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# DLA Troop Support facilitates DOD DNA identifications of the fallen

By Alison WelskiDLA Troop Support Public Affairs

                PHILADELPHIA  –              
Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support medical enables the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System’s Department of Defense DNA Operations to identify the fallen and provide closure for families of those listed as missing in action.

“Partnerships are integral to how we do our jobs,” said Dr. Timothy McMahon, the director of DOD DNA Operations for the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System. “DLA is consistently supportive to us here at AFMES.”

McMahon oversees all directly reported DNA findings to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, including DNA identification of service members missing from Southeast Asia, Cold War incidents, Korea and World War II. Supporting the DOD DNA Operations for the entire U.S. federal government, AFMES is located on Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, with a staff of approximately 275 civilian and military enlisted personnel.

He recalls a time DLA organized industry calls when a pipette shortage threatened to slow DNA identifications.

“DLA leadership pulled us into these calls with other clinical labs, they actually negotiated a conference,” he said. “I explained, we need these pipette tips on this date and at this time to just keep us functionally running with the supplies we need.”

McMahon explains that he was impressed by the utility of organized meetings to procure these items, but also how DLA made this all happen.

“Because of that agreement backed by DLA support, we never lost pace or ever shut down,” McMahon said. “We got to where we needed to be to help those families find closure.”

According to McMahon, the partnership with DLA helped AFMES put out almost 4000 analyses and supported 130 identifications.

He credits meeting his goal in the wake of an industry shortage to DLA, saying “we couldn't have done that without DLA.”

“DLA offers its Whole of Government partners the same precise, safe and reliable quality support provided to the warfighter every day and in every crisis,” said Medical Supply Chain Director, Army Col. Bruce Argueta. “This puts us in the unique position to leverage strong relationships—developed through tactical industry engagement—to seamlessly pivot in real time to ensure partners can fulfill their mission.”

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