FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Editor’s Note: This is one of five stories featuring 2024 DLA Hall of Fame inductees. An induction ceremony will be held 2 p.m. May 21 at the McNamara Headquarters Complex auditorium on Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The ceremony is open to all DLA employees; invitations are not needed.
Over the last 40-years, America’s warfighter approach to mission success via readiness has drastically changed to meet the demands of complex deployment settings. To keep pace, the Defense Logistics Agency leverages the experience and innovation of leaders like Kenneth Winslette, a 2024 DLA Hall of Fame member and legendary contractor according to his peers.
From 2008 to 2013, Winslette served as DLA’s director of procurement operations for depot-level reparable at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and director of Strategic Acquisitions Programs for DLA Aviation at Richmond, Virginia. In these roles, he oversaw contracts for supplies and services worth over $12.5 billion.
Winslette contributed to DLA’s implementation of Base Realignment and Closure decisions of 2005, which realigned service managed DLR sites under DLA. He led his team and service customers through the change, setting new standards for how the agency supports the military’s evolving needs.
His innovative approach to daily operational support led to the development of a workload management tool for tracking Army depot-level reparables through the acquisition process. The tool helps reduce the administrative lead time for purchase requests.
Winslette’s other innovations include the development of unique strategic contracts such as the Third Party Logistics Support Contract that streamlines the acquisition of repetitive buys for similar items and a corporate contract that provides nine years of contract coverage for spares and repair parts.
Through coaching and mentoring, Winslette helped develop DLA’s future leaders, some of whom are now members of the senior executive service. He encouraged others to participate in rotational assignments and development opportunities to strengthen their acquisition and leadership skills. And by creating new contracting methods, he helped his team deepen technical knowledge and critical thinking.
Winslette’s career culminated at DLA Aviation Huntsville, Alabama, where he served as deputy director and chief of the Missile Division.
“Regardless of whether Mr. Winslette was in a chief, director or deputy commander position, the success of his organization rested on his unique ability to gather the right people at the table to develop successful solutions” the nomination says.