CHERRY POINT, N.C. –
Defense Logistics Agency Aviation at Cherry Point recently hosted a special tour for eight Air Force career broadeners, including Col. Daniel Willison, director of DLA Aviation Customer Operations.
The event was spearheaded by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Whitmore, a DLA Aviation materiel management career broadener stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, to provide a comprehensive look into Cherry Point’s operations on Feb. 6.
Whitmore, a key organizer and current participant in the program since September 2023, expressed her intent to share her insights and experiences.
“I am embedded within DLA Aviation Cherry Point to support the Fleet Readiness Center East,” she said. “It's crucial to understand how we support military branches through retail support.”
Her goals involve understanding DLA Aviation Cherry Point's support role and the collaboration between Defense Logistics Agency and air logistics complexes.
The tour included visits to various sectors at the Fleet Readiness Center East, which supports engine overhauls for the AV-8B and TAV-8B, F-35, UH-1N, CH-53E, MH-53E V-22, and the Presidential VH-3D Sea King, among others. Being there in person gave the career broadeners a chance to directly engage with FRCE and DLA Aviation leaders and explore DLA and FRCE Retail Operations; F-35, H-53 and V-22 production lines; organic manufacturing; and the components section.
Seeing the different production lines and meeting personnel involved in making operations happen offered invaluable insights,” Whitmore said.
The event concluded with a visit to the planning and support division, where Whitmore is assigned. She praised the welcoming nature of her team and shared knowledge she had gained there, and encourages those interested in the Career Broadener Program to take the leap.
“Don’t shy away from the program,” she advised. “It’s full of learning experiences and opportunities to understand supply chain management better."
Air Force Capt. Tyler Milam, a logistics career broadening officer from the Planning Directorate’s Demand Planning Division, also in the program since September 2023, said he aims to achieve an enterprise-level understanding of the Defense Department’s supply chain management practices. Milam found the similarities in production management practices across various facilities, including FRCE, the Tinker Air Force Base Depot and Lockheed Martin, particularly interesting. He noted challenges involving production delays and potential solutions through forecasting collaboration with DLA.
Milam advised future participants to embrace their role as students: "Be eager to learn, ask questions, and use your unique skills and perspectives to identify and drive significant positive changes within the organization."
The DLA Materiel Management Enlisted Career Broadening Program is a three-year offering designed to enhance understanding the Air Force supply chain at an enterprise level. The program provides rotational assignments across various DLA directorates, exposing participants to materiel management, forecasting, provisioning, procurement and other critical areas of logistics.