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News | May 30, 2018

Training for quality purposes

By Elizabeth Stoeckmann DLA Energy Public Affairs

More than 20 Defense Logistics Agency Energy Americas quality assurance representatives met for a two-week training workshop in Houston, Texas, April 23 through May 4.

The formalized event included QARs from DLA Energy Americas at Houston, Texas and DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro, California regional offices and outside organizations to advocate the value of combining formalized training with the ability to interact with peers and other key organizations, said event host coordinators.

“This workshop not only provides a valuable formal training opportunity, it gives our geographically separated workforce a chance to interact with peers and discuss issues and problems that otherwise would be localized,” said Wayne Holland, DLA Energy Americas at Houston QAR.

The collaborative training event focused on confined space safety, records management, and union news updates to the Americas QAR workforce.

“The workshop training is beneficial on many levels,” said Jaron Tyner, DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro QAR. “It provides refresher training on confined space training which can have a critical impact on safety if we do not follow entry procedures especially since maritime confined space entry is statistically one of the deadliest jobs in the industry.”

He added that another benefit of the workshop is the ability to meet his peers face to face. Because QARs routinely conduct business over the phone, putting a face with a name to share perspectives and discuss issues in the field was beneficial, he said.

“The most valuable part is the ‘cross talk’ between colleagues from different parts of the country,” Moore said. “Most of us only see each other every other year. The workshop provides an invaluable learning experience.” 

Will Moore, DLA Energy Americas at Houston QAR, agreed.

“Our bi-annual workshop is more than just mandatory training,” he said. “For most of us, it’s an opportunity to finally see our supervisor in person.”

The Service Control Points; the Army Petroleum Center, Naval Petroleum Office, Air Force Petroleum Office and several headquarters DLA Energy business units provided informative briefings on topics such as quality policy/guidance, upcoming initiatives, Enterprise Business System and Wide Area Workflow use, supply chain accounting and audit sustainment.

“The Army Petroleum Center has been participating in DLA Energy Americas quality workshop for several years,” said Charles Shipp, Army Petroleum Center chief of operations.

It allows APC to provide an update on Army efforts because the QAR’s see Army customers frequently, he said. It also allows APC to get direct feedback from the QAR’s on what they are seeing at Army sites.

“This has proven to be one of the more valuable routine engagements we have, and I appreciate the opportunity to participate,” Shipp said.

“This informal, intangible training is worth its weight in gold ... my only desire is that we had the budget to do it annually,” Holland added.