FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
The Defense Logistics Agency’s support for the nation’s COVID-19 response, Afghanistan withdrawal and hurricane relief have earned the agency its ninth Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
The award will be officially presented during the change of responsibility ceremony for DLA’s senior enlisted leader 10 a.m. Aug. 11 at the McNamara Headquarters Complex.
The JMUA covers performance from January 2019 through December 2021. In that time, DLA surged to meet warfighter requirements globally during the pandemic response, delivering millions of test kits and personal protective equipment.
DLA also delivered over 832,000 COVID-19 vaccines to 97 military treatment facilities in 35 countries, as well as 4.5 billion gloves, 6.7 million goggles and 4.8 million face shields to various locations.
After Hurricane Ida in 2021, the agency deployed members to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency, arranged fuel deliveries to Louisiana, and processed almost 800 trailers of meals, water and medical supplies.
The agency provided supplies for evacuee processing and safe-haven buildup during operations Allies Refuge and Allies Welcome as well.
Civilian employees will receive a JMUA lapel pin. Service members who were permanently assigned or attached to DLA by official orders from Jan. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2021, may wear the JMUA ribbon, which is placed after the Presidential Unit Citation but before service unit awards.
DLA was last awarded the JMUA in December 2019 for contributions to military readiness, federal agency support and humanitarian assistance between Sept. 16, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2018. The period included DLA’s response to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, as well as greater support to the nation’s nuclear enterprise and federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service as it fought historic wildfires.
The agency’s first JMUA was awarded in October 1991 for performance during the Gulf War. Subsequent awards recognized support to named operations, whole-of-government responses or significant savings.
Authorized by the secretary of defense in 1981, the JMUA is awarded to joint activities for meritorious achievement or service for actions in combat, a declared national emergency or extraordinary circumstances involving national interest.