Battle Creek, Michigan –
The top enlisted leader in DLA, Army Command Sgt. Maj.
Charles Tobin, visited DLA personnel in Battle Creek, Michigan, Oct. 14th as
part of a two-day trip through the Midwest to get more familiar with the
agency’s field activities.
Tobin was accompanied by DLA Foreign Policy Advisor Dolores
Brown, a Senior Foreign Service Officer at the Dept. of State who began
advising the DLA director in October.
Tobin’s visit was his first with DLA Disposition Services
headquarters personnel since beginning his tenure with the agency in May. His
stop included overviews of ongoing disposition initiatives and business areas,
and he expressed interest in returning to Michigan to observe the skills
training and Expeditionary Site Set deployment rehearsals that DLA’s uniformed
employees and Civilian Expeditionary Workforce members undertake each summer.
Tobin took time for a special sit-down luncheon with local
civilian employees who were also military reservists. Attendees talked about
topics ranging from uniforms to family life. Tobin encouraged them to pay
special attention to the well being of those they have responsibility for –
both battle buddies and their families. He said that personally thanking each
of the 25,000 DLA employees for the warfighter support they provide would be
impossible, but he asked attendees to pass along his admiration.
“You’ve got my utmost respect,” he said, adding that he had
no idea of the vast scope of services DLA provides to the military on a daily
basis before joining the agency.
As a soldier with more than 30 years of service, including
battlefield time, experience in nearly every possible Army leadership role,
billets in almost every combatant command, and multiple deployments to combat
zones, Tobin downplayed his contributions while praising that of the workforce.
“This agency was great before I got here; it will be great
when I leave,” Tobin said, promising that he would be reminding warfighters
downrange of who is providing them support behind the scenes. “What you all
bring to the fight is absolutely amazing to me.”