Nash, 43 years, Medical
- Gail Labrosciano, 42 years, Subsistence
- Sheila Davis, 41 years, Construction and Equipment
- Janine Samoni, 39 years, Subsistence
- Theodoros Halkidis, 39 years, Medical
Each employee received a certificate of retirement, a DLA Troop Support memento, and a commander’s coin. In addition, spouses received a certificate of appreciation.