2010-2017 Defense 

Logistics Agency 

Strategic 

Warfighter-focused, globally responsive supply ch
We are America’s Combat Logistics Support Age

We are proud to meet our commitment to sustain our nation’s Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and 

Marines as they carry out their complex missions with honor, valor, precision and skill.

Over the longer horizon, we will also demonstrate to warfighters, the Department of Defense 

(DOD), and our other customers that we are looking beyond current operational support planning 

and onward to the future requirements of our armed forces.

Through this strategic plan, we prepare the Agency to remain agile and responsive in the emerging 

threat environment of multifaceted, hybrid warfare. We are on both the near- and long-term path to 

improvement, building on our history of logistics support.

Our focus incorporates three overarching goals:

Warfighter Support Enhancement

Stewardship Excellence

Workforce Development

These three goals and their core strategies require warfighter-focused, globally responsive supply chain 

leadership. That is our vision and our pledge of support to the men and women we serve, our many 

mission partners, and our stakeholders.

My annual Director’s Guidance steers the execution of this strategy by focusing attention on 

specific initiatives to advance this plan on a fiscal-year basis, while we continue to maintain our 

daily operational commitments to those we serve.

VADM A. 

Director 

Defense Logistics Agency

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DEFEN

Director’s Inten
2010-2017 STRATEGIC PLAN

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Mission...

Supporting the Warfighte

DLA views its strategic transformation 

through a single principle: Doing what 

is right for the Armed Forces and DOD.

Miss

Supportin

We are America’s Combat Logistics Support 

Agency. We provide effective and efficient 

worldwide support to warfighters and our 

other customers.

We provide full-spectrum logistics support 

to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and 

civilians around the world, every day. 

Wherever the diverse DOD global mission 

takes them, they share a common need 

for logistics supplies and services. We 

partner with the services, the combatant 

commanders (COCOMs), and private 

industry to provide full-spectrum support.

If a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine wears 

or eats it, receives medical treatment with 

it, or uses it as fuel, it comes from our 

Agency and our sources. When military or 

civilian artisans need an item to build a new 

operating area or repair a weapons system, 

DLA is the foremost provider of those 

articles as well.

We supported deployed warfighters in 

every major conflict and contingency 

operation over the past five decades, from 

the Vietnam War to current operations in 

Iraq and Afghanistan. Our DLA Europe/

Africa, Central, and Pacific organizations, 

along with our in-theater on-the-ground 

DLA support teams bring logistics products 

and services to warfighters worldwide and 

give DLA a global footprint.

We support more than 1,600 weapons 

systems with organizational- and 

intermediate-level maintenance parts. 

DOD’s supply, storage and distribution 

efforts, under Base Realignment and 

Closure 2005, moved the Agency into a 

more prominent role to support service 

industrial-level maintenance for aviation, 

maritime and land parts. Our reach now 

extends to industrial support activities, 

the cornerstones of sustained long-term 

weapons systems readiness.

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DEFENSE LOGISTICS A

Mission...

Supporting the Warfighte

In addition to providing military installation 

energy needs, DLA also furnishes vital 

logistics support to military hospitals, 

dining facilities and recruit training centers. 

Our service to these entities ensures the 

best in care, comfort and sustainment for 

the men and women of the Armed Forces.

Assigned mission areas provide the military 

services with:

100 percent of subsistence;

100 percent of clothing and textiles; 

100 percent of bulk fuel and 

packaged products;

100 percent of medical/surgical;

100 percent of construction and 

barrier material; and

85 percent of all repair parts 

through aviation, maritime and 

land supply chains

But we are more than just a materiel 

support provider; we are also the Defense 

Department’s prime logistics integrator. We 

provide an array of additional supply chain 

management services, including cataloging 

and technical information; planning, 

forecasting and sourcing; acquisition of 

materiel and services; strategic and tactical 

distribution functions including receipt, 

storage, issue and shipment; retrograde, 

reutilization and disposal; and document 

automation and production.

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DLA is responsible for the e

supply chain for bulk petrole

refinery to the consuming e

have eliminated the overwh

of service-owned product a

Service Working Capital Fun

DLA:

Manages nearly 5 millio

through eight supply cha

Fills more than 131,000 r

per day;

Issues nearly 10,000 con

per day;

Manages more than 30 

annual reutilization/disp

Processes more than 28 

annual receipts and issu

We also partner directly wit

to meet the needs of Foreig

customers. We support 115 

with more than $2 billion in 

playing a pivotal role in sust

Security Assistance Program

As part of our assigned mis

leverage our capabilities to 

support beyond DOD to fed

agencies, as well as designa

local customers. Through U

Command, we partner with 

Emergency Management A

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2010-2017 STRATEGIC PLAN

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Mission...

Supporting the Warfighte

provide support to the American people 

during disaster relief operations. As 

part of DOD and in support of onscene commanders, we also assist with 

worldwide humanitarian relief efforts.

Vision

Warfighter-focused, globally responsive 

supply chain leadership

Warfighter support is the reason we exist 

and paramount to all we do. Our vision 

is based on recognition that warfighter 

missions are global, as is DLA’s support. The 

Agency’s readiness to respond to warfighter 

needs must continue to build on integrated 

supply chains that are efficient and effective.

Responsive and innovative military logistics 

solutions will continue to emerge from 

the foundation DLA has built over its long 

history. Our ability to leverage our Nation’s 

industry and its best practices, our forward 

presence with the customer, our broad 

range of responsibilities across DOD supply 

chains, our capabilities in closing logistics 

seams and gaps, our strength in aggregating 

data to inform decisions, and our record of 

success in transformation, all position DLA 

to successfully support warfighters.

Our vision is a pledge to increase 

integration, agility, and responsiveness 

in the face of irregular warfare and other 

current or emerging threats and support 

challenges. The Agency’s ability to 

anticipate and conquer logistical obstacles 

gives warfighters added confidence, 

leading-edge support and the freedom to 

focus on their core missions.

As stewards of the department’s resources, 

we understand logistics is a cost driver that 

must be managed with deliberate precision. 

As a prime logistics integrator across DOD, 

our broad visibility over processes enables 

us to play a pivotal role in influencing every 

taxpayer dollar used for warfighter support. 

We also moved to a culture of Continuous 

Process Improvement to keep DLA 

effective, relevant, and combat-support 

strong. As we pursue appropriate strategic 

opportunities, we pledge keen attention 

to efficiency while striving to enhance 

effectiveness.

Values

Our values provide the foundation 

for all of our actions. They are simple, 

straightforward and self-explanatory.

Warfighter Needs Guide Us

Integrity Defines Us

Diversity Strengthens Us

Excellence Inspires Us

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Strategic

Planning Influences an

Proces

DEFENSE LOGISTICS A

Str

Inflen

Multiple COCOM, military service and 

OSD planning documents were reviewed 

prior to formulating the 2010-2017 DLA 

Strategic Plan. These sources provided 

insight on where DOD is headed and 

highlighted the emerging environment that 

will shape logistics support into the next 

decade. The knowledge they provided is 

highly relevant to DLA’s way forward.

The Quadrennial Defense Review, the 

National Military Strategy, the Acquisition, 

Technology and Logistics Strategic 

Roadmap, the Department’s emerging 

Strategic Management Plan, and the 

DOD Civilian Human Capital Strategic 

Plan all helped shape our DLA plan. In 

addition, the military services’ and the U.S. 

Transportation Command’s strategic plans 

provided awareness of future challenges 

and strategies to surmount them. The Joint 

Staff J-4’s Annual Guidance - Logistics 

Compass and Joint Logistics White Paper 

draft provided a high-level view of how 

joint logistics operations should be built 

and implemented, as did DLA’s role in 

the future-looking Joint Supply-Joint 

Integrating Concept chartered by the 

Combat Support Agency review team.

Strategic plans from other c

as the Department of Home

helped us shape a plan that 

to the comprehensive secur

our nation as we collaborate 

federal government.

Military commanders and c

leadership across DLA cons

2010-2017 strategic plan. T

interaction with the operatio

and installation component

brought additional perspect

to our goals and strategies.

DLA will update the strateg

to keep pace with the evolv

of DOD, relying on DLA’s fu

continually assess the chang

and related influences. Initia

the group conducts timely a

warfighter readiness and su

related environment and de

options to ensure the Agenc

optimal combat logistics su
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Strategic

Planning Influences an

Proces

2010-2017 STRATEGIC PLAN
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Opportunities and

Support

Th

me

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGEN

Opp

Suppor

Wherever we can lessen the burden on 

warfighters and serve them with increased 

effectiveness and efficiency, we will expand 

support in full partnership with the military 

services. The support themes identified help 

us focus the goals and related strategies in this 

strategic plan.

The Agency’s history demonstrates that we are 

continually growing into a stronger and more 

capable logistics partner. We are more attuned 

to supply chain management and its potential 

to enhance end-to-end support and reduce life 

cycle costs. We pursue the following specific 

opportunities for improved support as part of 

our transformational strategy:

Involvement Earlier in the 

Acquisition Life Cycle

We will better support provisioning, especially 

for rapidly emerging weapons systems needed 

on the battlefield, such as the Mine Resistant 

Ambush Protected - All Terrain Vehicle (MATV). By securing essential provisioning data 

earlier in the weapons systems life cycle, DLA 

will improve forecasting and procurement to 

ensure steady supply.

We will forge stronger performance-based 

logistics partnerships to bring the best of 

public/private capabilities to support program 

managers. The Agency will leverage its 

cataloging, procurement, distribution, 

and data management capabilities to 

optimize availability and decrease tota

cycle ownership costs.

We will also secure technical and logis

information from contractors earlier in 

catalog supply items to support opera

U.S. Forces, NATO and the militaries o

allied nations. This will improve intero

between the military services, NATO, 

and allied nations. This early involvem

strengthens sustainment regardless of 

the source of support, whether origina

contractor-provided or organic to DOD

Extended and Agile Support 

on the Battlefield

Building on its integrated capability to 

understand the effects of broad-scale 

retrograde and reset on planning, depo

capacity, and disposal and reutilization 

requirements, DLA will be of increasin

in future operational build ups and dra
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Opportunities and

Support

Th

me

2010-2017 STRATEGIC PLAN

Lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan 

will position DLA to lead in this area during 

future contingencies.

Our forward-deployed DLA regional commanders 

and DLA support teams are fully integrated with 

the COCOMs to understand and meet their 

daily and long-term needs. We will continue to 

staff these teams with the logistics professionals 

needed to anticipate and meet emerging 

requirements and to identify where innovative 

support is required. Lessons learned from returning 

team personnel will continue to influence Agency 

operations, providing a continuing feedback loop 

from the COCOM to DLA support.

With mission assignment for the Joint 

Contingency Acquisition Support Office (JCASO), 

DLA has extended its foundation in acquisition 

innovation. The JCASO will provide deployable 

expert contingency contract management 

capability to the COCOMs as well as contingency 

planning, policy development, and best practices 

for contingency contracting and exercise support.

Innovation in Product, Capability 

and Integrated Logistics Support

Reducing energy costs and meeting environmental 

requirements such as greenhouse gas reductions 

are key issues for the Department. DLA will apply 

its acquisition and logistics capabilities, forward 

presence, field support and program management 

skills to meet cleaner, alternative energy 

requirements and implement improved energy 

technologies while continuing to provide worldclass petroleum support. We will expand the 

existing innovative joint partnerships with each 

service in biological, synthetic and alternative energy 

sources to move toward optimal DOD solutions. 

We will participate with both the DOD Strategic 

Environmental Research and Development Program 

and DOD Environmental Security Technology 

Certification Program to ensure success.

We will also take an increasing leadership role 

in cost-cutting solutions for installation energy 

by utilizing audits and analyses to apply the 

most energy-efficient solutions. To drive greater 

efficiency for the Department and the military 

services, DLA is capitalizing on energy savingsperformance contracts, utility privatization, and 

energy audits to deliver significant savings and 

improved installation support.

The Agency will use innovation to develop optimal 

distribution and disposal capabilities for the 

future. Related changes will eliminate duplicative 

efforts across the supply chain, strategically 

position materiel for distribution and disposal, use 

tiered distribution and synchronized/scheduled 

delivery, and integrate supply and transportation 

systems to provide end-to-end visibility.

With expanded responsibility for retail elements 

at military services industrial sites, DLA is 

committed to pursue the best strategy to support 

inventory planning, investment, and positioning 

and delivery at these activities.
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Challenges and

Response

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGEN

Chale

To pursue the most important strategies 

to benefit those we serve, we analyzed the 

anticipated constraints and challenges ahead. 

Many of DLA’s challenges are rooted in those 

facing our warfighting customers. As their 

combat logistics support provider, we must 

sustain them in an era of complex, competing 

and sometimes contradictory requirements. Our 

desire to serve them responsively means facing 

these challenges head on:

Providing agile support in the face of irregular 

warfare and conventional threats

Investing in strong logistics support to fully 

equip our nation’s warfighters in an era of 

dwindling resources

Partnering across COCOM and mission 

partner organizations to create seamless 

end-to-end logistics

Ensuring greater data sharing and logistics 

transparency with increasing regard for 

cybersecurity

Integrating military and civilian expertise to 

form cohesive and effective teams

Reforming contract and acquisition 

approaches while ensuring rapid contingency 

support solutions

Assessing emerging factors that drive future 

combat needs and significantly impact rapid, 

responsive logistics support

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Maintaining a talented, diverse workforce 

in the face of generational shifts toward 

retirement

The strategies outlined in this plan, as supported 

by the fiscal year Director’s Guidance, position 

DLA to pursue opportunities for improved suppo

while working to overcome these challenges.

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Challenges and

Response

2010-2017 STRATEGIC PLAN
Goals and

Strategie

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DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGEN

Goas

The FY2010 Director’s Guidance and its successors 

will provide specific initiatives that collectively 

support the goals and strategies described below:

GOAL 1: WARFIGHTER SUPPORT 

ENHANCEMENT (WSE)

Deliver agile and responsive logistics solutions 

to our Warfighters

Our top priority is warfighter support. To DLA this means 

logistics support of the readiness and sustainment of 

America’s warfighters, and of industrial activities and 

others whose critical efforts preserve and enhance our 

Nation’s and our allies’ defense postures. It requires 

constant attention to ensure DLA’s goals, processes, and 

performance are synchronized with the needs of our warfighting customers, mission partners, and stakeholders.

Outcomes

Through these strategies we gain greater understanding 

of warfighters’ evolving needs. We will be better 

positioned to fulfill these requirements effectively and 

efficiently, harnessing the full power of DLA’s potential 

and that of our nation’s industrial partners. An ever 

stronger relationship with the services, COCOMs, 

mission partners and suppliers will ensure we lead 

the way forward in warfighter logistics support.

Strategies

WSE-A: Anticipate and meet evolving 

warfighter requirements

This strategy goes beyond responding to demands as 

they come in—it requires us to better anticipate them, 

so DLA is best positioned to respond with innovation 

and agility. We will identify and meet emerging 

requirements not routinely captured by current 

processes and strengthen and expand our partnerships 

with the services and COCOMs at multiple levels to 

better understand their needs and plan our support.

WSE-B: Expand collaboration and extend capabilities

We will become a more valuable collaborative 

partner. We will use better approaches to capture and 

anticipate demand and share data and metrics with 

our customers. We will determine how to best extend 

DLA capabilities where and when they are required. 

This includes positioning DLA personnel forward 

where needed and improving retail support models.

WSE-C: Leverage industry to deliver capabilities 

and desired effects to warfighters

This strategy calls for continued innovation in 

acquisition methods and arrangements, as well as 

applying logistics best practices to both current 

and emerging missions. We will optimize our ability 

to provide flexible logistics response through the 

expanded use of strategic supplier arrangements, 

performance-based agreements, and tailored 

logistics support.

WSE-D: Expand support of alternative fuels/renewable 

energy solutions

The pursuit of alternative fuels and renewable energy 

solutions is a national security imperative. This 

strategy ensures DLA is positioned to spearhead 

innovation and develop practical solutions that make 
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Goals and

Strategie

2010-2017 STRATEGIC PLAN

our Nation less dependent on foreign sources of energy 

and compliant with environmental requirements.

GOAL 2: STEWARDSHIP EXCELLENCE (SE)

Manage DLA processes and resources to deliver effective 

warfighter support at optimal cost

DLA’s responsibilities have grown in recent years as 

BRAC 2005 and other drivers moved us forward with 

warfighters and industrial sites. DLA was also deeply 

involved in new or expanding partnerships with various 

commands and agencies. In this context, we will 

continue to assess our roles and related processes to 

deliver maximum payoff from taxpayer resources while 

effectively supporting warfighters. At a time when the 

sharing and integration of key information and assets is 

critical, we must also prevent their compromise.

Outcomes

Our internal processes will deliver optimal service and 

products to warfighters while demonstrating stewardship, 

transparency, and integrity. Our warfighters and stakeholders will look to DLA as a strong example of effective 

military logistics support and trustworthy operations.

Strategies

SE-A: Appropriately resource DLA’s operational excellence

While DLA resources must remain sufficient to ensure 

warfighter support, we anticipate an era of budget constraints. This strategy is rooted in disciplined approaches 

to adequately and appropriately fund the Agency so it 

may best serve the warfighter and the department.

SE-B: Realize process excellence by balancing 

efficiency and effectiveness

DLA will identify prudent cost-reduction efforts without 

compromising warfighter support. We will act upon 

process improvement opportunities to enhance business 

performance and capability and deliver financial benefits. 

The Agency will use Continuous Process Improvement 

and other approaches to deliver optimized, value-added 

support and service to our customers and employees.

SE-C: Demonstrate stewardship and foster stakeholder trust

The services, our mission partners and stakeholders must 

trust both our capability to deliver and our integrity. This 

strategy is rooted in our commitment to strong stewardship, including improved financial statement reliability, 

maintaining and enhancing acquisition oversight programs, 

open and sustained communications and conducting regular comprehensive enterprise risk management reviews.

SE-D: Fully leverage DLA’s current and emerging information 

operations capabilities to maximize their contribution to 

warfighter support and improved stewardship

Our current and emerging information operations 

capabilities provide the architecture that enables us to 

deliver on our commitments. Further integration of legacy 

systems into the Enterprise Business Systems architecture 

and additional business systems enhancements form 

the backbone of this strategy. It also ensures we strive 

to maintain the utmost integrity in our information 

assurance and security. This includes achieving and 

maintaining interoperability with other defense systems 

for secure, accurate and high-speed data sharing.
Goals and

Strategie

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DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGEN

SE-E: Enable warfighter support through infrastructure 

excellence and premier environmental stewardship

Properly sizing and maintaining our infrastructure in 

regard to facility operations, sustainment, restoration and 

modernization enables DLA to deliver on its commitments at optimal cost. Applying premier environmental 

stewardship ensures DLA remains a leader in supporting 

federal requirements for energy independence and 

security, as well as green product usage.

SE-F: Improve transparency, accountability and awareness

This strategy reflects DLA’s commitment to open 

communications with employees, customers, mission 

partners and our stakeholders in order to foster trust, 

improve awareness and create stronger partnerships.

GOAL 3: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (WD)

Foster a diverse workforce and supporting culture to deliver 

sustained mission excellence

DLA’s workforce is vital to our current and long-term 

success. We must enable our workforce to capitalize on 

their skills, experience, and potential, while preparing to 

manage workforce transition as retirements increase in 

the years ahead. We must leverage the diverse backgrounds and abilities of our people—civilians and 

military. We will also reassess our footprint to most 

effectively use our workforce to support forward 

industrial and operational sites.

Outcome

DLA will have a comprehensive and systematic process 

to identify workforce development gaps and strengths to 

meet current and future requirements. This information 

will help us identify ways to enhance recruitment and 

selection, training and development, and retention of a 

diverse, highly-skilled and agile workforce.

Strategies

WD-A: Attain a workforce that reflects the diversity of 

America’s relevant labor force

It is imperative for DLA’s workforce to reflect the diversity 

in our society, since that is a recognized source of talent 

and strength. By working to attain a diverse workforce 

through specific director’s initiatives, we will strengthen 

our ability to deliver on our commitments. Diversity will 

enable us to leverage different perspectives and concepts 

and move DLA forward.

WD-B: Attain and sustain a sound Enterprise culture

Our culture must provide an environment where the 

workforce is able to excel and shape effective change in 

the Agency. A warfighter support-focused culture will 

ensure a quality, safe and secure environment that 

encourages employees to best support the DLA 

mission. We will focus on feedback from employee 

assessments to make needed changes to achieve the 

desired culture.

WD-C: Establish a comprehensive talent management 

program to assure a high-performing workforce

Recognizing the increasing rigors of our mission tempo, 

we will strengthen our workforce planning and development strategies. This strategy provides framework 

designed to integrate multiple human capital programs 

into a cohesive approach that sustains a long-term view 

of Agency mission requirements. It encompasses three 

focus areas: workforce planning, strategic recruitment, 

and training and development.
We are America’s Combat Logistics Support Agency.

dla makes it pos

for warfighters to make it ha

These strategies will be collectively pursued through 

initiatives in each fiscal year Director’s Guidance. The 

DLA Executive Board, representing the Agency’s senior 

leadership, will monitor the status of the strategic plan 

and fiscal year Director’s Guidance regularly to assess 

progress, remove obstacles and achieve our objectives.

We will periodically post developments on DLA’s public 

Web site (www.dla.mil) as we continue our drive to be 

constantly high performing, customer focused, globally 

responsive and resource efficient.

Performance Management and Mea
We are America’s Combat Logistics Support Agency. We are

www.DLA.mil 877-352-225

Director’s 

Call for Ac

We view our opportunities through a single imperative: 

Doing what is right for the Armed Forces and DOD.

Over the next decade, DLA will find its comprehensive 

logistics services needed more than ever before and in 

new and challenging ways. The threat environment for 

our warfighters is characterized as both irregular and 

conventional, with increasing lethality across the full spectrum 

of combat operations. The very nature of envisioned threats 

and conflicts, combined with increased fiscal challenges, 

demands a logistics response that is agile and joint in 

nature. We will become more ingrained with the COCOMs 

and the military services so that our response anticipates 

their requirements.

At the same time, we will enhance our efficiency and 

stewardship and ensure we have a workforce ready to fully 

support warfighters.

This plan recognizes that we are part of a team in DOD—that 

none of us stands apart—and mission accomplishment is tied 

to open cooperation, information sharing and collaboration.

It is in that spirit that I ask you to support this strategic plan. 

Working together we can continue to transform DLA into the 

increasingly more agile, innovative and valued logistics partner 

our country and allies require, and our warfighters deserve.