PHILADELPHIA –
Six members of the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support’s Medical supply chain Customer Pharmacy Operations Center team and supervisor of the Clothing and Textiles dress clothing planning team received DLA Director’s Strategic Goals Awards for fiscal year 2023 fourth quarter, on behalf of DLA Director Navy Vice Adm. Michelle C. Skubic.
The DLA Director's Strategic Goals Award program recognizes the measurable contributions made by teams or individuals toward achieving the goals set forth in the DLA Strategic Plan.
“These individuals’ hard work and accomplishments make them truly deserving of this award,” DLA Troop Support Commander Army Col. Landis C. Maddox wrote in an announcement email. “My congratulations and thanks to these outstanding teammates for a job well done!”
David Cortes was nominated for the award by his team member David Dones, material planner, who described Cortes as a determined leader who demonstrates firm decision making daily, in support of the warfighter.
“David is instrumental to our daily operation because of his extensive knowledge of dress cloth textiles and how our directorate purchases items on the [contract side],” Dones said. “He is able to answer the difficult questions and also can direct you to where to find it if needed in the future.”
Dones is one of 11 material planners Cortes leads to plan and manage dress clothing for each military service branch and government furnished cloth material.
Cortes implemented a new tracking process for future procurements that decreased award time by more than 50 percent. He also leads a weekly virtual meeting with cloth and end item manufacturers to ensure customers’ uniform needs are met.
Several of Cortes’ team members described him as a knowledgeable and advocating leader, encouraging, and hosting trainings and vendor visits.
“David is a leader who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way,” Materiel Planner Janna Paris said.
The Customer Pharmacy Operations Center team was recognized for its development of an active pharmaceutical ingredient quality assurance platform to catalogue and track medications for the warfighter customers.
“The program highlights where there may be problems sourcing a particular API and helps us plan for any potential supply chain interruptions.” said Air Force Lt. Col. Francisco Boral, DLA Troop Support Customer Pharmacy Operations Center chief.
“We thank VADM Skubic for her recognition of CPOC’s efforts to further secure the pharmaceutical supply chain,” Boral said. “Maintaining DLA Troop Support’s tradition of precisely supporting the warfighter, our purposeful teamwork results in dedication to this mission for our partners.”
Customer Pharmacy Operations Center (CPOC) Team
Air Force Lt. Col. Francisco Boral, Chief
Navy Capt. William Kelly, Senior Pharmacist
Air Force Lt. Col. Charles (Josh) Stallings, Air Force Pharmacy Lead
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Samuel Mendoza, Navy Pharmacy Lead
Retired Navy Cmdr. Jose Ramos, Pharmacist
Dr. Sooyun Kim, PharmD, Pharmacist