PHILADELPHIA –
Warfighter readiness, modernization and strategic partnership were key themes of an annual planning meeting led by the Defense Logistics Agency March 3-4 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
More than 800 representatives from DLA, the military services and clothing and textiles industry, attended the 12th annual Joint Acquisition Briefing to Industry, hosted by DLA Troop Support’s Clothing and Textiles supply chain.
“The theme of this year’s event can be summarized as equipping the warfighter for modernization, materials and mission readiness,” said Catherine Dillon, event curator and C&T’s Strategic Material Sourcing division chief.
Troop Support and military service leaders shared presentations and facilitated information sessions providing updates to industry partners, and one-on-one ‘speed dating’ meetings.
“We should all walk away from this conference with a shared and better understanding of (our) strategic relationships and a clear focus for the future,” said C&T Director Army Col. Bernard (Ken) Monroe. “Based on today’s complex problem sets, it requires us to think differently, developing solutions for these future problems and future requirements.”
DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Sean P. Kelly served as keynote speaker, emphasizing the importance of the event to the organization’s mission.
“At DLA Troop Support, our mission is to provide efficient, effective global solutions—and we cannot do that without all of you,” Kelly said. “This turnout demonstrates how committed we all are to supporting the warfighter.
Kelly highlighted four strategic priorities, or lines of effort: Warfighter Readiness, Empowered Workforce, Resilient Supply Chains, and being an Indispensable Partner.
“Everything we do must enhance the warfighter’s ability to fight and win,” Kelly said. “That means improving predictive logistics by digitizing our supply chains, strengthening strategic stockpiles, and accelerating acquisition pathways so we can deliver capability at the speed of relevance.”
Total asset visibility, or the ability to track item status from raw components to final delivery throughout the supply chain was a key modernization topic throughout the event.
“It’s not just about tracking boxes, it’s about making predictive and informed decisions to prevent disruptions before they begin,” Dillon said.
Kelly expounded, Troop Support is “laser focused” on decreasing backorders for critical items, improving supplier on-time delivery, and using predictive analytics to anticipate customers’ requirements.
“Digital end to end visibility will allow us to optimize safety stocks, right size forward positioned materiel, and ensure ‘Day 1’ readiness across all theaters,” Kelly said. “The digital, resilient, and collaborative supply chain we build together in rooms like this is a strategic deterrent and a decisive advantage for our nation.”
C&T Supplier Operations Director Leighann Mazoki provided key supply chain updates including contract obligations data and contracting changes the supply chain is making based on feedback from industry partners.
“We know we have a long way to go but we’re looking to be strategic and we’re looking to put unique contract vehicles in place to allow industry to make decisions on where they’re at that time,” Mazoki said.
Mazoki also highlighted successful warfighter readiness outcomes from partnership with industry and the military services in 2025, including the Space Force’s dress uniform rollout.
“The Space Force dress uniform was a huge success, and that was partnership in action,” Mazoki said. “It was all of us working together, working towards a common goal, and we’re extremely proud that we were able to be successful and support our customer.”
David McCain, senior materiel leader in the Air Force’s Human Systems division, echoed this sentiment in a joint service discussion panel led by C&T Customer Operations Director, Angela Gonzalez.
“That was a milestone that we reached collectively and that’s why we’re here today, all the services, working with DLA, working with industry,” McCain said. “While we can look at the gaps all day long, we’re doing some phenomenal stuff to keep our (service members) safe in today’s environment.”
Monroe shared the video, “DLA Protecting the Warfighter, A U.S. Army Officer’s Story From Iraq,” highlighting the impact of the equipment each partner works to provide.
“That video gives you a perspective on the importance this industry has and what you mean to the warfighter every day,” Monroe said. “All those small intangibles that are happening on a daily basis behind the scenes, it enables our servicemembers to execute a real-world mission in support of this nation.”