# DLA Director: New Agency Synchronization Operations Center now DLA’s ‘nerve center’ 

/ Published Nov. 7, 2019
FORT BELVOIR, Virginia, 
The Defense Logistics Agency’s new Agency Synchronization Operations Center fuses mission readiness and business operations to better operationalize and integrate the agency’s support to warfighters and federal partners, the director said during the facility’s ribbon cutting ceremony at the McNamara Headquarters Complex Nov. 6.

“This is about that young soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, Coast Guardsman and civilian who’s somewhere out there in harm’s way at the tip of the spear and those right here in our industrial locations,” said Army Lt. Gen. Darrell Williams. “It’s about synchronizing our activities to provide the best possible support.” 

The ASOC, which replaces the Joint Logistics Operations Center, integrates DLA’s operational and business support functions. It is expected to give agency leaders and mission partners a standard view of the agency’s priorities. 

The 24/7 center brings together commodity experts from DLA’s major subordinate commands and joint staff directorates at DLA Headquarters, including national account managers for each of the services, a Whole of Government representative and liaisons to agency partners like the U.S. Transportation Command. The team will use predictive analytic tools and enterprisewide collaboration to develop commodity support plans that incorporate DLA’s worldwide assets as well as business functions such as procurement and financial management.

Williams called the ASOC the “nerve center” of the agency and an extension of the DLA Readiness Dashboard, which collects real-time data to help measure the agency’s impact on military weapons systems. 

“Officially opening our ASOC is a milestone for this agency. We now have a capability we’ve never had before,” he said, adding that the ribbon cutting is the culmination of almost two years of work.

Before the war on terror, DLA formed crisis action and contingency support teams to respond to events as needed. In 2003, former DLA Director Navy Vice Admiral Keith Lippert created the Defense Logistics Operations Center with three divisions: plans, current operations and mission support. The DLOC became the JLOC under former DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Robert Dail in 2008, when the Plans Division doubled in size and became the Plans, Exercise and Readiness Division. 

Creation of the ASOC supports the DLA Strategic Plan and William’s fiscal 2020 focus on leading change by ensuring the agency reacts to everyday events while also predicting and planning support for future events and contingencies.

David Kless, DLA’s executive director of operations, thanked ASOC employees for the extra work and hours they commit to ensuring warfighters get timely, quality support.

“A lot of times we get thanked or we get all the recognition, but none of us could do what we do every day in the timeframes that we do it without you guys. You guys are the ones who make it look easy, who put in time without being asked because you know what’s right and what’s required,” he said. 

Williams credited retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Johnson, former DLA Logistics Operations director, and DLA Vice Director Mike Scott with helping him crystalize the vision of the ASOC and current DLA Logistics Operations Director Air Force Maj. Gen. Allan Day for driving the concept forward and making it a reality. The director also singled out the following employees for their work building the ASOC: 

•    Tamberly Averett, DLA Installation Management;•    Brenda Rigol, DLA Installation Management;•    Aqueel Karim, DLA Information Operations;•    Gregg Schrader, DLA Information Operations;•    Adam Parsons, DLA Information Operations;•    Army Maj. Travis Peck, ASOC transformation co-lead;•    Marine Corps Maj. Greg Duesterhaus, ASOC transformation co-lead;•    Jai Mclane, DLA Logistics Operations; and•    Joseph Ahn, ASOC project manager.