PHILADELPHIA –
A quality assurance specialist with the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support’s Clothing and Textile supply chain was honored for his 23 years of federal service during a retirement ceremony March 18.
Gary Gordon Morris began his career in 2001, as a quality assurance specialist in the former Industrial Hardware supply chain, where he managed ninety assets, as well as O-rings for the Navy’s various torpedo programs. He performed site visits to DLA depots and vendor sites to help alleviate supply chain issues and manage stock supplies for standard compliance.
When IH was disbanded during a commodity realignment in 2020, Morris took his expertise to C&T, where he managed headwear and sweaters for all military services on the dress clothing team. During that time, he achieved the Director’s Strategic Goals Award, while a part of a suspended stock tiger team tasked with returning suspended stock to condition “A,” allowing it to be issued.
DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Landis Maddox said Morris’ expertise and dedication to serving the warfighter will be missed.
“You have committed your working life to the support of our warfighters and Whole of Government partners,” he said. “You represent many years of experience and corporate knowledge that our organization will surely miss. But you’ve left an indelible mark on your team, and I know that your colleagues will carry on your commitment to our customers.”
This is Morris’ second retirement, after a career in the Army, which included time with the 82nd Airborne Division. He said transitioning from the military to Troop Support gave him a deeper appreciation of the organization’s mission.
“Coming from the military ranks and then being on the other side of the table at Troop Support, seeing how the logistics of it works, gave me a heartfelt feeling about the mission that I came in and tried to perform every day,” he said.
Morris continued, thanking his leadership and coworkers, emphasizing the importance of the work.
“Keep doing what you do,” he said. “We serve an important purpose, and that’s what I looked forward to everyday, coming in and serving that purpose.”