Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support is replacing outdated processes with new digital capabilities to strengthen warfighter readiness throughout the entire agency by changing its posture from reactive to proactive. These changes are bringing clarity to complexity, making data easier to understand.
“We are instilling a warrior’s mindset into every facet of our enterprise, which begins with providing our warfighters an undeniable advantage through speed and precision,” said Army Brig. Gen. Sean Kelly, DLA Troop Support commander. “This is a strategic evolution. We are building stronger, more resilient supply chains by moving from fragmented, manual processes to integrated, data-driven networks that make our supply chains as advanced and lethal as our weapon systems.”
DLA Troop Support’s Clothing and Textiles supply chain launched a data-driven intelligence tool that enhances visibility of military clothing support to the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.
“The objective was to develop and implement a tool that would give us supply chain management proactivity with AAFES’ partnership to improve forecasting, strengthen our partnership, and identify any shortfalls that we can see in advance,” Clothing and Textile’s Director of Customer Operations Angela Gonzalez said.
For years, supply chain data across DLA Troop Support lived in static formats that offered only backward-looking insights. Analysts spent hours exporting massive files, manipulating spreadsheets and assembling charts, time-consuming tasks that slowed decision making.
“The biggest change is shifting from being reactive to proactive,” said Dan Clark, a DLA Troop Support demand supply chain analyst who works with supply chains on data solutions. “Before, we were always reporting on a supply problem that a unit in the field had already experienced. Now, with the solutions in development, we can identify a potential delay for a critical requirement weeks in advance and solve the issue long before the warfighter’s mission is affected.”
One specific tool that DLA Troop Support uses is the Agency Global Assessment Review metric tool. It consolidates data streams into insights that are translated into a consolidated view of performance indicators for a specific supply chain. For a major subordinate command supporting more than 77,000 global customers and working with 2,700 suppliers, these gains help optimize resources and strengthen global readiness.
“It really helps to see the data visually,” said Nick Weidman a DLA Troop Support lead demand supply chain analyst who works alongside Clark. “When information is presented that way, it’s much easier to understand what’s happening and spot trends quickly.”
The goal is simple but transformative: bring clarity to complexity, Kelly said. By making data visible, intuitive and predictive, DLA Troop Support is revolutionizing how it sees and manages global operations. Future iterations of the AGAR will automatically flag delinquent purchase orders and initiate vendor outreach. Tasks that once consumed hundreds of workforce hours will occur at machine speed.
“It really changes how we spend our time,” Weidman said. “Instead of digging through data, we can focus on solving problems and having better conversations with suppliers.”
The initiative strengthens the defense industrial base by providing transparent data on vendor performance, allowing DLA Troop Support to make faster, smarter contracting decisions and reduce risks across supply chains, Weidman explained.
“Tracking lead time is especially helpful because it gives us a clearer picture of how long it takes a part to reach the customer,” Weidman said. “If we see lead times increasing, we can get ahead of it by placing orders earlier to maintain a steady flow of supplies.”
Kelly emphasized the strategic implications.
“Data is the new ammunition, and this initiative uses it to fully synchronize our logistics with combat operations,” he said. “We are creating a converged network that stretches from the sensor to the shooter and back to the sustainer and supplier. This seamless linkage provides real-time insights into consumption, disruption and distribution, giving us an unparalleled strategic advantage.”
Putting powerful data tools into the hands of the workforce will enhance the technical knowledge of DLA Troop Support employees and empower them to make critical decisions that positively impact customer support, Weidman said.
“You don’t need a coding background to use these tools,” Weidman said. “With some basic technical familiarity, teams across DLA Troop Support, or DLA more broadly, can start building applications that simplify everyday work.”
To accelerate this cultural shift, DLA Troop Support is participating in and implementing training programs across the organization. Collaborative workshops bring together teams from the four supply chains, Subsistence, Clothing and Textiles, Medical, Construction and Equipment, as well as the staff offices to learn new tools and develop applications.
During a three-day innovation course in late 2025, employees across DLA Troop Support came together to brainstorm ideas and present ways forward to create a more data-driven organization.
“What stood out to me was how the course demystified the whole idea of innovation,” Matt Ligato, a Subsistence division chief who attended the course, said. “It showed us that you don’t need to be a designated ‘creative type’ to build a solution. It’s about following a logistical process, and that gives you the confidence to table a complex problem and develop a sound, presentable plan.”
One topic participants addressed during the course was the need to transition from reactive to proactive logistics. They proposed creating the Vendor Alert and Liability Oversight Resource tool, which is now in its planning phase.VALOR will be a conceptual artificial intelligence tool that will focus on automated vendor collaboration to identify potential delinquencies, allowing DLA Troop Support employees to pivot procurement plans to prevent backorders.
“What’s really powerful about these workshops is seeing people from completely different supply chains in the same room, solving problems together,” Clark said. “It’s breaking down those walls between us and getting everyone to speak the same language, which in this case is data.”
The success of DLA Troop Support’s initiatives is now informing broader DLA modernization efforts. The organization is sharing its tools, frameworks and lessons learned as a model for other commands, helping build a unified, interoperable logistics enterprise.
“Now that we’ve proven this model works, the next phase is taking it on the road,” Kelly said. “Expanding this framework lets every organization benefit from what we’ve already learned.”
This evolution reflects a fundamental shift in the global security environment, Kelly said. Logistics is no longer simply a supporting function; it is a decisive element of modern warfare. Sustaining high-intensity conflict requires a supply network as sophisticated and resilient as the combat systems it enables. DLA Troop Support’s efforts complement DLA’s enterprisewide investments in cloud platforms, automation and machine learning to secure and maintain a decisive digital advantage.
“We are setting steadfastly high standards for our entire logistics enterprise because we understand that behind every uniform, every meal, and every construction and medical requirement is a supply chain that must not fail,” Kelly said.