Army Command Sgt. Maj. Petra Casarez became the Defense Logistics Agency’s senior enlisted leader in September 2025. In this interview, she discusses her military career, how she supports her fellow noncommissioned officers and the agency’s civilian employees, and the energy she projects every day to keep the workforce motivated.
What made you decide to make military service your career?
I was very interested in working with vehicles, so I enlisted as a maintainer. I think I always knew that I wanted this to be my career. There are just so many possibilities. You’re working with people, you’re serving your country, and you have the opportunity to go to so many different places.
Every place I’ve been, when I’m there, feels like the best assignment ever. You can never get bored because you’re going to different places and doing different things. From my perspective, the U.S. Army, and the entire Department of War, is an absolutely magnificent organization to be part of.
The director said that part of your role is to be a bridge between commands, cultures and communities. What does that look like to you, and how have you built those bridges?
DLA is a huge, massive team. We have about 25,000 teammates all over the world, in different places with many different skills.
Obviously, there’s no way for me to be everywhere, but I listen to the people. I’m the voice of the DLA team. I’m able to hear from others when I go places, and sometimes I hear things that the director wouldn’t hear. Or somebody can say something to me, and I can look into it a bit further.
As a “green suiter,” I’m the bridge between the DLA commands and the services. I have interactions externally as well as internally, so the bridge goes outside of DLA. That way, we don’t just assume we know what the warfighter needs. We really, truly understand what they need to be able to win.
The Army NCO creed says, “My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind — accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers.”
What are you doing to prioritize these responsibilities?
I became an NCO almost 30 years ago. The creed is something you memorize when you become an NCO, but you’re always told it’s not just about the memorization of it. It has to be etched into your heart. It can’t just be words; the true feeling of those words has to mean something. I think the “accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers” aren’t separate. For me, I look at the welfare of the workforce. When you take care of people and you give them the tools and skills, then the mission is going to succeed every time.
At DLA, I can’t just say “soldiers;” it has to be people. I also use the word “teammate.” I don’t care what uniform it is. It’s not about what you wear; it’s about the team.
NCOs are an important part of DLA’s workforce. As the command’s senior enlisted leader, how do they help the agency meet its mission?
The enlisted workforce is the heartbeat of the operation. We are the empaths who feel what’s going on.
NCOs are like the blind-spot mirror in cars that beep when you’re trying to change lanes and you didn’t really look. They ask the questions and have that sensor.
I also think that we’re not afraid to get to the point of friction and ask the hard questions. Or the opposite happens and an NCO will bring attention to people. They may not like it, but we think it’s important that the person gets recognized when they’re caught doing something good.
Because I and the other DLA leaders think NCOs are so important, I’m excited to announce a new section in every issue of Loglines. The first “Get to know an NCO” column highlighting one of our great NCOs from DLA Troop Support appears in this issue of Loglines.
How do you describe DLA’s role in homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere? What are the priorities?
If you look at the National Defense Strategy, the homeland is the priority. Before this, we looked at the homeland as power projection; we didn’t necessarily look at it as a theater of operation.
Now the focus is on making sure that we are fully focused on our homeland; if we can’t make sure that our homeland is secure and resilient, then we can’t project anything.
DLA, as the nation’s logistics combat support agency, is here also for things like natural disasters. It’s not just about contingencies that are caused by enemies. It’s also making sure that if there’s any type of disaster — it could be a hurricane or earthquake or fire — we’re always ready. We’re like 911 for logistics. We must make sure we can support our partners in the Western Hemisphere and make sure they are really resilient. That shows our adversaries that it doesn’t matter what happens, our team is here.
What’s coming up for DLA that has you excited?
Contested logistics and everything that we’re working on to combat those challenges. The recent exercises we’ve done, like Global Thunder and Keen Edge, let us hone our skills. You can see how that work has been paying off during recent operations in the U.S. Central Command area.
Contested logistics challenges have us look at the what-ifs and things like where we should use artificial intelligence, how we use predictive analytics, and where we can transform from being reactive to more predictive, agile and resilient. The Secretary of War wants peace through strength and deterrence, and logistics supports that deterrence. We want the enemy to look at us and say, “We don’t want to go to war because DLA is going to make sure that the troops get what they need.”
Speaking of being excited, you’re known for your powerful “Woo!” at events. How did that become your catchphrase?
I worked at the Ordnance School at Fort Lee, and every day when we arrived and every night when we left, we’d always say, “Go Ordnance!” Our executive officer tried to make it energetic. We often had really rough, long days, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The training center didn’t stop because we still had to bring in new soldiers.
We wanted to end each day with a bang. We might still have our masks on as we were leaving, and we’d say, “Go Ordnance! Woo!” It pumped us up. It was tough, but we got through, and it got us ready for the next day.
I’ve used it at the Army pre-command course. I’ve used it in different scenarios where there are senior leaders. I think it shocks people in a positive way. It puts a smile on their faces, and sometimes they can’t believe that you did it or said it.
For me, it’s about the energy. I love what I do, and I want you to feel it and be a part of it. It’s not about me; it’s about us as a team. As a leader, your feelings are contagious. When I have a leader who’s in a bad mood or sad or disappointed, then it makes me nervous and I’m walking on eggshells.
I think that “Woo!” is contagious in a good way. By Friday, I feel physically tired and my brain feels a little scrambled. But if I say the “Woo!” and you’re excited and I see you smile, now I’m excited.
What’s the one thing you want the DLA workforce to understand about how their work not only directly impacts the warfighter, but also supports national security?
I really want them to feel and understand that they are truly important.
I visited Richmond, Virginia, in January for the Keen Edge exercise, and we had a lot more snow than usual. The installation team worked all weekend to clear away that heavy, icy snow so when we drove in, we were able to report to the operations center.
Their parking lot sits up high, and the team was so good that they not only cleared all the roads of the “snowcrete,” but they also knew to clear the stairs from the parking lot to the main building. That could have been a death trap.
To me, that shows what DLA does. They knew that it was important that people get to the exercise. It was a notional exercise, but what if it wasn’t? What if our adversary was attacking, or we were reacting to a national disaster or defending the homeland? They made sure that the team could drive on post, and they made sure that the steps from the parking lot to the building were clear.
It doesn’t matter if you work at the installation or warehouse, everybody has such an important part. DLA works behind the scenes, but the results are before your eyes if you know where to look. They’re a big part of generating America’s combat power.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Read more from this June 2026 edition of Loglines or browse more editions of the magazine on the Loglines Magazine website.