FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
The Defense Logistics Agency today announced the stand up of a new major subordinate command dedicated to supplying spare and repair parts to the military services. DLA Weapons Support integrates the missions of DLA Aviation and DLA Land and Maritime into a single unified command responsible for weapon systems support to the joint force.
In military terms, this supply category is known as Class IX. Initial operating capability for the new MSC began today, and it will operate across the two existing locations at Defense Supply Center Columbus, Ohio, and Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. No facility closures are planned.
DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly called this an exciting time for DLA, as it rewrites the script on weapon system support.
“Nobody else can do what we do, and we’re not going to back down from that mission set,” Simerly said, noting the outstanding quality and adaptability of the Class IX team is unrivaled in meeting the needs of the warfighter.
The commanders of the former MSCs – Navy Rear Adm. Julie Treanor at Land and Maritime, and Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Launey at Aviation – will share command responsibilities during the one-year transition period.
“We have a unique opportunity to challenge existing norms and make this organization the best it can be,” Treanor said. “This unified command will significantly enhance our support in today’s highly contested operational environment and enable us to move faster, think smarter, and respond more effectively to evolving warfighter needs.”
Echoing Treanor’s vision, Launey said the transformation will not only benefit the warfighter but also strengthen the organization’s internal cohesion.
“This transformation allows us to re-evaluate how we’re structured, how we operate, and how we communicate – always keeping the warfighter, our suppliers, our workforce and the Agency’s overall mission in mind,” Launey said. “We have amazing teams of logistics professionals who are committed to growing even stronger and more effective as we move out on this campaign together.”
Simerly said that when DLA leadership was looking at the agency’s organizational structure, it made sense to combine the Class IX spare and repair parts mission under one umbrella, to have “a single command to optimize our level of support, develop standard best practices and prioritize appropriately across the board.”
“As the nation’s logistics combat support agency, it is vital that DLA evolves in parallel with the everchanging landscape,” he said. “Now is the time to accelerate transformation – modernizing DLA to be more adaptive, efficient and resilient.”
This change is part of several transformative initiatives to increase effectiveness, enhance support to the warfighter and optimize DLA’s workforce. It also directly aligns with the War Secretary’s priorities to restore the warrior ethos, rebuild the military and reestablish deterrence.
Simerly emphasized the plan for the new MSC was “integrated by design,” reflecting the combined efforts of both the DLA Land and Maritime and DLA Aviation leadership.
An integration team that includes key leaders and support staff from DLA Aviation, DLA Land and Maritime, and DLA Headquarters was assembled to inform the design of the new MSC.
The establishment of DLA Weapons Support is a long-term investment in the future of DLA. The new MSC is designed to be a more efficient, effective and resilient organization capable of meeting the challenges of the future. As stated in its mission statement, DLA Weapons Support will deliver “Weapon Systems readiness and lethality globally to our Warfighters, the Nation, and its partners.”
Regular updates to the workforce and the agency’s customers will be announced as decisions are finalized and implementation progresses.
Simerly harkened back to the agency’s beginnings to drive the point home that DLA is built to change and built to last, and this latest transformation is an evolution of DLA’s collective DNA.
“We think the things that made us valuable then, very much hold true now,” he said. “We have expanded, and we have contracted over time as we responded to warfighter requirements – constantly changing to meet the needs of those who depend on us.”