FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Defense Logistics Agency Energy celebrated its 80th birthday July 8 in the McNamara Headquarters Complex Auditorium. The event brought together the DLA Energy team from across the globe along with former DLA Energy commanders and DLA Energy Hall of Fame members.
The momentous occasion recounted DLA Energy's decades of service to the Nation and celebrated its enduring legacy of collaboration among the DLA Energy workforce and its customers. DLA Energy Commander Navy Rear Adm. George Bresnihan emphasized DLA Energy's story as one of vision, resilience, and service, dating back to its crucial role in supplying fuel during World War II.
"Behind every gallon of fuel delivered, every runway built, every tank powered, were the dedicated individuals who worked tirelessly to ensure our forces had the resources they needed to defend freedom," Bresnihan said.
A video shown during the ceremony featured testimonials recounting the agency's historical journey, celebrating milestones, and expressing employees' pride in being part of the DLA Energy team. The video was followed by birthday shoutouts from DLA Energy regional commands.
“From fueling the front lines to energizing global operations, your commitment to ensuring energy readiness has been the driving force behind our success,” Bresnihan told those assembled. “This milestone celebrates not just longevity, but legacy. Happy 80th birthday to DLA Energy – to our past, present, and future. Thank you, and here's to many more years of delivering energy solutions whenever and wherever they’re needed.”
During the ceremony, DLA Director, Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly, presented Bresnihan with a framed letter and an engraved gold plate commemorating the organization's 80 years of service. The letter commended DLA Energy's workforce for their steadfast dedication, innovative solutions, support of warfighters worldwide, and emphasized their critical role in ensuring global military readiness.
Simerly emphasized DLA Energy being a community of professionals bound by a shared purpose and an enduring devotion to service.
“The DLA Energy workforce has stood as a pillar of reliability and resilience as all current and former employees celebrate this extraordinary organization,” said Simerly. “Your unmatched dedication, innovation, expertise, and tireless support to our nation’s warfighters have made the DLA Energy legacy possible.”
"Through every challenge – contingency, expeditionary support, humanitarian assistance, global operations, and beyond – DLA Energy delivered energy solutions at the right time, to the right place, with the right amount. The agency’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the global readiness and operational capability of our military, through fuel management, infrastructure, modernization, and energy resilience initiatives, has left an enduring legacy of 80 years of excellence,” he said.
Simerly also took a moment to address the DLA Energy workforce.
“Thank you, DLA Energy for powering the mission and the joint force,” said Simerly. “I'm grateful to Rear Admiral Bresnihan and this team for what you do every day. It's also great to see our senior leaders who've come back after contributing so much throughout their careers. You're still valuable members of this team.”
The ceremony concluded with a cake cutting with Simerly, Bresnihan, the longest serving DLA Energy employee, Pamela Albert-Chambers, a customer accounts specialist for the Customer Operations Directorate who has been with DLA Energy since June 1984 (a 41 year DLA Energy career), followed by the agency’s newest employee, Ahmed Soliman, a real property officer for the Army/ Air Force division under the Facility Sustainment Directorate who joined the DLA Energy team four weeks ago.
With roots dating back to World War II, DLA Energy was originally established as an entity of Department of Interior as the Joint Army-Navy Purchasing Agency under the War Department, the organization now known as DLA Energy has undergone several name changes throughout its history. It became the Defense Fuel Supply Center in 1964, the Defense Energy Support Center in 1998, and ultimately DLA Energy in 2010.
The DLA Energy 80th birthday ceremony can be viewed at https://dlaio.gcds.disa.mil/index.html?id=HQAUD07082025. CAC access is required to view video content.