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# DLA interns learn about agency, provide input during visit

By Nancy Benecki

                FORT BELVOIR, Va.  –              
Interns from across the Defense Logistics Agency had a chance to visit the agency’s headquarters and get an in-depth overview of the enterprise Aug. 29.

Seventeen participants in DLA’s Pathways to Career Excellence program from DLA Aviation and DLA Energy plus one Workforce Recruitment Program hire from DLA Distribution learned about the agency and DLA Acquisition directorate. The group toured the Agency Synchronization and Operations Center, met with DLA General Counsel and the Office of Small Business Programs, and concluded the day with a DLA Energy overview.

DLA Acquisition Director Matthew Beebe said he hoped the interns learned about what’s going on across the enterprise and at each major subordinate command.                 Defense Logistics Agency Acquisition Director Mathew Beebe discusses the agency with interns from across the enterprise during a visit to its headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Virginia on Aug. 29, 2023. (Photo by Chris Lynch)                            DLA interns learn about agency, provide input during visit                            Defense Logistics Agency Acquisition Director Mathew Beebe discusses the agency with interns from across the enterprise during a visit to its headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Virginia on Aug. 29, 2023. (Photo by Chris Lynch)            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Christopher LynchVIRIN: 230829-D-HE260-1020

“The fact that we’re getting this cross communication and awareness of the enterprise is hugely important,” Beebe said. He encouraged that collaboration and communication to extend beyond the visit.

Other goals for the visit were to educate the interns about higher headquarters operations and listen to their ideas about process improvements, said Natarsha Goode, division chief for DLA Aviation’s Procurement Process Support Directorate Training Division in Richmond, Virginia.

The interns said they were thankful for the chance to meet with DLA leadership and contribute to possible solutions.

“I am thrilled that Mr. Beebe took the time to provide for us the opportunity to present pain points within the systems that we use every day at work,” said Allexas Kirchgessner, an intern contract specialist with DLA Distribution in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, and a direct hire from DLA’s Workforce Recruitment Program. “He asked many questions in an effort to truly understand the issues and to discern how he and his teams can help, and it made each of us feel like we had a voice.”

Navy Capt. Kevin McNulty, the chief of staff for DLA Acquisition at headquarters, explained to the interns how that directorate works within the agency.

“Mostly, MSCs are supposed to run their own business, but what we hope to do is to facilitate awareness across the organization and try to standardize processes. We recognize that not all supply chains are alike, and there’s nuances between the different supply chains,” he said. “We think there are opportunities, and what we try to do is highlight those opportunities where we can potentially institute some best practices or do some things different.”

For example, he said, one MSC may come up with a solution just for that organization, but other MSCs may have the same issue.

“We’re able to get that information and then drive towards a more enterprise-type solution,” McNulty said.

The visit brought to life the importance of the work interns do daily, added Karl Bryan Jr., an intern acquisition specialist with DLA Aviation’s Supplier Operations Original Equipment Manufacturer Directorate in Richmond, Virginia.

“I now understand more about how we, as PaCERs, are important to the mission. I see how important my role is, especially when it comes to critical items. It’s one thing to be told how important your role is. It’s another to see it person,” he said.

For Breana Wilson, an intern contract specialist with DLA Energy who works at headquarters, the event was the first chance she had to visit the building’s law library.

“The visit was a great opportunity to meet other PaCERs in person and make connections across different MSCs,” she added.                Byron Phillips, a participant in the Defense Logistics Agency’s Pathways to Career Excellence program at DLA Energy, and Allexas Kirchgessner, a contract specialist with DLA Distribution and a direct hire from DLA’s Workforce Recruitment Program, meet with other interns during a visit to DLA’s headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Virginia on Aug. 29, 2023. (Photo by Chris Lynch)                            DLA interns learn about agency, provide input during visit                            Byron Phillips, a participant in the Defense Logistics Agency’s Pathways to Career Excellence program at DLA Energy, and Allexas Kirchgessner, a contract specialist with DLA Distribution and a direct hire from DLA’s Workforce Recruitment Program, meet with other interns during a visit to DLA’s headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Virginia on Aug. 29, 2023. (Photo by Chris Lynch)            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Christopher LynchVIRIN: 230829-D-HE260-1007

The idea for the visit was sparked after Beebe hosted a focus group in April at DLA Aviation, where an intern questioned the speed of some DLA systems. Beebe asked if the employee would like to show him the issues in person and if anyone else in the group wanted to visit headquarters. A number of people expressed interest, which expanded the scope of the visit.

The DLA PaCE program entry-level employees for advancement in their careers at the agency. During the two-year program, interns learn about DLA through on-the-job assignments, cross training, rotational assignments and formal training.

*Leon Moore from DLA Aviation Public Affairs contributed to this report.*

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