# DLA Land and Maritime team visits seaside counterparts at Naval Station Norfolk

/ Published March 24, 2023
COLUMBUS, Ohio, 
More than a dozen associates from Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime witnessed ‘Saltwater Leadership’ in action during a visit to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, March 6-9.

The visit provided associates a glimpse of the world’s largest naval station’s vast operations and a deeper understanding of how DLA Distribution Norfolk, Virginia, and DLA Land and Maritime work together to support the nation’s warfighters.

“The material we procure at [Land and Maritime] eventually routes through the DDNV to be used on the ships that port at Norfolk,” said Trevor Horn, a Maritime Supplier Operations Integrated Supply Team chief for the Nuclear Reactors Program. “They are the last line of DLA possession of material before being issued to the Navy.” 

During a tour of the Material Processing Center, the team established contacts with key personnel and learned the process of receiving, sorting, tracking and storing material and how items are delivered from DDNV to ships.

“This can happen in a short period of time if material is readily available for the customer,” said Jody Brooks, a Maritime Supplier Operations material planner. “Seeing this has motivated me to push the material quicker to the depots so we can provide what the customer needs, when the customer needs it.”

The team also learned about Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (COMSURFLANT) and Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic (COMSUBLANT), and how DLA Land and Maritime supports them.

Comprised of 32 submarines and more than 15,000 officer, enlisted, and civilian personnel, COMSUBLANT provides submarine support to the Atlantic, Arctic, Eastern Pacific, and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.

COMSURFLANT is responsible for manning, training, and equipping U.S. Navy ships stationed stateside on the East Coast, as well as forward deployed assets in Bahrain, Spain, and at the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System sites in Romania and Poland. COMSURFLANT has 77 ships and 31 shore commands.

The visit concluded with several ship tours offering DLA Land and Maritime civilians a chance to see a side of the Navy that some had never seen. 

The ships toured were the USS Cole (DDG 67), USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS New York (LPD 21), and USS Mahan (DDG 72).

Horn said that once on board, the team was amazed at the volume of material and sailors and the amount of coordination it takes to perform daily operations.

Brooks echoed Horn’s sentiment.

“The ships are maintained and operated by a world class group of people that work daily to provide material and maintain the ships to the highest level possible,” Brooks said. “The staff work diligently and with a high level of accuracy.” 

For Milan Pozderac, a customer account specialist with Maritime Customer Operations, it brought back memories and served as a reminder of the important work within DLA.

“I was in in the Navy and stationed at Norfolk. A lot of improvements have been made since I was on board ships back in the 90’s,” he said. “The trip reinforced my commitment to the sailors as I remember the difficulties in supporting the ship.”

There’s a lot of urgency for the ships, especially when heading out for deployment, so quick responses are critical in supporting the sailors, he added.

“We were able to see, touch and feel the ships we spend our days supporting,” Horn said. “And talk with actual sailors doing the work and living that life every day.”

Overall, Horn said the trip was a value-added experience for DLA Land and Maritime associates to see the operation, gain a better understanding of the processes at DDNV, and to build cross-organizational relationships for future engagement and coordination.