FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
The Defense Logistics Agency’s director of logistics operations toured DLA warehouses and met with agency and Navy leaders in Washington and California Feb. 6-9 during a trip to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Washington, and the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Navy Rear Adm. Doug Noble, who is also DLA’s commander of joint regional combat support, said his visit to DLA Distribution Puget Sound was an opportunity to assess local progress of the implementation of DLA’s Warehouse Management System, which debuted there in December 2022.
“As we continue to deploy WMS, we’re really gaining momentum,” he said. “Puget is our most recent deployment at a DLA Distribution site and a key step in the agency’s IT modernization efforts.”
WMS, a commercial, off-the shelf system that is replacing the Distribution Standard System, is rolling out across DLA Distribution and DLA Disposition Services sites. As the transition accelerates, it will improve warehousing and transportation processes while significantly increasing the agency’s auditability.
While at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Noble also engaged with Navy leaders to understand how well integrated the “supply triad” – Navy Code 500, DLA Maritime Bangor and DLA Distribution Puget Sound personnel – are in supporting the maintenance efforts there.
“Partnerships are crucial, and the Navy and DLA are a great team here in Washington,” Noble said. “The ships undergoing maintenance availabilities are critical capital assets, and the fleet is counting on them to be ready on time to support operational requirements. We owe our nation and our Navy the best DLA support to ensure material readiness in the shipyards.”
After spending time in Washington, Noble travelled to the Naval Postgraduate School to share leadership lessons with students and sailors. NPS “provides defense-focused graduate education … to advance the operational effectiveness, technological leadership and warfighting advantage of the naval service,” according to its website.
Noble said keeping Navy leaders informed of DLA’s priorities and mentoring future Navy leaders are key to building partnerships for today and tomorrow.
“The team at NPS are working on solutions for some of the toughest issues facing the Navy and the Department of Defense,” he said. “Spending time with both faculty and students gives me a chance to see what ideas they’re working on for tomorrow’s challenges and share some of what I’ve learned along the way.”