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News | Nov. 23, 2021

Resource Management Directorate has global impact for DLA Disposition Services

By Jeff Landenberger

A view from the air of the coast of Guam
Guam was the site for a two week Contingency Overseas Readiness Exercise. The exercise gave the participants as close to a real world experience as possible.The Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Resource Management Directorate helped plan and execute the operation.
A view from the air of the coast of Guam
Guam
Guam was the site for a two week Contingency Overseas Readiness Exercise. The exercise gave the participants as close to a real world experience as possible.The Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Resource Management Directorate helped plan and execute the operation.
Photo By: Jeff Landenberger
VIRIN: 210613-D-YU183-007
The Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Resource Management Directorate took on a lot this past year, including notable efforts like headquarters realignment, the navigation and application of COVID-19 restrictions and a leadership change installing Christopher Judd as the new director.

Through it all, People and Culture Division Chief Nina Ekblad said it was a productive year with lots of accomplishments that could be highlighted from across the directorate.

A few wins that stood out were the development of a Rigging and Signaling course that welcomed its first iteration of students, a three-day virtual summit held for the command’s 24 newly named equipment specialist billet holders, and the successful execution of a Contingency Operations Readiness Exercise that included dozens of uniformed and civilians training at field locations more than 7,400 miles apart.

A man in safety vest and hard hat works with a heavy cable and hook as part of a rigging system.
Brian Davidson of the Expeditionary Site Support Team in Battle Creek, Michigan puts his knowledge of rigging to work when he and other members of DLA Disposition Services were called upon to assist a local Marine command move sections of Improved Ribbon Bridge. Davidson is one of the instructors in DLA Disposition Services Rigging and Signaling course which was new in 2021.
A man in safety vest and hard hat works with a heavy cable and hook as part of a rigging system.
Rigging
Brian Davidson of the Expeditionary Site Support Team in Battle Creek, Michigan puts his knowledge of rigging to work when he and other members of DLA Disposition Services were called upon to assist a local Marine command move sections of Improved Ribbon Bridge. Davidson is one of the instructors in DLA Disposition Services Rigging and Signaling course which was new in 2021.
Photo By: Jeff Landenberger
VIRIN: 210524-D-YU183-094
“The Rigging and Signaling course was developed to give our operators the tools they need to operate more efficiently and – more importantly – safely,” said Brian Davidson of the Expeditionary Site Support Team in Battle Creek. “The intent is that when a truck rolls through the gate, we will unload it the right way rather than just getting it done.”

 He said the initial feedback from the first students was positive. The course will be offered again later in fiscal 2022, with slots for up to 12 students.

The command created a new career series – 1670 Equipment Specialist – and 24 new positions were created to serve as its material handling equipment subject matter experts at locations around the globe. To get the new equipment specialists on the same page regarding their responsibilities, a three-day summit was held as a virtual event in mid-October.

In his remarks to summit attendees, DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon said that he will be relying on the equipment specialists to help ensure safe operation of all the material handling equipment and the maintenance and training on these critical pieces of equipment.

A man in safety vest and hard hat works with a heavy cable and hook as part of a rigging system.
An Xtreme Tele Handler unloads excess property during the COREX operation in Guam. This year DLA Disposition Services created a new career series – 1670 Equipment Specialist to be the subject matter experts for all material handling equipment including the Xtreme Tele Handler. DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon said that he will be relying on the equipment specialists to help ensure safe operation of all the MHEs.
A man in safety vest and hard hat works with a heavy cable and hook as part of a rigging system.
Xtreme Tele Handler
An Xtreme Tele Handler unloads excess property during the COREX operation in Guam. This year DLA Disposition Services created a new career series – 1670 Equipment Specialist to be the subject matter experts for all material handling equipment including the Xtreme Tele Handler. DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon said that he will be relying on the equipment specialists to help ensure safe operation of all the MHEs.
Photo By: Jeff Landenberger
VIRIN: 210614-D-YU183-138
Under the guidance of Air Force Lt. Col. Harold Hobgood the Warfighter Support & Plans Division Chief for Resource Management his personnel played a critical role in the 2021 Contingency Operations Readiness Exercise, the organization’s annual field training exercise to assess mission essential tasks and test readiness of its expeditionary capabilities. COREX resumed after last year’s cancellation due to COVID. 

This year’s exercise expanded its focus to global capabilities by simultaneously planning and executing the exercise in two locations: Michigan’s Fort Custer and a Navy installation on the U.S. island territory of Guam.

“Mission success started from the Resource Management team preparing for this event several months prior, planning out every detail of the event, training the workforce on how to use equipment and set up the Expeditionary Site Set kit,” said Chris Milazzo, who served as Lead Expeditionary Training Mentor and part of the team that oversaw the planning and execution of COREX ‘21 in Guam.

A man operates a forklift inside a warehouse.
Rick Mann, an equipment specialist with DLA Disposition Services at Norfolk, Virginia took part in the three day virtual Equipment Specialist Summit.
A man operates a forklift inside a warehouse.
MHE
Rick Mann, an equipment specialist with DLA Disposition Services at Norfolk, Virginia took part in the three day virtual Equipment Specialist Summit.
Photo By: Curtesy photo
VIRIN: 211022-D-D0441-007
“DLA Disposition Services was able to successfully deploy our Expeditionary Workforce to Guam, consisting of military and civilian employees, in support of our COREX ‘21,” Milazzo said. “The mission was to erect a strategically located Expeditionary Site Set and be fully capable of receiving all types of property from customers within 96 hours.”