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# From material handler to DLA Distribution Jacksonville director: A spotlight on Brian Burkholder’s career

By Brianne M. BenderDLA Distribution Public Affairs

                JACKSONVILLE, Florida  –              

Aformer distribution center commander once told him “Your success was related tothree things that are hard to find in one person: being smart, common sense, andknowing how to deal with people,” said Brian Burkholder, Defense LogisticsAgency Distribution Jacksonville, Fla., director.  He has carriedthose words with him over the years, referring back to them, ensuring he workedwell with his supervisors, peers and subordinates. 

Burkholder was born inPennsylvania, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1986, where he spent six years asa field artillery surveyor.  He served overseas with the 3/32 FieldArtillery Battalion in Germany. Upon completion of his tour he served withHeadquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1/77 Field Artillery, Fort Knox, Kn.,then returned overseas to serve with the 1st Battalion27th Field Artillery Battalion, deploying as a survey chief toOperations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

After completion of hisArmy enlistment, Burkholder worked his way from warehouseman and driver todistribution operations specialist/manager for a leading beveragewholesaler.  He served in this capacity until he was selected as amaterial handler with DLA Distribution Europe located in Germersheim, Germany,in January 2002.

He says working at thedistribution center was the highlight of his career.  “I wasafforded the opportunity to be part of the team that developed the center into aworld class distribution platform,” said Burkholder. “I enjoyed my beginnings asa material handler, picking and packing, to assisting the various commanders inleading the organization as the deputy commander with many rewarding andchallenging jobs in between.” 

He also served as IssueDivision chief, overseeing the storage, issue, packaging and shipping ofcustomer requisitions, and was DLA Distribution Europe’s operations officer fora little more than a year, where he was responsible for the overalleffectiveness of distribution center operations.  Selected as theorganization’s deputy commander in December 2008, he remained in this positionuntil his departure in May 2013.

“I feel very fortunatefor all of the experiences that employment with DLA has provided, especially theexperience to live and work overseas in Germany during an essential time in ourhistory supporting the Warfighter hands on,” said Burkholder. 

He also says heappreciated the opportunity for travel under DLA. Those opportunities includedtraveling to DLA’s distribution center in Sicily to assist with the selection ofsupervisors. He’s been to Iraq to develop the Multi-National Security TransitionCommand -Iraq plan to train the Iraqi Army in the art of supply and logistics atthe Taji National Depot, and was selected to represent DLA on the CENTCOM ledteam to negotiate the expansion of the Northern Distribution Network with theforeign ministries in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Additionally, Burkholder wasselected to travel to Rota, Spain, to assist with the storage and distributionplan of developing Rota as a DLA distribution site detachment.

“Along with travel,working for DLA provided me the opportunity to meet with and learn from many ofthe finest general/flag officers and senior leaders in the world,” saidBurkholder.

From DLA DistributionEurope, Burkholder became the director of the Eastern Supply Operations Centerwith the General Services Administration.  He then decided toreturn to his DLA roots and became the director of DLA DistributionJacksonville, Fla., on Aug. 27, 2014.

Throughout his career,ranging from enlisted military to private sector and finally settling in civilservice, Burkholder has had the opportunity to work and learn from many greatsupervisors.  He says he has been able to learn something from eachof them, which he has used to fine tune his leadership skills as an agency-levelleader.

His advice to all whofollow him and anyone just entering federal service, “Learn your job and learnit well. Focus on mastering the duties and the rest will come.”

Additionally,Burkholder recommends pursuing desirable jobs. “I believe some of my successcame from not applying for certain positions within reach just for a promotion,sometimes all money is not good money.”

Overall, Burkholderfeels the men and women of DLA are hardworking and caring people who take theirjobs very seriously. He is very excited to have the opportunity to return to DLAand lead the great Jacksonville team. 

“Working hard willprovide endless opportunities,” said Burkholder.

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