# DLA Director talks Troop Support operations with leaders, hosts town hall for employees

/ Published Dec. 17, 2018
PHILADELPHIA, 
Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support senior leaders engaged in dialogue with DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Darrell K. Williams about the actions they are taking to support DLA’s Strategic Plan, after which Williams held a town hall, during his visit to Philadelphia Dec. 7.

Williams reviewed Troop Support’s Dynamic Operating Plan to understand how the organization’s fiscal 2019 plans connect to agency strategy. Williams also praised Troop Support’s accomplishments and later shared the praise with the workforce. 

“It’s clear that you are doing some very positive things at Troop Support,” Williams said. “My compliments to you.”

During the review, Williams noted some of Troop Support’s fiscal 2018 accomplishments, including accounting for 48 percent of DLA’s overall sales, leading the agency in a record-setting $14 billion in small business actions, and an “unheard of” 12-percent uptick in response to the agency’s climate and culture survey. 

Troop Support leaders then presented Williams and Troop Support Commander, Brig. Gen. Mark Simerly, specific areas of the DOP that most affect the mission or were of specific interest. 

Air Force Col. Adrian Crowley, Industrial Hardware director, described his supply chain’s contributions to DLA’s nuclear mission support through maintaining on-hand parts required for those weapon systems. 

Crowley said that the Director’s Dashboard application, which shows employees the direct impact of maintaining parts on-hand, helped improve military readiness improvement efforts. He said it allows the IH staff to prioritize efforts based on the dashboard-reports on readiness items and “the right things” right. 

Troop Support Acquisition Executive William Kenny discussed Troop Support’s plan to continue to offer reasonable cost recovery rates, or charges above the materiel cost based on labor fees associated with DLA’s business. 

“We have a culture of fiscal responsibility and cost consciousness...This is possible because of disciplined people, thoughts and actions,” Kenny said. 

Kenny also thinks the current investments made by the agency will lead CRR reduction efforts “in the right direction.”

The Troop Support leaders also shared plans for specific commodities, increasing materiel availability, reducing backorders, industry engagement strategies and workload management. 

Simerly also introduced his Troop Support Campaign of Learning as an action within the operating plan intended to support “disciplined, deliberate approach strategies” for issues such as those discussed at the review, as well as the future of sustainment. 

Speaking to some of Troop Support’s other challenges and successes, Williams touched on the campaign’s intent regarding his continued effort to take DLA to “the next level.”

“We’re going to have to support the Warfighter,” Williams said, “but we’re going to have to do it in the smartest way possible.”

Following his discussion with Troop Support leadership, Williams hosted a town hall event for Troop Support employees. He started by presenting the “Ya Done Good” award to the following employees for their accomplishments during fiscal 2018:
      -  Cynthia Cahill, Procurement 
      -  Joanmarie Grace, Medical 
      -  Dorothy O’Connell, J3/5 
      -  Joseph Szwec, Clothing & Textiles 
      -  Adam Tutolo, Construction & Equipment 
      -  Anne Ulshafer, Clothing & Textiles 
      -  Gina Vasquez, Subsistence 
      -  Rebecca Gormley, IH (accepting for a group award) 
      -  Lauren Siciliano, Office of Counsel (accepting for a group award) 

The director then debuted a video presentation expressing thanks to Troop Support through interviews and testimonials from service members and whole of government customers.

“What I wanted you to know is what customers out there are saying about you each and every day,” Williams said. “I hope the people that are [in the audience today] saw yourselves in the video. Because this video was for, and about, the great work that you do for our nation every day.”

He reviewed Troop Support’s achievements in fiscal 2018 and thanked the employees for making them happen. He also complimented the employees on the positive culture and climate as represented in the 2018 survey results and shared the findings of an agency telework study resulting in “no immediate changes.”

Williams then relayed the agency’s priorities leading into 2019: continued warfighter support, audit support and defense reform. 

“On the business aspect of what we do, we’re going to have to look even harder at our internal business processes and to become even more efficient,” Williams said. “Some of that will likely touch Troop Support, as it is touching the rest of the agency.”
 In closing, the director thanked the workforce and wished all employees a happy holiday season.