NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Europe provided significant logistical support to the Defender Europe 2025 exercise series in recent weeks by processing and shipping more than 250 Class I food orders to 13 countries across the U.S. European Command area of operation.
"Our team's ability to meet customer demands across an expansive operational area is a clear demonstration of our commitment to warfighter readiness," said Army Lt. Col. Michael Zdrojesky, commander, DLA Distribution Europe.
Headquartered in Germersheim, Germany, the DLA Distribution Europe team processed and shipped more than 300 pallets of meals ready-to-eat, religious meals, and unitized group rations over a 45-day period. The team synchronized shipments with customers to meet their required delivery dates. These efforts enabled warfighters participating in the exercise series to meet their mission objectives across Albania, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, North Macedonia and Romania.
"Our focus on accuracy begins with the warehousing team processing the orders, our Theater Consolidation Shipping Point team loading the material, and our transportation team working with commercial carriers for deliveries," Zdrojesky said. "Our commitment to precision operations ensures that the customer receives the right item at the right time for the right price."
A critical element of DLA Distribution Europe's reliable support to Defender Europe 2025 is the customer service team, including Fiona Hinck and Thorsten Hinck. Together, they managed more than 550 cases and 2,900 customer interactions, coordinating delivery locations and responding to information requests for rotational elements in the theater.
"Our customer service team embodies readiness through their responsiveness, empathy and consistency, provided to more than 2,000 customers annually," Zdrojesky said. "By providing extensive support to customers across three continents, many of whom are rotational, our team plays a key role in operational success."
Defender Europe is the U.S. Army's largest annual opportunity to exercise personnel and equipment movement into the theater for operations critical to Large Scale Combat Operations. Led by U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the exercise focuses on the strategic deployment of CONUS-based forces, the employment of Army Prepositioned Stock, and follow-on exercises demonstrating lethality and interoperability with allies and partners.