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News | Jan. 26, 2018

Joint Petroleum Seminar emphasizes collaboration, planning

By Connie Braesch DLA Energy Public Affairs

Defense Logistics Agency Energy hosted the 17th annual Joint Petroleum Seminar at the McNamara Headquarters Complex at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Jan. 22-23.

The Kabeiseman Conference Room was packed with more than 100 representatives from around the world and across the military petroleum community including DLA Energy regional commands, combatant commands and service components. Participants received high-level briefings, engaged in logistical discussions and challenged current business practices to expand their knowledge in the joint petroleum arena.

“What do we do to make ourselves better?” asked Director of DLA Energy Customer Operations Air Force Col. John Martin. “We take opportunities like this to build our relationships through the process, knowledge shared and networking.”

During the seminar, participants discussed computer-based technology used to help calculate bulk fuel requirements, inventory management planning, a global petroleum distribution plan, expeditionary solutions to fuel storage and capacity as well as received briefings from the service control points.

“Petroleum, more than any other supply chain, is a team sport,” said U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Regional Fuel Director Kevin Henderson. “The opportunity to get so many practitioners into one room promotes discussion, knowledge transfer, and problem solving across the spectrum of Class III logistics that simply can't be achieved otherwise.”

DLA Energy Americas Commander Army Col. Craig Simonsgaard led a discussion about Task Force America’s recent disaster support following one of the nation’s most challenging hurricane seasons. He said Americas regular participation in joint exercises testing the supply chain and its strong recordkeeping and accountability of the fuel were a big part of their success.

“We were successful at those things we trained on over the previous two and half years,” he said. “We are aggressively incorporating lessons learned into the training plan for Americas – and across the DLA Energy enterprise – so that the next time this happens we can provide better support to our interagency partners and to tactical military units.”

Henderson said the seminar helped him realize the tremendous team of joint logisticians across the services and at DLA Energy who are working to solve problems and improve the petroleum supply chain. 

“The Joint Petroleum Seminar offers a valuable opportunity for a unique group of people who deal with fuel on a routine basis,” said DLA Energy Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. Martin Chapin. “It is a unique community and we work really, really well together.”