Fort Belvoir, Virginia –
Defense Logistics Agency Director Air Force Lt. Gen. Andy
Busch stressed the importance of resiliency and cited employees’ achievements
toward goals outlined in the agency’s 2015-2022
Strategic Plan in a Town Hall at the McNamara Headquarters Complex Nov. 2.
“There are five steps forward every day; there might be one
step back, but we’re making progress, and we are getting great feedback,” Busch
said.
The director highlighted the agency’s effort to improve
support to the nuclear enterprise. Progress has already been made with fleet
ballistic-missile submarines, nuclear reactors and Trident submarines, but more
focus is needed on systems such as the F15-E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting
Falcon, he said.
The agency has also made significant progress in
performance-based logistics, a key part of Better
Buying Power 3.0. However, Busch said he would like to see PBLs expand
beyond depot maintenance and supply-chain parameters to include operational
outcomes. That effort would require stronger partnerships with the service’s
program managers.
Busch then spoke about workforce resiliency, saying it’s
important that DLA be a positive workplace, with a culture that treats
employees as valued team members and promotes work-life balance. Results of
previous culture surveys revealed the need for improvements in morale across
the DLA workforce, although the agency offers programs and privileges intended
to improve the work environment and help employees be successful.
“This agency has made a significant investment in programs
that can help you become resilient. I do become concerned when I see some of
the great programs that are a little under-subscribed,” he said, encouraging
employees to make good use of telework and the fitness program.
Busch also praised employees for making the agency
audit-ready two years earlier than required by the Defense Department.
“I congratulate all of you who were involved in that,” he
said.
Contributions and sacrifices of DLA employees were also
highlighted. Busch praised the work of DLA’s approximately 600 military
reservists, including those who helped work through a backlog of hazardous
materials needing disposal and others who are assisting with expeditionary
training.
The director also heralded the contributions of DLA civilian
employees, noting that they make up the bulk of the agency’s workforce. He
singled out two employees who lost their lives in service to duty: Steve Byus
was a DLA Land and Maritime employee serving a second deployment in Afghanistan
when he was killed on duty in September 2014. He has since been inducted into
the DLA Hall of Fame, and the DLA Land and Maritime Community Center in
Columbus, Ohio, will be named after Byus.
Krissie Davis was also on her second deployment when she was
killed by indirect fire in Afghanistan in June 2015. Busch recounted meeting
with her family in Dover, Delaware.
“They talked about how much she enjoyed doing what she did
and what it was doing for the warfighters. It was reassuring for me as the
director, and it should be reassuring for all of you to hear as well,” he said.
Robert DeLong of DLA Disposition Services was in the vehicle
with Davis but survived. He refused an offer to end his deployment to return
home early.
“I see across the agency the same commitment Robert DeLong
shows,” the director added.
Busch concluded the town hall by answering questions on topics
ranging from E-Procurement outages to DLA’s eventual migration to cloud-based
computing.