An official website of the United States government         Here's how you know         
**Official websites use .mil**
A **.mil** website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
**Secure .mil websites use HTTPS**
 A **lock (lock )** or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to main content (Press Enter).

Defense Logistics AgencyThe Nation's Combat Logistics Support Agency

Search
Search

Search

-  Home		 
-  What DLA Offers    -  Excess Property Disposal             
  -  Document Services             
  -  Products             
  -  Services             
  -  Programs 
-  Working With DLA    -  Applications             
  -  Small Business             
  -  Federal and International Cataloging             
  -  Defense Data Standards             
  -  Events             
  -  Procurement Policies             
  -  Government Programs             
  -  Forms 
-  Organizations    -  DLA Headquarters             
  -  DLA Aviation             
  -  DLA Disposition Services             
  -  DLA Distribution             
  -  DLA Energy             
  -  DLA Land and Maritime             
  -  DLA Troop Support             
  -  DLA CENTCOM & SOCOM             
  -  DLA Europe & Africa             
  -  DLA Indo-Pacific 
-  Customer Support    -  Self Help Tools             
  -  How to Order             
  -  Find Your Order             
  -  Customer Facing Offices             
  -  Training             
  -  Brochures             
  -  Warfighter Support             
  -  Customer Service Management 
-  Careers		 
-  About DLA    -  Contact Us             
  -  Locations             
  -  Leaders             
  -  News             
  -  History             
  -  Media Gallery             
  -  DLA Campaigns 

HomeAbout DLANewsNews Article View

PHOTO INFORMATION

** Download

** Details

** Share

PHOTO INFORMATION

** Download

** Details

** Share

# DLA, DTRA offers excess protective suits for COVID-19 with help from Marine Corps

By Tim Hoyle  DLA Disposition Services

                ALBANY, Georgia  –              
More than 40,000 protective suits earmarked for military response to chemical and biological hazards have been redirected to protect those battling COVID-19 after joint efforts by the Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Marine Corps Logistics Command.

Franklin Garrett, DTRA’s component property lead, said talks between his agency and DLA Disposition Services identified 41,380 Tyvek suits that could be redirected to fight the pandemic. Of those suits, 41,200 were stored at the MARCORLOGCOM Supply Chain Management Center in Albany, Georgia, while the rest were at a warehouse in Virginia.

“I personally reached out to coordinate with Robert Wilson at MARCORLOGCOM to determine a course of action for shipment to DLA,” Garrett said. “I then contacted Kelly Clabbers at DLA to discuss the transfer.”

Wilson, director for the Joint Enterprise Fielding and Surveillance Division at MARCORLOGCOM’s Supply Chain Management Center, described the suits as personal protective equipment created for chemical or biological hazards that can also be used for other missions. The equipment is usually provided to agencies requesting it for training or combat missions. 

“In fact, supporting missions such as the COVID response is one of the reasons our organization exists,” he said. 

The JEFS staff works with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Defense and DLA Disposition Services to oversee the disposal and reuse of chemical, biological and radiological equipment when units turn it in as excess property. Wilson’s team uses its expertise for “a robust inspection process” to identify and preserve serviceable items, which are added to JEFS inventory and maintained for use by organizations such as DTRA.

“These suits followed this process and were maintained in our inventory as contingency stock for requiring agencies,” Wilson said.

Greg Mayo, a special missions supervisor for DLA Distribution at Albany, shared his pride in the work DLA personnel contributed to make the suits available.

“This movement of essential gear shows a total team effort between DLA Distribution and DLA Disposition Services at Albany,” Mayo said. “DLA Albany is appreciative that we can provide support to this international crisis.”

Mayo and his teammates loaded the suits onto the truck for transport to DLA Distribution as DLA Disposition Services’ Kelly Clabbers, located at Fort Benning, Georgia, prepared paperwork to receive the suits and request their shipment. Clabbers started the process April 2 after hearing from Garrett that DTRA had protective equipment available.

“It was a complicated process at first to find the points of contact for the assets, but once we all made contact the process moved smoothly,” Clabbers said. “The steps needed were quite involved, but well worth it knowing that we were helping to fight against the widespread pandemic. Everyone involved was a pleasure to work with.”

Wilson added that his organization prides itself on continuously being ready to support the nation’s needs in protecting against hazards such as the COVID virus. He believes the latest effort validates the work he and his colleagues do on a daily basis. 

The suits were staged at DLA Distribution at Albany for further shipment to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which assumed shipment to the final destinations.

**                    SHARE                

**                    PRINT                

DLA DSCOVID-19COVID19coronavirusCrisis Response DS