Philadelphia –
From recruit to honored veteran, the Defense Logistics Agency Clothing and Textiles supply chain provides uniforms to service members throughout their careers, including those killed in action.
Timothy Schmidt, C&T supervisor for the Army Recruit Training Center team, oversees uniform support of nearly 100,000 recruits annually, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, National Guard and other Army customers.
When the Joint Personal Effects Depot, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, was having issues finding Army Green Service Uniforms for fallen service members, C&T stepped in to assist.
“Its mission is to receive and prepare for (final) interment all servicemembers, (Department of War) civilians, and contractors that are killed in the line of duty overseas,” Schmidt said. “Part of that mission includes outfitting fallen warriors for burial in the family’s uniform of choice.”
As a joint organization located on an Air Force base, when additional uniform items were needed, JPED personnel historically travelled to nearby clothing sales stores to get uniform components, Schmidt explained.
In late March, the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff G4, Lt. Gen. Michelle Donahue, reached out to DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Sean P. Kelly, asking about availability of AGSU components at the Dover AFB military clothing sales store.
“Because Dover is not technically a joint base, although the JPED is a joint organization, and the military population there is relatively small, there was extremely limited uniform availability, and in fact no AGSU components are stocked there at all,” Schmidt said.
After a series of cold calls, starting with the Army’s Mortuary Affairs headquarters, Schmidt connected with the right contact at JPED to address the immediate need. Schmidt and team worked with a third-party logistics provider to expedite the order and manually update the customer’s delivery address to avoid delays.
JPED received the requested uniforms within five days, including 18 men’s dress coats, 13 dress shirts, 13 dress trousers, and two women’s slacks.
Schmidt and team also received, processed and delivered more orders for the JPED in May, including neckties, women’s dress shirts, dress coats, slacks, and men’s trousers.
For sustainment support going forward, Schmidt recommended the JPED team establish and maintain access to the Army’s Global Combat Support System, an internal ordering system, to place orders with DLA Troop Support on a more consistent basis.
“This way, they will be able to more easily order larger quantities when needed and maintain their supply chain more proactively as opposed to reactively,” Schmidt said.
The JPED is the only organization of its kind in DOW, established on September 11, 2001, to receive, safeguard, inventory, store, process and determine final disposition of personal effects of deceased or missing service members, according to its website.