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HomeAbout DLANewsNews Article View

# DLA NewsWire

                Fort Belvoir, Virginia  –              
**Reservists help DLA Expand Exercise-planning Capabilities**

Training exercises are vital for the Defense Logistics Agency to maintain readiness for supporting military operations, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. The DLA Logistics Operations directorate and Joint Logistics Operations Center have planned the agency’s participation in joint and national level exercises for years.But in 2015, as the operations team members compiled their multi-year exercise plan and drafted the annual training and exercise guidance, they realized they could use help, said Jay Schaeufele, exercise and readiness team chief.“Our dilemma was that when we added in all the planning events that required DLA participation to successfully integrate with the combatant commands, we realized we didn’t have the manpower to prepare for and cover the events,” Schaeufele said. “Just covering the highest priority [combatant command] Tier 1 exercises was a challenge.”   Schaeufele built on his close relationship with DLA’s Joint Reserve Force office and together they agreed there was an opportunity for the JRF’s reservists to be integrated into exercise planning. 

*— Dianne Ryder, DLA HeadquartersRead the full story*

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**DLA Distribution Susquehanna Parachute Rigger Team Conducts Military Freefall**

                180130-D-YE683-002                            Staff Sgt. Steven Lunn approaches the drop zone during his military free fall qualification jump over Paddy’s Field in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Diana DawaVIRIN: 180130-D-YE683-002On a cold and blustery late November day, Parachute Rigger team members from the DLA Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, gathered to prepare for a military freefall qualification jump over Paddy’s field in the township of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.  The unit worked with a flight crew from the Rotary Wing Aviation from Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, to jump from the CH47 Chinook aircraft, where they are able to complete one freefall jump.  In addition to performing the jump, the riggers also executed jumpmaster duties on the ground at the drop zone.While static line jumps are the common jump a parachutist would conduct in a combat situation, where large numbers of warfighters jump together from an aircraft, on this day, the riggers performed a freefall jump.  Freefall jumps do not involve a static line – instead, warfighters would jump and deploy their own parachute.  Sgt. 1st Class Terrence Harris is the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the Aerial Delivery Textile Support Active duty unit.   He conducts the administrative duties of the section and assists in the distribution of aerial delivery items to the warfighter. What Harris likes about working at DDSP is the opportunity working there provides.  

*— Diana Dawa, DLA DistributionRead the full story*

 

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**DLA expands Middle East Vendor Pool with Workshop for Omani Businesses**

Buying goods and services close to customers’ locations allows the Defense Logistics Agency to respond faster to warfighter needs while saving money on transportation and storage. The agency already uses local procurement to provide items such as fresh fruits and vegetables to troops in regions like Europe and Africa, and it’s working now to expand local procurement in the Middle East by focusing on vendors in Oman.To help potential vendors there learn how to do business with the U.S. government, DLA partnered with U.S. Central Command and U.S. State Department officials in December to host a workshop for about 50 vendors in the Oman port city of Salalah. Oman is on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.Although DLA already has contracts there for warehousing services, fuel and food mainly in support of Navy ships, the agency wants to expand its vendor pool so it can continue to support strategic goals of USCENTCOM, said Mike Heidbreder, DLA liaison officer with the U.S. Embassy in Muscat.“U.S. defense contracting is relatively new in Oman, and the process for registering online and finding solicitations for new business deals can be a bit daunting to new vendors. The workshop provided Omani vendors with the knowledge they need to do business with us,” he added. 

*— Beth Reece, DLA HeadquartersRead the full story*

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**Aviation Employee, Puerto Rico Native Volunteers with FEMA for Hurricane Relief Support**

                180130-D-YE683-003                            Defense Logistics Agency Aviation employee Alberto Solano Rodriquez began his deployment Oct. 8, 2017, when he volunteered to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency supporting communities effected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma this past fall. He joined several hundred others from different government agencies, for a week-long training session at the FEMA training center in Anniston, Alabama, before being assigned to a FEMA Call Center in Carlson City, Nevada.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Courtesy PhotoVIRIN: 180130-D-YE683-003Up until 1990 when he enlisted in the Army, Alberto Solano Rodriquez had lived his whole life in Puerto Rico and experienced firsthand the damage caused by hurricanes throughout the years. When Defense Logistics Agency Aviation’s Deputy Chief of Staff Kathie Rowland put out a call that the Department of Homeland Security was seeking federal civilian employees to volunteer to support communities affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma this past fall, Solano Rodriquez, a material planner with DLA Aviation’s Planning Process Directorate, was one of the first to raise his hand.   Though Solano Rodriquez had a combined 10 years Army active and reserve duty before joining the DLA civilian workforce nine years ago, this was his first deployment.“Helping people is my passion,” he said. “I still have family in Puerto Rico, some still to this day without electricity.  When I heard there was a need for volunteers, I wanted to help.”Solano Rodriquez said getting supervisory approval and filling out the application was only the first of several steps before he was placed in a position to help others.His journey began Oct. 8, 2017, when he joined several hundred others from different government agencies, for a week-long training session at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s training center in Anniston, Alabama.“I’ve made friends with many people from all over the nation – it’s been quite eye opening,” he said. “It’s amazing to see such an awesome group of people come together for a common cause to assist FEMA in this unprecedented series of disasters.”When training was finished, Solano Rodriquez said the group fanned out to different locations based on need.  Some were reassigned on the ground in either Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.  Others, like himself, were assigned to FEMA call centers in Denton, Texas, or Carlson City, Nevada.  

*— Cathy Hopkins, DLA AviationRead the full story*

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LoglinesNewswireLoglines 2018 March