Richmond, Va. –
Defense Logistics Agency Aviation welcomed DLA Land and Maritime and the National Defense Industrial Exhibition to Richmond, Virginia for the DLA Supply Chain Alliance Conference and Exhibition May 3 and 4.
DLA Aviation Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. Sean Tyler kicked off the conference, held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
Tyler spoke about the crucial role of logistics support in Aviation and the overall Defense Department.
“From each of my duty stations, I have experienced the importance and need for logistics support,” Tyler said. “History is a testament to many military campaign successes and failures due solely to the type of logistical support provided. One doesn’t need to search deeply to see world-wide issues today.”
Featured presenters included flag officers from the Defense Department and industry leaders with expertise in logistics and acquisition, who provided critical perspective across the DOD supply chain.
These presentations, along with breakout sessions that focused on current supply chain challenges and collaboration with DLA, reflected the theme of the event, “Building Resilient Supply Chains, Revitalizing Domestic Manufacturing, and Fostering Growth.”
This is the first year for the DLA Supply Chain Alliance Conference and Exhibition. This event combines the DLA Aviation Industry Day and the DLA Land and Maritime Supplier Conference into one yearly event. Its location will alternate between Richmond, Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio.
New to the conference this year were breakout sessions co-presented by government and industry leaders. The dual perspectives facilitated healthy discussions and problem-solving potential among attendees.
Day two began with opening remarks from Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who invited the audience to engage and discuss best practices for defense manufacturing, and let attendees know that Virginia is the number one state for defense investment.
Youngkin closed his remarks by saying Virginia is ready to grow, ready to adapt, and ready to be there as a foundational column to the nations’ defense teams.
Tyler closed out the conference with recognition for the quality of presentations and discussions among leaders and attendees.
“As I walked through the presentations, breakout sessions and offline discussions, I know participants listened and shared a plethora of useful information,” Tyler said. “We have captured many challenges and actions to collaboratively work on over the course of the next 12 months. As I stated in my opening remarks, there are issues and challenges, all of which can be overcome by the exuberance demonstrated in this conference.”