# Warfighter support spans half a century at Oklahoma City

/ Published Dec. 7, 2022
RICHMOND, Va., 
The year was 1975. The Vietnam War came to an end, Love Will Keep Us Together by The Captain and Tennille topped the music charts, Jaws was tops at the box office, Saturday Night Live made its debut on NBC and the writer of this story was a mere seven years old.

That same year, a young kid from Norfolk, Virginia named Joseph McRoy began his federal service career with the Department of the Navy after doing a tour in the Air Force as a ground radio operator. He worked 29 years for the Navy before transitioning to Defense Logistics Agency Aviation at Oklahoma City on Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma in 2004.

McRoy, who has held different job titles since, is now a customer support manager within the Planning and Support Division. In this capacity, he works projects jointly with the Air Force to initiate workload on Air Force end items impacting the B-1 bomber wing sweep, B-2 bomber aircraft and air traffic control end items.

“I came to Tinker following the Base Realignment and Closure of Navy Norfolk Depot in Virginia to continue working as an F-14 Tomcat fighter jet engine logistics manager until 2004,” McRoy said.

When McRoy started with DLA, Tinker had close to 390 Air Force personnel working DLA parts and supporting maintenance. These folks migrated to DLA after BRAC. Prior to this, he said DLA Aviation in Richmond, Virginia, gradually started implementing “forward presence,” increasing DLA support at Tinker while at the same time, implementing the demand planning concept and multiple other functions to improve customer supportability including adding customer accounts, customer support and sustainment specialists.

McRoy said over the years, new technology has significantly changed support to the warfighter. When he started at DLA Aviation, he was using legacy technology such as the Sourcing and Materials Management System, a web-based procurement and inventory system and Web Based Corporate Account Tracking System. These systems were replaced by the Enterprise Business System, which McRoy said was a necessary change to modernize DLA’s business systems in the digital age. 

“My job is a total blessing. I get to work with Air Force and DLA personnel daily. We work together to get parts for the warfighter and keep them safe.” McRoy said.    

DLA Aviation at Oklahoma City Commander Air Force Col. Robert Magee said McRoy is the quintessential teammate and standard that others try to emulate.

“Joe’s legacy is strong here at OKC as he’s proven that good teammates are the foundation for our organizational family,” Magee said.

McRoy has laid a solid foundation and set a good example for employees like Kilee Chavez. The material handler has worked for DLA Aviation at OKC less than a year, making her the most junior tenured Aviation employee working on Tinker Air Force.

As a material handler, Chavez’s is tasked with selecting material using the distribution standard system, verifying the material, and making sure it matches the document/ticket by checking the national stock number, nomenclature, quantity, quality, and expiration date. This ensures the material passes the kind, condition, count and prevents discrepancies, and prepares for audit readiness. She also prepares the paperwork needed for internal orders and movement of material.

“I love my job. I love working with my coworkers because they all engage, they display great teamwork, and effort. They are all very supportive and helpful. I love that we have team building events they are great morale builders, created team spirit and enhance the spirit of teamwork,” she said.

Chavez said she is looking forward to seeing how her career will develop at DLA Aviation and that she plans on being with Aviation as long as she can contribute to the team and the warfighter.

This also means gaining valuable experience possibly working around people like McRoy, who, by the way, said he has no intentions of retiring any time soon.

“I am happy. The Lord provides all my needs including a wife of 52 years who is way more than I deserve. I work with a lot of great USAF and DLA people. You can’t ask for much more out of life.” McRoy said.