For most Defense Logistics Agency employees, supporting the global supply chain happens from an office or a warehouse. But when a natural disaster, humanitarian crisis or military operation demands immediate, on-the-ground support, the agency turns to its Rapid Deployment Teams.
The RDT program maintains three specialized rosters of civilian and military personnel ready to deploy within 72 hours' notice.
“Rapid Deployment Teams exist to give DLA, the Department and the nation a fast-responding, highly trained logistics force that can deploy worldwide on short notice to support emergencies,” said DLA RDT Program Manager David Bowman. “Without RDT, we wouldn't be able to provide the folks on the ground the necessary support they would need. Could they just pick up the phone if they went through a disaster? No. Can they go over to a tent where we have people positioned and get an answer? Yes.”
Recently, an RDT deployed to Hawaii in support of Exercise Keen Edge. The 13-member team augmented a forward operations center to maintain 24-hour support in parallel with the broader theater effort.
The pace of an RDT activation differs significantly from a standard military deployment, which Red Team Commander Army Col. Alisa Wilma compared to a marathon.
“These are middle-distance races,” she said. “You’re going fast and hard. But it means also that you’re building something that has to sustain when you leave and you’re not getting backfilled. We’re trying to build a structure. So that’s a different mindset.”
The urgency of a deployment also challenges members to stretch beyond their daily routines. While an employee may specialize in a specific career field at their home office, in the field, they become the sole representative for their entire major subordinate command.
Tim Weatherspoon, Red Team deputy commander, noted that the deployed environment fundamentally broadens an employee’s capability.
Because a single team member cannot know the answer to every logistical challenge, the program heavily emphasizes building a robust reach-back network. When a combatant commander needs an immediate solution, the RDT member must be able to leverage the entire agency’s network from that single point in the field.
For new members, this broad responsibility quickly brings the sheer scale of the agency into focus.
“When I came to the team, I had been with DLA just a scant few weeks,” Wilma said. “The training and the exposure I got shone a spotlight on the scope, just the raw breadth of everything we do.”
While the ultimate goal of the RDT program is to remain ready for a crisis they hope never comes, Bowman emphasized that the cadre is a validated, ready capability that gives DLA a critical edge.
DLA Headquarters employees interested in opportunities with the RDT can email DEPOPS@dla.mil. MSC employees should contact their respective force provider. Fiscal 2027 applications will be accepted until June 30, 2026.