# DLA’s commander of joint regional combat support connects with Indo-Pacific warfighters

/ Published Oct. 31, 2023
FORT BELVOIR, Va., 
The Defense Logistics Agency’s commander of joint regional combat support travelled to Hawaii, South Korea and Japan Oct. 19-27 to collaborate with warfighters on setting future requirements across the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility.

Navy Rear Adm. Doug Noble, who also serves as the agency’s director of logistics operations, said engaging with warfighters and DLA Indo-Pacific leaders strengthens key relationships that are essential for current operations as well as future competition, crises or conflicts.

                231023-D-XX999-0002                            231023-D-XX999-0002: Navy Rear Adm. Doug Noble, director of DLA Logistics Operations and commander of joint regional combat support, tours DLA Distribution Korea, the agency’s theater consolidation and shipping point, Oct. 23, 2023, at Camp Carroll, South Korea. The modern facility features an automated material handling system, a 25-foot-high pallet rack storage system and vertical lift modules that enable more efficient, economical service to warfighters across the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. Courtesy photo            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: CourtesyVIRIN: 231023-D-XX999-0002“Strong partnerships are fundamental enablers for DLA’s success. In light of new and emerging threats, it is imperative to continue to build upon our synchronization efforts,” he said. “We must prepare for the future by leaning forward with our warfighting partners across the joint logistics enterprise so we can react with agility and speed when the need arises.”

During his time in South Korea, Noble met with Army Brig. Gen. Martine Kidd, director of logistics for U.S. Forces Korea, and Army Brig. Gen. Frederick Crist, commander of the 19th Expeditionary Support Command, to discuss DLA’s alignment with service logisticians across South Korea.

DLA’s forward-facing posture was evident during a tour of DLA Distribution Korea, a storage and distribution facility plus theater consolidation and shipping point at Camp Carroll in Daegu, South Korea. The facility enables efficient, economical service to INDOPACOM warfighters by featuring a modern, automated material handling system, a 25-foot-high rack storage system and vertical lift modules.

“Sites like DLA Distribution Korea are a testament to DLA’s continued commitment to a ready posture in the USINDOPACOM theater,” Noble said. “As we face near-peer adversaries and potential conflicts, we must ensure we have the right materiel in the right places at the right time. Enacting modernization efforts, remaining agile in our processes and adapting to a changing environment will allow us to effectively serve the warfighter at their point of need.”

In Japan, Noble discussed contested logistics challenges with Navy Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commander of the 7th Fleet; Navy Rear Adm. Christopher Stone, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 7; and Marine Brig. Gen. Adam Chalkley, commander of the 3rd Marine Logistics Group.

DLA’s Global Sustainment Project helps the agency identify Navy and joint-force material tied to readiness and global posture so the agency can prioritize stock levels. Though initially developed as a collaborative project with the Navy focused on INDOPACOM, the initiative has progressed into a global effort supporting all the military services.

Noble also toured agency facilities and met with local employees.

“It’s great to get boots on the ground and meet our workforce, allies, and partners where they live and work,” he said. “I’m very proud of the efforts of the DLA team in this theater, working each and every day to ensure warfighter readiness and provide a credible deterrent to potential adversaries.”