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News | Oct. 19, 2015

French SEA officer visits DLA Energy headquarters

By Tanekwa Bournes DLA Energy Public Affairs

A visit from a French fuels officer to the Defense Logistics Agency Energy headquarters through the exchange officer program helped both organizations learn from each other at the McNamara Headquarters Complex Oct. 13-15.

French Maj. Paul Kaeser with Le Service des Essences des Armées met with various Energy leaders to exchange ideas on the SEA program, determine how DLA Energy interacts with the department and to learn more about DLA Energy’s business practices.

Le Service des Essences des Armées is the French Military Fuel service, and provides fuel support for the entire French Armed Forces, to include all fuel and lubricants as well as storage and delivery of the product.

During his briefing with DLA Finance Energy Deputy Director Richard Sninsky, Kaeser expressed interest in learning more about fuel exchange agreements, effectiveness of the Enterprise Business System for supply chain management and the Defense Working Capital Fund.

“The DWCF allows DLA access to a revolving fund established to finance operations for a certain time period through amounts received by the fund to pay for operations or purchase assets,” Sninsky said.

The following day, DLA Energy Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark McLeod and DLA Energy Deputy Commander George Atwood met with Kaeser to discuss his time at DLA Energy Europe & Africa and the similarities between SEA and DLA Energy.

“Similar to DLA, SEA is in the process of expanding its business and its customer base,” Kaeser said. “In the beginning, SEA only delivered fuel to military forces, now it is supplying fuel to the police department and assisting other security forces in France.”

In the past, DLA partnered with SEA in support of Ebola operations. SEA also assisted with Operation Sangaris in Central African Republic has along with maintaining liaison officers in the Middle East and South America, Kaeser explained.

“I think this exchange is great,” McLeod said. “We get to hear from someone within a similar organization to us about its challenges and learn how we may be able to either assist or share what we have learned over the years.”

Additionally, Kaeser met with Direct Delivery Fuels Director Dave Peterson to learn more about the directorate’s mission, the various products it purchases to support DLA Energy’s customers and its three purchase programs.

“Overall, I have enjoyed my trip and I’m glad that I was given the opportunity to come to DLA Energy headquarters to meet with key players and learn more about the whole organization,” Kaeser said.