BATTLE CREEK –
The Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services North-East Region’s Director Beth Ford said that her team had a challenging and exciting 2024. “The linchpin to our success was leveraging our New Employee Orientation program to make our team more efficient and effective and emphasize the collective capabilities of our entire regional network versus any specific site.”
She noted that the region made significant progress on Air National Guard aerial gunnery range scrap cleanup missions that had been delayed since before the pandemic. Ford said the cleanup was a team effort relying on DLA Acquisition and the region’s dedicated team of property disposal professionals.
“We also had multiple sites affected by major sustainment renovation and modernization projects, which bottlenecked our capabilities as the Army made increased turn-ins due to their Rapid Removal of Excess program,” Ford said. The Army significantly ramped up its R2E efforts through the year.
“The Chief of Staff of the Army introduced the R2E concept to facilitate the rapid removal of excess, reminiscent of the ‘clean sweeps’ from the past,” said Robert Ostrander, a DLA service liaison to the Army.
“Operation Pacer Goose” was another operation that Ford’s team took on. The front end of the annual operation to resupply Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, Greenland, takes place in the summer, delivering supplies to the northernmost U.S. military installation, 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
DLA Disposition Services’ role in the operation includes removal of excess from the base. Until this year, that was handled by the site in Norfolk. Due to issues with the base facilities in Norfolk, Pacer Goose operations shifted to the site team in Richmond.
Ray Johnson, area manager at DLA Disposition Services Richmond, said that this year set a record for scrap sent from Greenland. He added that his team received 51 containers, including 38 vehicles that needed to be disposed of.
Ford said the team is looking forward to an exciting 2025. They have been selected to lead the agency in implementing new autonomous equipment at the Columbus site in Ohio. She added that there are plans to further institutionalize the region’s “game-changing” NEO program.