Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Plan 1

TRANSFORMING

GLOBAL LOGISTICS

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

The Nation’s Combat Logistics Support Agency

DLA STRATEGIC PLAN 2021–2026
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Strategic Plan 2021-2026

VADM Michelle Skubic

Director, Defense Logistics Agency

DIRECTOR’S INTENT

Over more than six decades, the Defense Logistics Agency has established 

a strong reputation for service to the Warfighter and value to our Nation. 

Keeping pace with today’s accelerating global challenges, DLA continues to 

maintain and enhance force readiness for our Military Services and Combatant 

Commands. DLA also stands ready to leverage our unique logistics capabilities 

in supporting a growing Whole of Government mission without compromising 

Warfighter support.

Our Strategic Plan meets the evolving requirements of the Warfighter 

and the Nation with a targeted transformative approach encompassing the 

most critical priorities for the next five years. Grounded in the perspectives 

of customers, DoD partners, and our workforce, the strategy aligns DLA’s 

resources and efforts. 

DLA’s collaboration with all our partners is paramount as we rapidly 

innovate at speed and scale to solve problems. We will continue to adapt our 

strategy as needed to reflect the rapidly changing, competitive environment in 

which we operate.

Focusing our efforts on the key elements articulated here – mission, vision, 

lines of effort and critical capabilities – enables us to address the complexities 

of today’s geo-political environment and the challenges of tomorrow. With a 

world-class DLA Team working to translate this plan into real results, we look 

forward to seeing our customers thrive with our support in a demanding and 

multifaceted world. 

Thank you for your support in implementing this Strategic Plan. Most 

importantly, thank you for your commitment and service to our Warfighters 

and our Nation. I look forward to working with each one of you as together, we 

build on our enduring legacy as the Nation’s Combat Logistics Support Agency.

VICE ADMIRAL MICHELLE SKUBIC

DIRECTOR, DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

WARFIGHTER ALWAYS!
Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Plan 1

People & Culture

Supporting our people CC-A: >

Fiscal Stewardship

Investing in outcomes CC-B: >

Digital-Business Transformation

Embracing the future CC-C: >

As the Nation’s Combat Logistics Support Agency, we must lean forward to address new challenges that 

threaten our global environment. We will meet those threats and the evolving needs of the Warfighter and 

Nation with this Strategic Plan, which identifies our most critical priorities and will transform our business 

processes over the next five years. Though this transformation will not encompass all of DLA’s day-to-day 

activities, these core objectives will have the greatest impact on our ability to achieve mission success.

TRANSFORMING GLOBAL LOGISTICS

MISSION:

Deliver readiness and lethality to the

Warfighter Always and support our Nation 

through quality, proactive global logistics.

VISION:

As the Nation’s Combat Logistics Support Agency 

and valued partner, we are innovative, adaptable, agile, 

and accountable – focused on the Warfighter Always.

Warfighter

Always

Support

to the 

Nation

Trusted

Mission

Partner

Future of

Work

Modernized 

Acquisition and 

Supply Chain 

Management

Tailored solutions 

to drive readiness

Deliberate 

approach, 

without tradeoff 

to the Warfighter

Transparency and 

accountability to 

our customers

Leading in 

logistics to deliver 

best value and 

manage risk

Adapting to 

new ways of 

working

Critical Capabilities (CC):

Success across all Lines of Effort

Lines of Effort (LOE): Core strategic outcomes of DLA’s Targeted Transformation

Enterprise Key Performance Indicators (KPI) measure the success of this strategy:

• Service Readiness

• Supply Availability

• Acquisition Timeliness

• Business Health

• Liquidity

• Price Competitiveness

• Customer Satisfaction

• Employee Engagement

LOE 1 LOE 2 LOE 3 LOE 4 LOE 5
2 www.dla.mil

DLA INDOPACOM

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI

DLA EUCOM & AFRICOM

Stuttgart, Germany

DLA CENTCOM & SOCOM

MacDill Air Force Base, FL

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Fort Belvoir, VA

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

for Sustainment 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

DLA TROOP SUPPORT

Philadelphia, PA

Provides food, textiles, construction 

material and medical supplies and 

equipment, to include pharmaceuticals.

DLA AVIATION

Richmond, VA

Provides repair parts for aviation 

weapons systems, flight safety 

equipment, maps, environmental 

products and industrial plant equipment.

DLA LAND AND MARITIME

Columbus, OH

Provides repair parts for ground-based 

and maritime weapons systems, small 

arms parts, fluid handling and 

electronic components.

DLA ENERGY

Fort Belvoir, VA

Provides bulk fuel, alternative fuel 

renewable energy, aerospace energy, 

fuel quality/technical support, 

fuel card programs and installation 

energy services.

DLA DISTRIBUTION

New Cumberland, PA

Provides storage and distribution 

solutions/management, transportation 

planning/management, logistics planning 

and contingency operations; operates 

a global network of distribution centers. 

DLA DISPOSITION SERVICES

Battle Creek, MI

Provides for disposition of excess 

property by reutilization, transfer 

and demilitarization; conducts 

environmental disposal and reuse.

UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

for Acquisition and Sustainment 

As the Nation’s Combat 

Logistics Agency, DLA 

manages the end-toend global defense 

supply chain – from raw 

materials to end user 

disposition – for the five 

Military Services, eleven 

Combatant Commands, 

other federal, state and 

local agencies and partner 

and allied nations 

Partnering closely 

with industry, DLA 

accomplishes this 

through its One-Star /

SES-led six Major 

Subordinate Commands, 

enabled by its three 

Regional Commands, 

commanded by Colonels 

or Navy Captains
Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Plan 3

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY BY THE NUMBERS (FY20)

$40.7B

$15B

$7.5B

$1.1B

~100%

11K

9K

6M

$150B

27K

SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE STRATEGY

AVERAGE DLA SUPPORT IN A DAY

SELECT AUTHORITIES

Combat Operations On the Battlefield since 1962

Nuclear Enterprise 9 Platforms

National Defense Stockpile

WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT

48 Materials, $1.1B Inventory

Humanitarian Assistance

COVID-19 Operations

Disaster Relief

12 Major missions since 2010

$3.4B in total support as of March 15, 2021

14 Major missions since 2010

• 89,032 orders

• 8,802,739 gallons of fuel

• 166,782 uniform items

• 1,002,739 meals

• 9,972 medical items

• 14,761 pharmaceutical items

• 2,967 construction & barrier items

• 6,572 turn-ins

• 6,965 repair parts

Revenue

Small Business

Whole of Government Support

Foreign Military Sales

Mil. Services Consumables

Global Suppliers

Contract Awards per Day

Line Items Managed

Active Contracts Managed

Total Workforce, 2K Forward Positioned

10 U.S.C. § 193 – DLA is a Combat Support Agency with Chairman JCS oversight (Goldwater - Nichols Act)

10 U.S.C. § 191 – Common supplies and services managed by a single DoD agency

DoDD 5105.22 – DLA Charter, roles and missions as a Combat Support Agency (2017)

DoDD 5101.1 – DoD Executive Agency (Bulk Fuel, Medical Materiel, Subsistence, Construction & Barrier Materiel)
4 www.dla.mil

DLA LINES OF EFFORT

This is an unprecedented time in an increasingly 

complex global environment. The balance of power 

across the world is changing, creating new threats. 

We are faced with many challenges: budget and 

procurement, pandemics, escalating climate crises, 

cyber and digital threats, international economic 

disruptions, protracted humanitarian crises, violent 

extremism and terrorism, and the proliferation of 

nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. 

DLA’s plans, processes and actions must focus on 

agile, innovative solutions that increase readiness 

and lethality for the Combatant Commands and 

the Joint Task Force, particularly in a distributed, 

contested logistics environment. 

Our five Lines of Effort identify the most critical 

focus areas for DLA over the next five years. Each 

LOE has one or more underlying objectives with 

specific initiatives, milestones, and metrics that will 

WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

support the execution of this transformation and 

have the greatest impact on our ability to serve the 

Warfighter and the Nation. 

• LOE 1: Warfighter Always

Tailored solutions to drive readiness

• LOE 2: Support to the Nation

Deliberate approach, without tradeoff to 

the Warfighter

• LOE 3: Trusted Mission Partner

Transparency and accountability to our 

customers

• LOE 4: Modernized Acquisition and 

Supply Chain Management

Leading in logistics to deliver best value 

and manage risk

• LOE 5: Future of Work

Adapting to new ways of working
Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Plan 5

LOE 1: WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

Objective 1.1: Improve end-to-end readiness and costeffectiveness in support of Combatant Commander 

Campaign Plans and Integrated Contingency Plans in 

competitive and contested logistics environments

Objective 1.2: Partner with customers at the 

wholesale and retail levels to address Servicespecific challenges and develop solutions

Objective 1.3: Proactively support the DoD Nuclear 

Enterprise and Space Enterprise

DLA’s support to the Warfighter is job one. It’s our 

core strategic priority. We must provide the right 

support in the right places at the right times. 

The Military Services and Combatant Commands 

have unique needs and capabilities requiring 

customized solutions. 

It’s imperative for DLA to make smart, disciplined 

investments in innovative tailored logistics solutions to 

increase and sustain weapons system and warfighting 

readiness – including our Nation’s strategic deterrent 

– to meet today’s requirements and prepare for the 

future fight. 

LOE 2: SUPPORT TO THE NATION

Objective 2.1: Implement a deliberate, enterprisewide approach to Whole of Government support

Capitalizing on our scope, scale and skills 

in acquisition, storage, distribution, and surge 

capabilities, the Nation has increasingly called upon 

DLA to provide Whole of Government support. 

DoD is redoubling its commitment to a cooperative, 

whole-of-nation approach to national security that 

builds consensus, drives creative solutions to crises, 

to guarantee that we lead from a position of strength. 

As part of this effort, this LOE clarifies a deliberate 

approach to our Whole of Government mission with no 

cost trade-off to the Warfighter. 

NUCLEAR ENTERPRISE

WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT
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LOE 3: TRUSTED MISSION PARTNER

Objective 3.1: Implement customer-centric 

performance metrics and predictive problemsolving culture 

Objective 3.2: Provide greater financial transparency 

to customers 

Objective 3.3: Provide next generation customer 

service, including a customer feedback mechanism 

Building trust begins with understanding our 

customers’ priorities. Through a collaborative, datadriven problem-solving culture, we will pursue viable 

solutions to these critical challenges. 

DLA will improve trust and transparency by enhancing 

customer-facing tools and software, formalizing 

customer feedback and increasing collaboration at all 

levels. We will align performance metrics and targets to 

ensure we are accountable to our customers.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND PROBLEM SOLVING

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FEEDBACK
Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Plan 7

LOE 4: MODERNIZE ACQUISITION AND 

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Objective 4.1: Expand industry engagement to foster 

innovation and maximize value for our customers

Objective 4.2: Improve the end-to-end post-award 

segment to enable collaborative customer support, 

increase responsiveness, and manage costs 

Objective 4.3: Develop a market intelligence 

capability to manage supply chain risk and drive 

best value

Objective 4.4: Enhance our acquisition capabilities to 

improve readiness for contingencies

The global logistics environment is rapidly evolving 

and increasingly interconnected. DLA must work 

closely with industry partners to modernize and 

streamline our acquisition and end-to-end supply 

chains to deliver increased readiness and maintain 

our competitive advantage.

Through strong partnerships with our suppliers, and 

an enhanced focus on market intelligence capabilities, 

DLA will continue building a diverse, resilient, and 

agile industrial base to reduce supply chain risk and 

drive the best value for our customers.

Given the increasing number of global contingencies, 

this will better position us and our partners to meet the 

accelerating challenges in an ever-changing world.

At the heart of this LOE is the ability to increasingly 

harness and analyze business performance data to 

make informed, risk-based decisions and develop 

actionable solutions to improve customer outcomes 

for routine and contingency operations.

MODERNIZATION AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
8 www.dla.mil

LOE 5: FUTURE OF WORK

Objective 5.1: Redefine virtual work models to enable 

our next generation workforce

Objective 5.2: Assess DLA CONUS facilities footprint 

to maximize space utilization

Objective 5.3: Build skillsets of the future

The workplace is increasingly virtual, reducing 

the need for a large physical footprint. Ongoing 

modernization efforts such as the use of mobile 

tablets, voice technology, autonomous guided 

vehicles and other advances to optimize warehouse 

operations all impact the future of work. DLA will 

continue adapting to these changes as it attracts and 

sustains a competitive workforce to drive increased 

productivity and employee satisfaction. 

Creating an optimal work environment for 

employees that is modern, safe, secure, and well 

maintained will help increase retention and expand 

our access to diverse talent pools. VIRTUAL COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITY

WAREHOUSE UTILIZATION
Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Plan 9
10 www.dla.mil

DLA CRITICAL CAPABILITIES 

The three Critical Capabilities are fundamental 

to our successful transformation. They intersect 

and support the five LOEs with specific underlying objectives, initiatives and metrics. 

• CC-A: People and Culture 

Supporting our people

• CC-B: Fiscal Stewardship 

Investing in outcomes

• CC-C: Digital-Business Transformation 

Embracing the future

In these areas, DLA must be ready to act, 

adapt, reform, and embrace change to improve 

our organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

CRITICAL CAPABILITY A: 

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

Objective A1: People

Objective A2: Culture

Our most important asset as an agency is 

our people. This capability aligns DLA’s proven 

human capital strategies with our mission, LOEs, 

and objectives. 

Our ability to attract, develop, and retain a 

diverse, skilled, and agile workforce is vital to 

our continued success. 

To achieve a shared vision with the agency’s 

Strategic Plan, all DLA organizations, employees 

and leaders must work together to fortify 

the culture, reward high performance, build 

connections, and prioritize safety of the workforce.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Plan 11

TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE AND CYBERSECURITY

CRITICAL CAPABILITY B: 

FISCAL STEWARDSHIP

Objective B1: Auditability 

Objective B2: Cost visibility and cash management 

Objective B3: Investment to drive efficiency 

and effectiveness 

In an increasingly resource-constrained environment we will drive cost effectiveness while 

maintaining Service readiness. We must effectively 

manage our resources while making smart, 

transformative investments that increase value for 

our customers and taxpayers. 

Through enhanced tools and capabilities, we will 

improve our cost and cash management for the DLA 

Working Capital Fund.

We will assess our work processes and the 

effectiveness of current internal controls to provide 

greater transparency, improve auditability and prevent 

fraud, waste, and abuse. 

CRITICAL CAPABILITY C: 

DIGITAL-BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION

Objective C1: Transformational information 

technology capabilities 

Objective C2: Advanced analytics and automation 

Objective C3: Cybersecurity 

Objective C4: Technology governance 

Technology is changing at an exponential 

rate, generating new possibilities in logistics 

and customer support. It is also increasing the 

capabilities of our competitors, the risks to our 

supply chains and operations. 

We are focusing our IT and digital capability 

investments on key areas that will enable us to 

enhance performance, reduce costs, and make 

more predictive and data-driven decisions. 

We will transform our systems and processes to 

improve transparency, reliability, and security for 

our employees, customers, and suppliers. 

We will work internally and with our partners to 

ensure the agency’s network, systems, and data are 

protected from emerging and complex cyber threats. 

TRANSFORMATIONAL IT CAPABILITIES
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STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTION

Dedicated commitment at all levels is key to the 

successful implementation of DLA’s strategy. Fully 

engaged leaders and results-driven teams will be 

instrumental to progress and continuous momentum. 

Senior leader oversight throughout the agency will 

ensure the plan remains on track, properly resourced, 

and risks and obstacles are quickly mitigated. 

This transformation strategy embodies five 

key elements:

• Engaged Leadership

Enabling individuals and small teams 

to perform

• Empowered Working Teams

Making timely decisions to drive execution

• Cross-functional Collaboration

Synchronizing planning and execution

• Flexible and Iterative Execution Processes

Using agile “test and learn” approach

• Outcome-based Targets

Measuring progress based on results 

DLA’s transformation will be governed through 

structured reviews to monitor progress against 

the plan. 

The overarching strategy will be re-evaluated 

periodically through senior-level governance 

forums to validate and reprioritize initiatives, 

tasks, and metrics to ensure our strategy 

remains aligned with the ever-changing 

operating environment. 

Progress against the plan will be monitored using a 

set of enterprise Key Performance Indicators. 

These KPIs collectively measure critical customer, 

supplier, business health, and employee metrics. 

• Service Readiness

Reduce the number of weapons systems 

that are non-mission capable due to 

DLA parts 

• Supply Availability

Use customer-centric supply availability 

to measures our ability to meet day-to-day 

customer needs 

• Acquisition Timeliness

Meet on-time delivery and decrease 

production lead time 

• Business Health

Maintain a strong and sustainable 

financial position 

• Liquidity

Optimize cash levels to meet day-to-day 

operational requirements

• Price Competitiveness

Provide the best value at the right price

• Customer Satisfaction 

Honor our commitments to the customer 

and capture their feedback

• Employee Engagement

Inspire employees to enthusiastically fulfill 

every aspect of the mission
Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Plan 13

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

MISSION: 

DLA’s fundamental purpose 

VISION: 

Aspirational statement for DLA’s desired future

LINE OF EFFORT:

Key strategic priority used to link multiple objectives that when 

combined achieve an operational or strategic outcome

CRITICAL CAPABILITIES:

Agency enablers which are essential to accomplishing DLA’s strategic 

objectives and LOEs

OBJECTIVES:

Specific goals to be achieved and are the most important actions 

essential to LOEs and Critical Capabilities – the “how” of the strategy

INITIATIVES:

Key programs and business practices developed to cause a desired 

result. Possess specific milestones, timelines and KPIs. They’re 

assigned OPRs and are the fundamental level of execution and 

performance monitoring

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPI):

What we want to achieve and when – quantifiable and outcome 

based targets

CAMPAIGN PLAN: 

A joint operation plan for a series of related major operations aimed at 

achieving strategic or operational objectives within a given time and space 

(JP 5-0) 

COMBATANT COMMAND (CCMD): 

A unified or specified command with a broad continuing mission under a 

single commander established and so designated by the President, through 

the Secretary of Defense and with the advice and assistance of the Chairman 

of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Combatant commands typically have geographic 

or functional responsibilities (JP 1)

CONTINGENCY PLAN: 

A branch of a campaign plan that is planned based on hypothetical 

situations for designated threats, catastrophic events, and contingent 

missions (JP 5-0)

DOD NUCLEAR ENTERPRISE: 

Federation of separate nuclear activities across the U.S. Armed Services 

and Defense Department agencies for the execution of a wide range of nuclear 

and non-nuclear activities (2014 independent Nuclear Enterprise Review Report)

DOD SPACE ENTERPRISE (ALSO SPACE STRATEGY): 

Strategy designed to achieve a secure, stable, and accessible space 

domain by the U.S. and its partners at an accelerated pace over the next 10 

years (2020 Defense Space Strategy)

END-TO-END SUPPLY CHAIN: 

Full scale of “the linked activities associated with providing materiel from a 

raw material stage to an end user as a finished product” (JP 1-02)

FISCAL STEWARDSHIP: 

Resource management of time, money, people, and property; wisely 

evaluating financial consequences before existing activities are changed or 

eliminated and new activities begin

INDUSTRIAL BASE (ALSO DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE (DIB)): 

The Department of Defense, government, and private sector worldwide 

industrial complex with capabilities to perform research and development, 

design, produce, and maintain military weapon systems, subsystems, 

components, or parts to meet military requirements (JP 3-27)

INTERAGENCY: 

Of or pertaining to U.S. Government agencies and departments, including 

the Department of Defense (JP 3-08)

JOINT TASK FORCE (JTF): 

Constituted and designated by the Secretary of Defense, a Combatant 

Commander, a sub-unified commander, or an existing joint task force 

commander (JP 1)

LETHALITY: 

Ability of U.S. Armed Services to apply decisive force

MAJOR SUBORDINATE COMMANDS (MSC): 

DLA’s title for commands under the administrative and operational control 

of DLA’s Director

TEST AND LEARN APPROACH: 

Agile set of customer-focused actions taken in small areas to predict 

impact on key performance indicators

WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT: 

U.S. Government departments and agencies approach involving the 

integration of efforts through interagency planning that set forth detailed 

concepts of operations

WORKING CAPITAL FUND: 

A revolving fund established to finance supply inventory and warehousing, 

or to provide working capital for industrial-type activities (JP 3-80)

 
WARFIGHTER ALWAYS

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