SAN DIEGO –
Leadership at Defense Logistics Agency Distribution San Diego, California, officially changed hands from Navy Capt. Phoebe Tamayo to Navy Capt. Edelio “Del” Joloya in a ceremony onboard Naval Base San Diego, July 17.
Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Cotman, commanding general of DLA Distribution, presided over the ceremony, praising both the outgoing commander and the relentless dedication of the local workforce.
"Captain Tamayo, your impact on this team and what this site did in support of the warfighter is vast, incredible and reaches far beyond this idyllic California coastline," Cotman said. Addressing the crowd, he added, "This ceremony is not just a recognition of these two officers, it is a celebration of everything that all of you have done. The accomplishments of this workforce are amazing, with globally reaching implications."
Cotman highlighted the immense scale of the San Diego operations, noting that the site maintains more than 87,000 unique items valued at over $7.7 billion. Over the past two years, the workforce processed more than 504,000 material issues, 105,000 receipts, nearly 200,000 packaging requirements, and well over 580,000 Material Processing Center lines.
"The operational tempo is ever changing," Cotman said. "The requirements our warfighters have to maintain security across a global landscape are rapidly evolving. And all of you rise to the challenge, each and every day."
Cotman lauded Tamayo’s ability to guide the team through major hurdles, including the complex Warehouse Management System go-live transition immediately after taking command, followed by a surge supporting six aircraft carriers and other fleet assets. He noted that through it all, Tamayo prioritized a compassionate, people-first culture, cherishing moments like the team's "ugly sweater Christmas parties."
In her farewell remarks, Tamayo expressed deep gratitude to her military, civilian, and contractor team.
"Serving throughout this command tour has been a highly rewarding chapter of my career, primarily because I worked alongside an extraordinary group of professionals," Tamayo said. "Any success we achieved during my tour was only possible because of the dedication, hard work, and exceptional character of individuals like you."
Welcoming the incoming commander, Cotman expressed confidence in Joloya's capabilities and presented him with three clear priorities: building upon the established foundation of excellence, leading with integrity and compassion and continuously modernizing the distribution center to support future surges.
"Captain Joloya is ready to hit the ground running and advance this distribution center through every challenge," Cotman said. "Del, you are taking command at a time of globally heightened tensions where the impact this workforce makes will be felt by warfighters around the globe."
Addressing the command for the first time, Joloya emphasized the critical, non-negotiable nature of combat logistics.
"The core of our mission in logistics is not just a goal, nor just a support function or a bumper sticker. It is a strategic imperative. It is combat power," Joloya said. "Ensuring that every piece of equipment and every critical repair part is in the right place and delivered at the speed of combat, at the speed of relevance, is what we do every single day."
Joloya, a native of Cavite, Philippines, brings a wealth of joint operational and logistics experience to the command. He enlisted in the Navy in May 1991, serving as an aviation support equipment technician on board the USS Peleliu before earning his commission as an ensign in August 2000 through Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida.
Joloya holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and a Master of Business Administration from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He has completed executive programs at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business.
His extensive afloat career includes serving on the USS Bonhomme Richard, USS Pinckney, USS Kearsarge, and USS Makin Island. Ashore, his assignments have included tours at Fleet Logistics Center Puget Sound, a deployment to Iraq as a contingency contracting officer, and serving as the deputy chief of staff for logistics for Expeditionary Strike Group 3, where he oversaw vital support for the USNS Mercy during the pandemic.
His personal decorations include four Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.
"Together, we will build on the legacy of excellence established here and continue to provide the world-class support that our warfighters deserve," Joloya concluded. "Let's get to work."