# Strategic Partnerships and Workforce Development

/ Published May 17, 2019
COLUMBUS, Ohio, 
Strong Partnerships is one of five lines of effort advanced by Defense Logistics Agency Director Lt. Gen. Darrell Williams, as a roadmap to ensure victory against trans-regional multi-domain threats, in an increasingly complex global environment.

                DLA Land and Maritime Associates take time for a group photograph in front of a Route Clearance Vehicle during a visit to the Letterkenny Army Depot April 24. Pictured from left are Mario Alonso, Kenneth Abrams, Aimee Beeman-Miller, Charles Odum, Marlene Drayton-Stevenson, Katy Chery, Jason Conkle, Nathan Reynolds and Peter Thompson.                            DLA Land and Maritime associates visit Letterkenny Army Depot                            DLA Land and Maritime Associates take time for a group photograph in front of a Route Clearance Vehicle during a visit to the Letterkenny Army Depot April 24. Pictured from left are Mario Alonso, Kenneth Abrams, Aimee Beeman-Miller, Charles Odum, Marlene Drayton-Stevenson, Katy Chery, Jason Conkle, Nathan Reynolds and Peter Thompson.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Courtesy PhotoVIRIN: 190424-D-D0441-100In keeping with this goal, DLA Land and Maritime in partnership with the Letterkenny Army Depot, a key integrator of the Army Depot Maintenance Enterprise, provided continuous learning training to select members of the Life Cycle Logistics workforce April 24. 

“Depot visits allow the customer to understand our challenges as well,” said Stephen Cuffy, customer account specialist, DLA Land and Maritime.  “It gives us an opportunity to express to the customer how DLA works and what challenges we face.  We were able to educate the customer on how their items flow through the system from cradle to the grave.”

DLA, as the primary source of weapon system sustainment for consumables, new Depot Level Repairables, and associated services is a critical component in Life Cycle Logistics management planning.

A component in the Depot Maintenance Enterprise, Letterkenny Army Depot, provides the resources, skills and capabilities to sustain the life cycle readiness of the warfighter’s weapon systems and equipment worldwide in a reliable and efficient manner.  

“Our mission is to help our warfighter,” said Katy Chery, customer account specialist, DLA Land and Maritime. “When we work together and participate in training that pertains to our job, we get an unsurpassable satisfaction toward what we do.  These type of trainings help enhance our knowledge and boost our motivation to keep standing in the gap for our warfighter and be the liaison that keep the mission going even further.”

                Ron O’Donnell (right), portfolio manager for the Route Clearance Vehicles and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, discusses the vital role of DLA Land and Maritime in Life Cycle Logistics management planning process with DLA Land and Maritime customer account specialists.                            DLA Land and Maritime associates discuss the importance of material and parts support to the production line                            Ron O’Donnell (right), portfolio manager for the Route Clearance Vehicles and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, discusses the vital role of DLA Land and Maritime in Life Cycle Logistics management planning process with DLA Land and Maritime customer account specialists.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Courtesy PhotoVIRIN: 190424-D-D0441-200Under the supervision of Kathleen Williams, chief Industrial Business Division, and facilitated by Ron O'Donnell, portfolio manager for the Route Clearance Vehicles and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles and Mike Heckman, Maintenance Analysis branch lead and 10 DLA associates participated in a training program that focused on the Industrial Support Activity’s role in Life Cycle Sustainment of Land Based Weapons.

The following topics were covered during the training session:
      - Understand the purpose of the Depot Maintenance Enterprise in Life Cycle Management of Land Based Weapon Systems.
      - Understand how Industrial Support Activities are funded and assigned work.
      - Identify the key players involved Industrial Maintenance.
      - Discuss the purpose Bills of Material in Industrial Planning.
      - Understand how the Industrial Support Activity determines routes.
      - Understand the difference between Industrial RESET and Industrial RECAP.
      - State the planning tools used by the Industrial Support Activity.
      - Describe the planning interface between the Industrial Support Activity and DLA.
      - Understand the importance of material and parts support to the production line.
      - Observe the induction of a weapons platform onto the production line.
      - Observe the impact of material or parts shortages on the production line.
      - Identify a Command Critical Information Requirement National Stock Number that touches the workload of each participant to illuminate the direct link between work accomplished at DLA Land and Maritime to the outcomes achieved by the Industrial Support Activity.

Participants from DLA comprised multiple jobs such as customer account specialists, material planners and product specialists. 

“The training experience at Letterkenny helped me better understand some of my customers concerns, such as not receiving a cable on time for the RG31 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles that added hours of man hours to disassembly and reassembly of the vehicle after the final assembly,” said Charles Odum, customer account specialist, DLA Land and Maritime. “The training opportunity provided me with an understanding of how important partnerships between DLA and our customers are to supporting the warfighter. It’s vital not only for our troops, but also for the skilled workforce that may be idled because of work stoppage due to lack of parts.”

                Ron O’Donnell (left), portfolio manager for the Route Clearance Vehicles and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, and Charles Odum, customer account specialist for DLA Land and Maritime, discuss the importance of maintaining materials and parts to prevent a potential shortage on the production line.                            DLA Land and Maritime associates discover the resources, skills and capabilities to sustain the life cycle readiness of the warfighter’s weapon systems                            Ron O’Donnell (left), portfolio manager for the Route Clearance Vehicles and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, and Charles Odum, customer account specialist for DLA Land and Maritime, discuss the importance of maintaining materials and parts to prevent a potential shortage on the production line.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Courtesy PhotoVIRIN: 190424-D-D0441-300The training was designed to offer a continuous learning opportunity for DLA associates and to strengthen the collaborative relationship between DLA and ISA in order to improve logistics support outcomes.

“This type of training effort contributes to the Strong Partnership Line of Effort outlined in the DLA Strategic Plan and delivers on facilitating meaningful discussion between DLA and ISA,” said Kenneth P. Abrams, customer operations division chief and subject matter expert for the Life Cycle Logistics community in DLA Land and Maritime.  “It’s also quite valuable to the DLA workforce in broadening logistics support knowledge and visually connecting their efforts to the production outcomes achieved by the ISA.” 

Life Cycle Logistics continuous learning events highlight the importance of a strong relationship between the DLA and ISA in delivering world class logistics support to the nation’s warfighter. 

“I think everyone should go on a trip like this.  It reminds you why we do what we do every day,” said Aimeee Beeman-Miller, customer account specialist DLA Land and Maritime.  “It makes the customer feel more personal and improve their understanding of what we do.”