RICHMOND, Va. –
Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support employees from across the globe tuned in virtually and gathered in person Dec. 2 for the command’s first joint town hall since announcing the integration of the aviation, land and maritime supply chains Oct. 1.
Weapons Support (Columbus) Commander Navy Rear Adm. Julie Treanor and Weapons Support (Richmond) Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Launey hosted the event at the Frank B. Lotts Conference Center on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, which focused on open communication, recognizing employee achievements and outlining the organization’s strategic goals.
The DLA Weapons Support team added a festive touch by wearing their favorite work-approved holiday attire, creating a cheerful atmosphere for the event. Amy Perry, Weapons Support (Richmond) Public Affairs deputy chief, served as the event’s emcee.
The town hall provided a platform for Treanor and Launey to connect with the Weapons Support team. The leaders shared their family lives, professional backgrounds, and vision for the future of the organization during informal introductions.
Treanor described her enthusiasm: “It’s an absolute privilege to be here with you today,” Treanor said. “"It’s a unique opportunity for you all to get to know General Launey and myself just a little bit better.”
Launey emphasized the need for collaboration: “This isn’t a single thing that a single person is going through, but a challenge that we’re all taking on together.” Launey said.
“This is absolutely something to celebrate and enjoy and appreciate the continued investment,” Launey continued. “As we go through this change together there’s an understanding that there are a lot of commonalities and gives an opportunity to learn from one another.”
The town hall also highlighted the achievements of DLA Weapons Support employees and supporting DLA employees at Columbus and Richmond, with a special recognition ceremony for individuals and teams who earned agency-wide honors as part of the DLA 58th Annual Employee Recognition Awards.
Awards were announced for outstanding performance in categories ranging from leadership and acquisition excellence to safety and innovation. The recognized employees hailed from various DLA Weapons Support locations across the enterprise, including Richmond, Columbus, Ogden, Cherry Point, Jacksonville and San Diego.
“It is representative of the excellence that exists within both of our teams, highlighting the widespread talent and dedication within the organization,” Treanor said. “The accumulation of that excellence will only make us grow.”
A significant portion of the town hall was dedicated to a Q&A session, where Treanor and Launey addressed questions submitted by the workforce on a range of topics.
Recognizing the importance of transparency and open communication, the leaders tackled potentially sensitive subjects head-on, including telework policies and pay disparities between different locations.
Telework policies emerged as a particularly “hot button issue,” with employees seeking clarity and consistency across the Weapons Support footprint. Treanor acknowledged the concerns and committed to revisiting DLA’s telework policy to ensure equitable application and alignment with headquarters practices.
“As a unified command, it’s important for our workforce and our employees, we don’t create an atmosphere of ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’,” Treanor said. “This is one of the first things that General Launey and I are committed to destroying – inequity.”
Regarding pay disparities, Treanor explained that differences in general schedule grade levels and locality pay contribute to the issue. Both leaders pledged to work with analysts to identify and address any unjustified variances in compensation, ensuring that employees are paid fairly for their work.
The leaders also discussed the ongoing transformation efforts associated with integrating DLA Aviation and DLA Land and Maritime into a single unified command – DLA Weapons Support – emphasizing the importance of aligning processes and resources to better support the warfighter.
Click here to learn more about DLA Weapons Support.
The commanders reassured the group that the transformation is not about fixing something that is broken, but rather about optimizing the organization to meet the evolving customer needs.
Launey said the goal is to create a more agile, efficient and data-enabled workforce that can quickly adapt to changing demands while providing superior customer support.
Treanor also highlighted the importance of the Defense Organizational Climate Survey, encouraging employees to participate and provide honest feedback about their work environment. She stressed that the survey is a valuable tool for identifying areas for improvement and fostering a positive and inclusive workplace.
“We want to hear from you,” Treanor said. “As we walk this transformation journey with you, it’s our job to support you, to listen to you, to provide you with information, education, tools, opportunities, anything that you are not getting, resolution, conflict management, the removal of toxic behaviors, whatever it might be, we want to identify it and get after it.”
Events like the town hall play a vital role in boosting workforce morale and fostering a sense of connection within the organization. By providing a platform for open communication, recognizing employee achievements, and addressing key issues, DLA Weapons Support leadership demonstrates its commitment to its workforce and its dedication to creating a positive and supportive work environment.
“We are in a very unique moment in time in our history, and a tremendous opportunity to come out on the backside of this even stronger, more capable and more effective for our warfighters,” Launey said. “So, they can be even more ready, more lethal, take care of business and get home safer.”
The town hall concluded with closing remarks from Treanor and Launey, who expressed their gratitude for the dedication and hard work of the DLA Weapons Support team. They reiterated their commitment to supporting the workforce and ensuring that the organization continues to provide world-class logistics support to the warfighter.
“I really respect the work that you all do, and I look forward to our continuing partnership, and the development of our support team,” Treanor said. “I want to tell you that I am eternally grateful, not just as a warfighter myself but for the honor of having the opportunity to work alongside you to provide warfighter support.”
To access a recording of the town hall, click here.