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News | May 7, 2019

Defense Logistics Agency at Robins Air Force Base: Director of Distribution shares insight

By Kristin Moriarty, Houston Home Journal (Weekend Edition)

“We want to tell our story because we want our story to get out there, but we also have to remember that DLA (Defense Logistics Agency) is to provide support the warfighter. So we are providing that support to the war fighters so they can do what they need to do, which is win the war, win conflict, do whatever it is they need to do to accomplish the mission and that’s our job,” Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Distribution Warner Robins, Ga. Director Kent Wheeler.
 
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Distribution Warner Robins, Ga., is one of four strategic distribution platforms under DLA Distribution and distributes supplies to all branches of the military at locations all around the world. More than half the work completed at the distribution center is in support of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center.
 
Director Kent Wheeler shares insight about the DLA Distribution Warner Robins, Ga. The organization's $11 billion inventory includes parts and equipment for F-15, C-130, C-5 and C-17 aircraft, target acquisition systems, and most airborne electronic warfare systems. 
 
“The DLA as a whole works for the Office of Secretary of Defense,” Wheeler said. “The primary role for all is to provide combat support to all branches of the military. And DLA offers many services such as document services, equipment disposition, materials, fuel, etc. Here at Robins Air Force Base we have DLA Distribution, DLA Aviation, DLA Disposition, DLA Document Services and we have DLA Energy facilities, but no DLA Energy employees based here.”
 
DLA Distribution came to Robins Air Force Base in 1992, and today employs 482. Wheeler said on average they bring in about 1,200 to 1,400 items a day, which equates to 80% of trucks coming through the gates of the base. Then Wheeler said the distribution center issues about 2,000 items a day. 
 
“Those materials can be anything from nuts and bolts to C-5 ramp doors,” Wheeler said. “And 50% of our work stays here on base supporting the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (ALC), and other customers on base and in the area as well. Having a DLA Distribution center here at Robins Air Force Base is a huge a benefit, especially for the ALC. We have a really good partnership with them, and we have a really good partnership with all of the different DLA partners here at Robins.  Even though we all have different bosses we work together as a team.”
 
In 2011, DLA Distribution Warner Robins, Ga., opened its state-of-the-art Consolidation, Containerization Point (CCP) processing operations. Wheeler said the CCP is only in operation during times of conflict to ship materials to different troops overseas. He said even though it’s not active at the moment, they are ready to go at any time.
Wheeler became director of DLA Distribution Warner Robins, Ga., in March 2015. Wheeler is a retired United States Marine Corps major. He is a 1990 graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University, and was commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. In 2005, Wheeler, was assigned as the commander of DLA Distribution Albany, Ga.
 
Since his retirement in 2010, Wheeler has been working as a program lead and business developer for corporate companies. In 2014, he returned back to DLA and was assigned as the DLA liaison officer and planner to Special Operations Command Central.