TRACY, Calif. –
Army Lt. Gen. Mark T. Simerly, director, Defense Logistics Agency, and Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Alvin R. Dyer, DLA’s senior enlisted leader, visited DLA Distribution San Joaquin, California, August 20 to receive an update on their Warehouse Management system implementation and meet with DLA employees.
During the visit, Simerly and Dyer received an installation command brief, which involved leadership from across DLA San Joaquin’s organizations and tenants, including Distribution, Installation Management, Disposition Services, Employee and Labor Relations, the Program Support Office and the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency.
Simerly outlined his vision for the agency's future, emphasizing the need for adaptation in response to evolving conditions. He suggested that previous operational methods may require reevaluation to ensure continued effectiveness, particularly in the areas of procurement and inventory management. Simerly highlighted demand forecasting as a key area for improvement, noting that increased accuracy in this area would lead to more efficient and effective support for DLA customers
Simerly and Dyer were provided a windshield tour of the depot, focusing specifically on the transportation division’s “ready line” of trailers set to leave San Joaquin for delivery to customers across the globe. They also visited the Freight Terminal and the Consolidation and Containerization Point facilities, both of which facilitate the loading of outbound freight with final preparations for shipment. During the tours of those areas, Simerly and Dyer spoke firsthand with the supervisors and employees about the challenges associated with the WMS implementation.
Before departing the site, Simerly hosted a small group discussion with roughly 30 employees selected from across the installation and presented coins to six San Joaquin employees: Wendy White, Lead Employee and Labor Relations Specialist; Navy Lt. Charles Laubacher, Safety Officer; Jason Oberst, Distribution Facilities Specialist; John Clawson, Supply Systems Analyst; Scott Story, Emergency Management Specialist; and Natalie Lee-Haynes, Mission Group Chief.