# DLA Energy Americas at Houston change of command

/ Published June 8, 2021
HOUSTON, Texas, 
The Defense Logistics Agency Energy Americas at Houston outgoing Commander Army Lt. Col. Julian Perez handed over responsibility of the organization to Army Lt. Col. Christopher Masson during a change of command ceremony in Houston, Texas, June 3.

DLA Energy Americas Commander Army Col. Raphael Heflin officiated the ceremony. Heflin thanked Perez for his role as the DLA Energy Americas at Houston commander.

“Intelligent, calm, resourceful, articulate, hard-working, are just a few words that describe this exceptional officer, leader, husband, and father,” Heflin said in his remarks during the traditional military ceremony. 

Upon taking command in 2019, Perez led the Americas at Houston team through complex logistical challenges including the oversight of $2.6 billion of bulk product conducts for procurement of 1.2 billion gallons of fuel annually. His team was directly responsible for completing over 47,000 bulk fuel inspections, 141 Into-Plane site audits, and more than 150 secure fuel missions for the President of the United States. 

Heflin explained how the DLA Energy Americas at Houston team, under Perez’s leadership, mobilized within 24 hours to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency respond to Hurricanes Dorian, Laura, and Delta, and the Texas Winter Storm, enabling life-saving support to those in need. 

“Perez’s team tracked 51 named tropical storms and produced a common operating picture for 15 of these storms, with last year being the most active on record,” Heflin said.

During the ceremony, Perez was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. His next assignment will be a student at the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, formerly the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, at Fort McNair, Virginia.  

“It’s been an honor and privilege to have an opportunity to be a Regional Energy Commander,” Perez said. “Each of you have been a significant teammate during my time in command one way or another.”

Masson reported from the Army’s only active-duty Transportation Expeditionary Brigade at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, where he was the support operations officer, future operations officer and the brigade’s port opening synchronization cell officer in charge. He played an integral part in planning a joint logistics over-the-shore mission in Albania as part of the Defender 2021 Major Exercise in Europe.

“As the incoming commander, Lt. Col. Christopher Masson comes with a wealth of knowledge and leadership experience that will make him an excellent fit to maintain the proven support that the Americas East Team is known to provide,” Heflin said.

“It’s my privilege to go far with the phenomenal ‘Team of Teams’ that Lt. Col. Julian Perez has led and cared for over the past two years,” Masson said. “As commanders, we care for our people, we resource our organization, we build and maintain an ethical command climate, we assume risk, and we serve others before ourselves.”

DLA Energy Americas is divided into three offices: DLA Energy Americas East at Houston, Texas; DLA Energy Americas West at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, California; and DLA Energy Americas North in Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. DLA Energy Americas also partners with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and contingency contractors for bulk petroleum support for natural or man-made disasters occurring in the U.S in support of Defense Support of Civil Authorities.