COLUMBUS, Ohio –
On July 24, the Defense Logistics Agency will close a historic chapter and forge a unified future as it officially deactivates DLA Land and Maritime, based at the Defense Supply Center Columbus. This deactivation, held in conjunction with the deactivation of DLA Aviation in Richmond, Virginia, the day prior, marks the formal stand-up of DLA Weapons Support – a new, integrated major subordinate command headquartered in Columbus.
This transition is far more than an administrative shift; it is a strategic integration designed to enhance warfighter support, directly aligning with the Secretary of War’s priorities to hone warfighter readiness. While the name of the installation, Defense Supply Center Columbus, will not change, the name of its major host tenant will become DLA Weapons Support, a move set in motion last fall when DLA retired the titles DLA Land and Maritime and DLA Aviation in favor of DLA Weapons Support (Columbus) and DLA Weapons Support (Richmond).
This name reflects the command’s essential mission: supplying critical spare and repair parts for thousands of weapons systems warfighters rely on across the globe. In military terms, this supply category is known as Class IX.
The new command, which reached initial operating capability Oct. 1, will encompass two major locations at Defense Supply Center Columbus and Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, and over 50 additional forward sites. No facility closures are planned, and the dedicated workforce in both Columbus and Richmond remain essential to the mission. The goal is to create a stronger, more agile organization by uniting the teams that manage all Class IX supply chains.
Navy Rear Adm. Julie Treanor, commander of DLA Weapons Support (Columbus), will officially assume command of the entire, unified DLA Weapons Support major subordinate command on July 24, guiding the integrated command headquartered at the Defense Supply Center Columbus. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Launey, commander of DLA Weapons Support (Richmond), will officially relinquish command July 23 prior to the formal deactivation of DLA Aviation at Defense Supply Center Richmond.
DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly called this an exciting time for DLA, as it rewrites the script on weapon system support.
“Nobody else can do what we do, and we’re not going to back down from that mission set,” Simerly said, noting that the outstanding quality and adaptability of the Class IX team is unrivaled in meeting the needs of the warfighter.
As DLA prepares to stand up this unified command, a look back at the storied legacy of DLA Land and Maritime honors the dedication of its people and a proud tradition of unmatched support for the warfighter.
The Birth of a Unified Logistics Agency
The foundation of today’s DLA was born from a critical lesson learned during the World Wars: the military required a centralized, coordinated approach to supply management. Prior to the 1960s, each military branch managed its own independent supply chain, leading to redundancy, inconsistent standards and massive inefficiencies.
This paradigm shifted permanently in 1961 with the establishment of the Defense Supply Agency (DSA), the predecessor to today’s DLA. The creation of DSA was met with initial skepticism. Critics doubted that a single, centralized defense agency could effectively manage logistics for highly distinct service branches. However, the agency quickly proved its strategic value.
On Jan. 1, 1962, the Defense Construction Supply Center in Columbus was integrated into the newly formed DSA. Under this early structure, the organization was charged with managing construction supplies across all military branches. The centralized model quickly proved highly successful, demonstrating during crises like the Cuban Missile Crisis that a unified logistics agency could respond to urgent requirements with a speed and precision the individual military services could not match on their own.
As the agency’s responsibilities rapidly expanded throughout the 1970s to include worldwide distribution, fuel management and foreign military sales, its mission outgrew its original title. To better reflect this comprehensive, end-to-end global supply chain mission, the Defense Department officially renamed DSA to the Defense Logistics Agency on Jan. 1, 1977.
Consolidation and Modernization in Columbus
The post-Cold War era of the 1990s demanded a leaner, more agile defense infrastructure. DLA underwent a period of rapid restructuring driven by successive Base Realignment and Closure rounds. This period of rapid organizational restructuring fundamentally reshaped DLA’s major subordinate commands. In a pivotal moment for Columbus, the 1993 BRAC directed the Defense Electronics Supply Center based in Dayton, Ohio, to merge with DCSC. This culminated in the official activation of the Defense Supply Center Columbus in January 1996.
The merger of DCSC and DESC revolutionized how the agency operated. By combining electronics, construction and system-level parts management under a single organizational umbrella, DLA established a highly integrated logistics powerhouse.
By the early 2000s, it was operating as DLA’s lead center for land, maritime and missile systems, managing nearly two million items and supporting thousands of weapon systems. The organization proved its mettle during the Global War on Terrorism, surging support for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and demonstrating an unparalleled ability to meet the dynamic demands of the warfighter. This era also saw DSCC pioneer the adoption of modern enterprise software and business systems, laying the groundwork for future transformation.
Becoming DLA Land and Maritime: A specialized MSC
Throughout the 2000s, DSCC’s role as the headquarters for land and maritime supply chains became increasingly formalized.
The most defining shift for the MSC’s identity was set in motion in July 2010 when the organization was officially redesignated as DLA Land and Maritime, cementing its identity as the premier provider of land and sea-based logistics solutions. Prior to this, the names of DLA’s major subordinate commands reflected their geographic locations – Defense Supply Center Columbus – rather than the specific supply chains they managed. A warfighter needing a shipboard valve ordered it from DSCC, while aviation parts came from the Defense Supply Center Richmond. This geographic naming convention often obscured the specific capabilities of each site.
To present a clearer, more unified front to military customers, DLA launched the enterprise-wide “We Are DLA” initiative, which was officially codified in March 2011. Under this rebranding, the DLA host organization on DSCC was officially renamed DLA Land and Maritime. The physical installation retained the name Defense Supply Center Columbus, but the command itself finally had a name that encapsulated its highly specialized, dual-pronged mission: serving as the end-to-end supply chain manager for the nation's ground and sea-based weapon systems.
For the next decade and a half, DLA Land and Maritime built a legacy of excellence. Its workforce supported every major contingency, from the drawdown of forces in Iraq during Operation New Dawn, to efforts to deter Russian aggression in Europe, to today’s current contingency operations in the middle east. Beyond global conflicts, the command provided life-saving support to domestic agencies, such as supplying critical batteries to U.S. Forest Service personnel battling intense wildfires.
As DLA Land and Maritime, the command’s portfolio expanded to manage millions of spare parts.
On the Land side, the MSC’s responsibilities for keeping the Army and Marine Corps moving extended to managing the repair parts for Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, tactical wheeled vehicles and small arms.
On the Maritime side, the MSC remained the logistical anchor for the Navy and Coast Guard – procuring the highly complex, specialized components required to maintain nuclear submarines, Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and advanced radar systems.
During the height of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rapid proliferation of improvised explosive devices required the military to quickly field Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. DLA Land and Maritime rose to the challenge, rapidly cataloging thousands of new parts and aggressively procuring spare components to keep these life-saving vehicles operational on the front lines.
As the decade progressed, the command took on unprecedented acquisition challenges to support the joint force. In 2018, DLA Land and Maritime executed the largest contracting initiative in its history – the Global Tires Program Integrator Acquisition. This massive 10-year, $2.1 billion contract centralized the global supply and management of tires for aircraft and ground systems across the Department and allied nations.
Simultaneously, a push for digital modernization yielded historic readiness levels. In late 2019, the organization launched the Automated Indefinite Delivery Contract tool, revolutionizing procurement by automating low-demand contracts up to $250,000. This innovation yielded an immediate 30% increase in auto-award rates, drastically reducing administrative lead times, leading to its highest performance rating in over nine years.
The agency's agility was tested on a global scale during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As manufacturing plants faced unprecedented shutdowns, DLA Land and Maritime actively worked to stabilize the domestic defense industrial base, closely monitoring vulnerable small-business suppliers to prevent supply chain failures. By executing strategic contract modifications and accelerating critical spare parts orders, the command ensured that military maintenance depots, shipyards and ground fleets remained fully operational despite severe global supply disruptions.
Emerging from the pandemic, the command continued to shatter acquisition records and refine its strategic focus. In 2023, DLA Land Aberdeen – a detachment of DLA Land and Maritime – awarded the landmark 10-year, $3.2 billion “Gateway-to-Sustainment” contract. This vehicle drastically streamlined the procurement of advanced computers, tactical communications, cyber defense and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance supplies.
At the same time, the command reinforced its support for the nation’s most sensitive strategic assets. Managing the highly complex 21N program, which supplies critical components for the Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, DLA Land and Maritime achieved an exceptional 95% material availability rate throughout fiscal year 2023.
The command’s operational reach was highlighted again during global operations, including support for naval forces deployed in the Red Sea. When vessels faced persistent threats from anti-ship missiles and drones, DLA Land and Maritime coordinated critical, high-priority supply chains for carrier strike groups and guided-missile destroyers to ensure maximum system readiness.
Throughout these complex operations, DLA Land and Maritime remained deeply committed to its workforce. Recognizing that logistical excellence is driven by human talent, the command invested heavily in its cultural initiatives and career development programs, sustaining a world-class civilian and military team.
A Unified Future: DLA Weapons Support
DLA is built to change and built to last, a mantra echoed over the past year as DLA undergoes historic transformation to meet the needs of today’s joint force.
While the ceremony officially marks the deactivation of DLA Land and Maritime, it does not close the book on its legacy. Instead, its storied tradition of excellence is being seamlessly integrated into a modernized operational framework. The thousands of dedicated civilian and military personnel who built DLA Land and Maritime's reputation for excellence will continue to serve as the driving force behind the new DLA Weapons Support, ensuring America’s military remains the world’s strongest and most elite fighting force for decades to come.