# DLA director lauds agency success, sets future goals

/ Published Oct. 28, 2019
Fort Belvoir, Virginia, 
Defense Logistics Agency Director Army Lt. Gen. Darrell Williams recognized significant team and individual accomplishments during an Oct. 21 Global Town Hall. He reinforced that the agency’s people are the critical component to past mission success and to the increasingly important role the agency will play in future warfighter support.Williams began by thanking the workforce for the outstanding work they’ve done throughout the year.“I think it’s fair to say that the sun never sets on DLA,” he said. “When most folks think about DLA, they remember the DLA from 30 or 40 years ago — lots of warehouses and distribution centers. What they don’t realize is how much more dynamic our mission has become.”The general highlighted DLA’s accomplishments, starting with $42 billion in obligations over the past year. The figure is slightly lower than for the previous year.“That’s not because our demand was any less, it’s because in many ways we became more efficient in our operations. We have an even better and tightly-knit relationship with our customers, military services and federal agencies,” he said. “I think you all can feel that we were just as busy if not more in fiscal 2019 as we were in fiscal 2018.” The director also lauded the agency’s 90% material availability for weapon systems, and reductions in agencywide backorders, material acquisition costs and number of weapons systems down because of DLA parts. He led applause for DLA’s Small Business Office for their increasing engagement and investment in small businesses.There are 28% fewer non-mission capable systems than there were a year ago, Williams said.“Now the warfighter has more equipment to execute their missions. DLA is not holding those weapons systems down,” he said. “The long and short of it is, you are doing an outstanding job as an agency and as an enterprise in making that happen.”Williams recognized the achievements of two individuals and two groups, noting that while the entire workforce exceeds expectations on a continual basis, employees may not be aware of awards DLA has garnered from external sources. The general noted DLA won the Best Mid-Sized Component Secretary of Defense Disability Award for the eighteenth time.“Again, this is just a small group of recognitions, but we could go on all day talking about the great work that you and others across the agency are doing,” he said. “For every accomplishment that I talk about, there’s no single organization or individual that could have made these things happen. It takes an entire agency.”The director restated the DLA Strategic Plan’s five lines of effort have not changed, but innovation is a priority and people will always be the agency’s “secret sauce.” He said DLA’s focus may change from year to year, and introduced the Leading Change document which Williams said is the current year’s theme.“This year because of where I believe we are and what will be required to push this agency forward, you can’t sit on the sidelines. DLA has to lead change,” he said, adding that each employee should read the document which concentrates on warfighter and federal support, defense reforms, audit advancement, financial health of the agency, Enterprise Risk Management and innovation.The general asked the audience how many had heard about defense reforms.“You obviously know we have a new secretary of defense and he is taking a clean look at what the each of the military services and all of the defense agencies bring to support of our national defense strategy,” he said. Williams explained that the secretary is looking at each defense agency to increase his understanding of their missions and exploring opportunities for more efficient business practices. The director said DLA is not immune.Williams directed the audience’s attention to the iceberg chart which outlines 90 different roles and missions “below the surface,” adding that even he was surprised to see the great number of materials and services DLA provides beyond what most people expect.“When you go to that chart, you’re going to see it broken down by supply chain,” he said. “I guarantee you that you’ll yourself represented in this chart.”The general recognized the accomplishments of each of the agency’s major subordinate commands, including DLA Troop Support’s recent agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Defense Health Agency.“Folks, that’s huge,” he said. “We’re already providing a lot of that support to our regular customers, but we were asked because of the confidence that people have in what we do to now support the entire Veterans Affairs department.”He also thanked employees across the enterprise for their support during real world disasters as well as military exercises.DLA Human Resources Director Brad Bunn addressed DLA’s renegotiations of its collective bargaining agreement with American Federation of Government Employees Council 169 which represents the majority of DLA’s workforce.“We’re really starting from scratch and relooking at the entire contract,” he said. “We’re about midway through having those discussions here in the National Capitol Region with members of the council.”Bunn stressed that he was unable to elaborate on the negotiations but discussions are underway.“Our goal is to successfully negotiate a contract that works for the agency and for the people represented by AFGE ... it’s important that we get it right,” he said. “You’ll hear more about that in the coming months, but it is among the top things that I talk to the director about on a regular basis.”Williams reviewed a schedule of events for 2019 and 2020, including the Nov. 6 ribbon-cutting that will officially open the Agency Synchronization and Operations Center, the Annual DLA Award Ceremony on Dec. 6, the Culture Climate Survey in March 2020 and the DLA Ball on April 24, 2020.The general challenged all employees to do their part to advance the audit effort and participate in the Culture Climate Survey, adding that the survey moves the culture of the agency forward and is an accountability document for DLA leaders.Williams closed by encouraging the audience to “move the needle,” in 2020 to reach a goal of 93% increased material availability, and 30% reductions in backorders and number of downed systems due to a DLA part, while reducing the cost recovery rate to 10.9%.“I think it is achievable. I’m trying to give us what I consider to be a realistic goal on the way to eventually getting to 95% and I’m asking for your help,” he said.“With the targeted investments we’ve made, the wonderful work that everyone’s done on the dashboard, everyone identifying their business and readiness drivers, our procurement specialists buying the right stuff and cleaning out suspended stock in our distribution centers — folks, we can get there.”He added that DLA has a great story to tell as the nation’s only global combat logistics support agency and the workforce accomplishes the mission “extraordinarily well.” The director has asked that all employees get a chance to view the global town hall. MSC and regional command leaders will be issuing guidance for employees to watch the recorded town hall in groups. DLA employees with common access cards can access the town hall slides.