COLUMBUS, Ohio –
A recent visit to the Ohio Army National Guard's Combined Support Maintenance Shop by a group of Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime associates illustrated the pivotal role of local collaboration in bolstering operational readiness. What began as a site tour for Defense Supply Center Columbus neighbors on May 13, quickly evolved into a dynamic networking exchange.
The interaction provided insight into DLA Land and Maritime's essential contributions to the CSMS's daily operations and, more importantly, underscored how strategic partnerships directly amplify warfighter support.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jeremy Wilson, deputy superintendent for the CSMS, guided 20 associates through the expansive 47,000-square-foot facility, offering a detailed look at their mission-critical work supporting all 155 Ohio Army National Guard units statewide.
The tour revealed a comprehensive support ecosystem, from the electronics section executing vital software updates and radio repairs to three automotive sections, a versatile allied trade section and an armament section servicing a wide spectrum of weaponry – ranging from the M17 9mm pistol to the 155mm Howitzer.
“This is the largest of the 14 facilities we have in Ohio, and with that, we have some unique commodities and capabilities that the other 13 don’t have,” Wilson said. “We’re the only one with an armament and an electronics section for example, so if an Ohio unit’s weapons or communication equipment needs repaired or serviced, it comes through this facility.”
The facility also maintains about 2,000 lines of demand supported stock and another 1,800 lines of pass-through parts not stocked but ordered annually. Much of that is DLA managed parts, Wilson said.
“We’ve got friends right down the road we can reach out to,” he continued, emphasizing the benefit of being co-located on DSCC. “DLA is huge in our world. We go through millions of dollars in parts every year and a lot of those parts are sourced through DLA. If we had to work a contract with a vendor every time we needed a part, we’d be very delayed in getting parts, so having DLA as that conduit is key to our success.”
Amidst the impressive display of DLA-supported parts and equipment under repair, Haley Martinez, a general engineer with DLA Land and Maritime’s Engineering Management and Support Value Management Division, approached the visit with a more strategic lens. For her, the primary takeaway was exploring more effective ways to support the warfighter's evolving needs.
Martinez is part of a reverse engineering team focused on obsolescence management. She explained how her team investigates potential savings through reverse engineering on hard to procure parts. She offered sole-sourced items as an example.
“Sole-sourced means that the item can only be procured from one company. They own the technical information to manufacture the item,” she said. “If we’re able to break that out into open competition through reverse engineering…other companies can bid and our contract specialists can negotiate down to lower prices. Generally, we can receive about a 40% cost savings.”
Martinez said that a primary concern for the engineers when initially investigating an item is actually getting their eyes on it.
“You tell me it’s a wheel – I don’t know if it’s a two-foot tire or a tiny two-inch metal wheel,” she said. “We have to order it to get our eyes on it to determine whether it would be a good reverse engineering candidate. Sometimes the item is on backorder and we’re waiting…but if we can come [to the CSMS] to look at the item, that can save us on average about a month of lead time. It will save DLA money and get things quicker and cheaper for our military customers.”
Wilson concurred.
“Whether its issues of backorder or obsolescence, we want to help DLA help us. If there’s a part that’s obsolete or needs reverse engineering, they can utilize our facility to find the best avenues to support us,” he said.
Wilson added that the partnership yields mutual advantages beyond just obtaining parts. Their cooperative efforts span product development to material testing and even include the Ohio Army National Guard's support in servicing the DLA Police Department's weapons, creating valuable synergies for both agencies.
“We’ve got a great relationship supporting each other and we’ll continue to build on that.”
The visit was part of the DLA Land and Maritime People Support and Culture Division’s DSCC Agency Neighbor Tour program, aimed to connect employees with the warfighter mission DLA supports.