PHILADELPHIA –
Leadership appreciation of the civilian workforce was the running theme of the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support town hall on July 24.
DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Landis Maddox started his quarterly town hall meeting by celebrating DLA Troop Support’s 225th birthday. DLA Troop Support’s organizational roots trace back to 1799 with the acquisition of land to construct the Schuylkill Arsenal in Philadelphia.
Maddox then addressed the significance of the contribution each member of the DLA Troop Support workforce makes to the overall mission.
“I decided to make a change. From now on, you will hear me say people first, warfighter always,” Maddox said. “I think that is indicative of Troop Support [and] when you talk about support to the warfighter, you can’t have a better group of people supporting them daily,” Maddox said.
Providing a timeline of Troop Support’s historic contributions, he also discussed the workforce’s current position within Department of Defense.
“DLA is built to last,” Maddox said. “[Leadership] decided not to focus on the [past], but on the [future]. Because ladies and gentlemen, we are about to come into that seventh era, [and] together, we can create synergy for all of DOD posture.”
He credited the maintenance of battle rhythm, or readiness, throughout Troop Support’s history for precise and strategic support to the warfighter.
“Now is the time DLA Troop Support has to be ready,” Maddox said. “We are ready, because of the things we do each day.”
Maddox addressed the complexity of the current global contested logistics environment and how it may impact the workforce. He situated the DLA Troop Support Strategic Framework within this environment by detailing global volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity facing the warfighter. Maddox also said the Troop Support workforce has a combined effect on military readiness and performance of servicemembers worldwide.
“There is a strong sense of urgency for us to support the efforts on the battlefield,” Maddox said. “That’s how we win and there’s no doubt in my military mind that we will win! Focus on the future now.”