NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY, Bahrain , NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY –
Army Lt. Col. Marrio Almada relinquished command of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy Middle East to Army Lt. Col. Eunseok “Sam” Yoo in a change of command ceremony at the Naval Support Activity, Bahrain, on June 9, 2025.
Yoo previously served at Army Cyber Command at Fort Eisenhower, Georgia, where he was the strategic operations division chief for three years.
“In a short period of time, Lt. Col. Almada has achieved tremendous success in the region and has left DLA Energy Middle East in an exceptional state from which Lt. Col. Yoo can take the helm and continue to move forward with vigor,” said the DLA Energy Commander Rear Adm. George Bresnihan.
Army Col. Michelle Agpalza, the DLA U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and Special Operations Command (SOCOM) regional commander, presided over the ceremony.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Almada family for their continued love and support of Marrio over this past year,” said Agpalza. “I can understand the challenges associated with being geographically separated from your loved ones throughout an assignment, especially a critical one such as command; a command in a location that is extremely high OPTEMPO (operational tempo) with continuously growing requirements. Without having that backbone to lean on and to keep pushing us forward we would not be as successful,” she said.
Almada, who led DLA Energy Middle East for one year, oversaw a period of significant activity and achievement for the organization. During his tenure, he led the training of U.S. service members to manage more than 300 million gallons of fuel across 27 austere sites in the Middle East. He managed 14 Defense Fuel Support Points--handling more than 240 million gallons of fuel. He also led the first Allied Petroleum Course alongside his Bahraini counterparts. Almada expanded DLA Energy’s partnership with Qatar, which lead to increasing fuel support from 600,000 to 100 million gallons. Almada procured, tested, and delivered JP-5 (a type of jet fuel, used by the U.S. Navy) supporting Red Sea operations. His efforts directly supported U.S. Transportation Command, enabled sustained carrier strike group operations in CENTCOM and paved the way for future operations in the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.
“The Middle East is encountering its biggest challenges in years,” said Almada. “Logistics are contested, there’s political uncertainty, and more combat operations in this area of operation since the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. What we do is critical because fuel is necessary for equipment and to execute combat operations. An extraordinary leader alone cannot provide for
the needs of our warfighters. It takes an extraordinary team. DLA Energy Middle East has the best logisticians who meet the demands of our warfighters, allies and partners. In the Middle East the only easy day was yesterday – and my people love it,” Almada said.
Agpalza welcomed Yoo and his family to the DLA team and offered words of encouragement.
“Joining DLA for the first time can feel like a lot to take in, but I'm sure you'll find your footing quickly, said Agpalza. “You're inheriting a truly exceptional team from Marrio, full of experienced professionals dedicated to supporting the Warfighters. The DLA C&S (CENTCOM & SOCOM) team is excited to see the [DLA] Energy Middle East team continue to thrive under your leadership and maintain its outstanding support to our warfighters.”
DLA Energy Middle East's mission is to provide comprehensive energy solutions to U.S. and allied forces throughout the region, ensuring mission readiness and operational effectiveness.
Today, DLA Energy Middle East provides comprehensive fuel management with over 85,000 Department of Defense customers, 14 host nations, 43 commercial partners, 14 Defense Fuel Support Points, 43 direct delivery contracts, nine host nation support sites, five bunker sites, and five into plane contracts to support CENTCOM and other government activities operating in the CENTCOM area of responsibility. DLA Energy Middle East is said to enable component commanders the flexibility to execute combatant command-directed combat operations and theater engagement.
Yoo said-- “As the DLA Energy Middle East commander, I pledge to foster a culture of operational excellence, teamwork, collaboration, professional development, and respect and integrity.”