FORT BELVOIR, Virginia –
Six former Defense Logistics Agency Energy employees were inducted in the inaugural Energy Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the McNamara Headquarters Complex, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, May 19.
“The DLA Energy Hall of Fame was established to honor and preserve the memory of past associates for their exceptional leadership, service, dedication to duty and contributions in supporting the DLA mission,” said DLA Energy Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark McLeod. “Today, we begin a tradition of honoring those among us who continually went above and beyond; turning fuel into capability and Energy heritage into a proud and enduring legacy.”
The 2016 DLA Energy Hall of Fame inductees honored in the ceremony are:
• John Bartenhagen served in a number of positions within DLA Energy, formerly known as the Defense Fuel Supply Center and the Defense Energy Support Center, from September 1981 to April 2007.
• Edward Biddle served as the deputy director of Contracting and Production in acquisition management and contracting positions from July 1963 to March 1998.
• Donald Peschka served as the chief of the Contracting Division of Bulk Fuels from October 1983 to December 2004.
• William Robinson served as the deputy director of the organization and deputy director and director of the Bulk Petroleum/Fuels from May 1971 to August 2001.
Two of the inaugural inductees were honored with a posthumous induction.
• Marshall Gore, Jr., a World War II veteran who served as the chief of Facilities Management from August 1974 to May 2009.
• William Moon was recognized for his significant contributions and more than 50 years of service to DLA Energy while serving as the distribution manager of DLA Energy Americas in Houston from March 1952 to July 1998.
The first inductee, Bartenhagen, was instrumental in the capitalization of bulk fuel stocks on installations brought on by the responsibility of budgeting for and maintaining the associated Class III bulk fuel distribution in the early 1990’s when requirements grew from an initial $100 million a year to more than a $600 million annual commitment.
The next inductee, Biddle, was responsible for drafting a new agreement between DLA Energy and the Small Business Administration concerning procedures for the administration of a multi-million dollar reservation program valued in excess of $170 million. This program was the largest in the federal government at the time.
Gore, the third inductee, reviewed agency funding documents annually to see which unspent allocated funds under multi-year contracts and Military Interdepartmental Purchase requests could be returned to DLA Energy. In 1999, Gore and his staff de-obligated a total of $50 million from various contractual agreements.
The fourth inductee, Moon, was honored for his numerous innovative processes to meticulously manage more than 17.8 billion gallons of DLA-owned bulk fuel War Reserve and Peacetime Operating Stock better, faster and cheaper.
Peschka, the fifth inductee, was recognized for his leadership and mentorship in executing the defense mission. He became the first DLA Energy employee to receive the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and Contracting Legends Award.
The final inductee, Robinson guided the implementation of the Department of Defense worldwide conversion of JP4 fuel stocks to JP8 over a multi-year period.
“We celebrate a legacy that [Hall of Fame inductees] established in this organization that you have now passed on,” McLeod said. “It’s passed on the people that are sitting in this audience. It's [George] Atwood, who unfortunately is off doing the things I should be doing right now with the headquarters. It's the [Gabby] Earhardt, the [Kevin] Ahern, [Phyllis] Orange, [Gerald] Tinner, [Regina] Grey, [Linda] Barnett, [Pam] Griffith and countless other folks that have taken the leadership mantel in this organization, that have continued to evolve it, that have continued to innovate it over the years. That's something that you all should be extremely proud of, as proud as we are of you.”
The summer issue of the Energy Source magazine, due out in June, will include features on each of the DLA Energy Hall of Fame inductees.