FROM THE

Brig. Gen. Giovanni K. Tuck, USAF

Commander, Defense Logistics Agency Energy

2 www.energy.dla.mil

Commander ommander

Commander

Air Force Brig. Gen. Giovanni Tuck

Deputy Commander

Patrick Dulin

Chief of Staff

Navy Capt. Charles Race

Public Affairs Offi cer

Irene Smith

Editor

Jonathan Stack

Writing Staff

Susan Lowe

Terry Shawn

Christopher Goulait

Layout/Design

Idella Fletcher

Commander

Energy Source is an offi cial publication 

distributed by and for the Defense Logistics 

Agency Energy and fuel-oriented clientele. 

Contents of this publication are not necessarily the offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the 

U.S. government, Department of Defense, 

Defense Logisitics Agency or Defense Logistics 

Agency Energy. Energy Source is prepared 

by desktop publishing applications. Photos not 

credited are courtesy of DLA Energy sources.

Address correspondence to:

ATTN: DLA Energy-DCA

8725 John J. Kingman Rd.

Suite 4950

Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6222

Commercial: 703-767-4108

Address email to:

EnergySourceMagazine@dla.mil

I am honored 

to be your new commander of the Defense 

Logistics Agency Energy. I look forward to the 

responsibility of leading such an outstanding 

organization, and will strive to continue the 

efforts of the leaders who have come before 

us while assisting the agency to adapt to 

future challenges.

We are all thankful for the dedication of two 

leaders in particular, Mr. Pat Dulin and Mr. 

Mike Scott, who will remain onboard as the 

deputy commander and executive director, 

respectively. Their contributions as acting 

commander and acting deputy commander 

over the last 10 months were outstanding! 

We are glad to be able to benefi t from their 

continued service and expertise. 

Since serving as the 379th Air Expeditionary 

Wing commander in Southwest Asia, I have 

a huge appreciation for what you do from 

the view of an end user. There is still much 

to learn, and I am eager to get out and 

see our operations fi rst-hand. Visiting our 

regions, customers and suppliers is critical, 

and together with Mr. Dulin and Mr. Scott, I 

will make every attempt to know the facets of 

DLA Energy in the coming weeks and months.

DLA Energy is already well on its way to 

forging even stronger bonds with every point 

in our supply chain as well as restructuring 

itself to these ends through Enterprise 

Business Systems Energy Convergence. With 

this progress, combined with the wealth 

of knowledge here in our organization, 

the quality of our supplier and customer 

relationships can only grow stronger.

By working together to support the warfi ghter, 

DLA Energy will continue to deliver the highquality support this organization is recognized 

for. From day-to-day mission support and 

execution to challenges and opportunities the 

future may bring, we look forward to leading 

DLA Energy as we support our combatant 

commanders worldwide.
Summer 2012

Energy Source l Summer 2012 3

pg 4

pg 22

pg 43

pg 34

Assured Excellence ............................................................. 4 

The DLA Energy Stewardship offi ce ensures troops never worry about running out 

of fuel and being stranded.

Taking in the sites .............................................................. 6 

The DLA Energy Stewardship offi ce’s Audit Readiness Site Visit team assists sites 

across DLA Energy’s regions in being audit ready.

Blue Butterfly keeps flying .............................................. 1 0

DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro, Calif., personnel take special interest in 

maintaining operations and protecting the habitat of the Palos Verde Blue 

Butterfl y for future generations. 

More than a tune up ......................................................... 16

The DLA Energy SRM division is applying the same concept of maintaining fuel 

storage facilities as car owners do for preventative maintenance.

Alternatively fueling troops ............................................ 22

DLA Energy is looking at alternative ways to support the services’ evolving 

requirements.

Enterprise Business System ............................................. 28

The Energy Convergence program is a priority for the enterprise that also 

supports the fi scal 2012 DLA Director’s Guidance for stewardship excellence, and 

will facilitate improved customer support and process effi ciency.

Fueling Europe and Africa ............................................... 30

DLA Energy Europe and Africa is divided into four divisions - international 

agreements, operations, operations support and quality assurance. Each division 

helps provide the warfi ghter with fuel.

Quality Fuel ...................................................................... 34

DLA Energy Europe and Africa quality assurance representatives accept fuel and 

pull samples to make sure it meets Defense Department specifi cations.

Contents ontents

Greener Environment ...................................................... 38

A team drawn from across DLA’s fi eld activities and directorates pushes to 

minimize hazardous materials and encourage green buying.

Front cover by: Jonathan Stack and Idella Fletcher

Back cover: stock photo

Stewardship tewardship

The face of the Defense Logistics Agency Energy.
4 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen 

should never have to worry about running out 

of fuel and being stranded, due in part of the 

Defense Logistics Agency Energy Stewardship 

offi ce.

“If a warfi ghter needs fuel, he can rest 

assure... that fuel is going to be there because 

we have validated processes in place,” said 

Devon Williams, DLA Energy Managers’ 

Internal Control Program administrator and 

lead logistics analyst in the DLA Energy 

Stewardship offi ce. 

“Our processes are constantly being evaluated 

so we can ensure on time delivery, and that 

the fuel is going to be available when and 

where it’s needed,” Williams continued.

The Stewardship offi ce helps assure 

warfi ghters that the inventory they need 

is actually there by serving as the lead to 

provide oversight and maintenance of DLA and 

DLA Energy’s fi nancial offi cer’s certifi cation 

of auditability. Assurance also comes from 

maintaining the currency of associated Offi ce 

of the Secretary of Defense management 

assertions, as well as all associated business 

processes.

The offi ce was formed in 2006 when Defense 

Department offi cials decided all agencies 

needed to be able to pass an audit. 

“DLA Energy [leadership] was smart enough 

to develop an offi ce just for that,” said 

Claudia Waters, DLA Energy Stewardship 

offi ce director. “The reason we are outside of 

the supply chain is because if we’re going to 

assess any of the controls or the processes 

that people conduct, we can’t be a part of the 

supply chain.”

The offi ce has two main missions which 

are directly linked to stewardship. The fi rst 

mission is implementing, managing and 

administering the MIC Program throughout 

DLA Energy. The MIC Program provides a 

structure to establish, assess, evaluate and 

report on DLA Energy’s system of internal 

controls in all operations areas.

“[Internal controls] are policies and 

procedures that help the organization obtain 

its goals in order to accomplish the mission,” 

said Toni Williams, a DLA Energy Stewardship 

offi ce logistics analyst. “The controls are 

supposed to be documented.”

There are four basic types of internal controls: 

• Preventive controls discourage or preempt errors or irregularities from occurring 

in, for example, computer applications 

checking transactions. 

• Detective controls detect and correct 

undesirable events that have occurred, 

such as managers preapproving purchases 

to prevent inappropriate expenses. 

• Directive controls are designed to establish 

desired outcomes, some examples of which 

are policy, laws and regulations. 

• Corrective controls are aimed at restoring 

the system to its expected state. An 

example would be having back-up 

confi guration fi les that can be reloaded to 

restore the prior state.

• Internal controls are set in place and 

need to be adhered to in order to keep 

detrimental things from happening, Toni 

said.

Internal controls help prevent fraud, waste 

or mismanagement; accidents; unauthorized 

access to information systems; mission 

failure; negative publicity and losses from 

pilferage. 

Assured Excellence ssured Excellence By Jonathan Stack
Energy Source l Summer 2012 5

Soldiers roll barrels of fuel into a vehicle. The DLA Energy Stewardship offi ce helps assure warfi ghters their fuel is available and 

delivered on Ɵ me by making sure defense fuel support points and service control points are audit ready. Photo by Army Spc. 

Kimberly Menzies

Williams is in regular contact with DLA Energy 

managers, making sure they are passing on 

the importance of the MIC Program to their 

employees. 

“The MIC program benefi ts the organization 

because it keeps us in compliance with several 

regulations,” Williams said. “The program 

benefi ts DLA because it gives us oversight 

and ensures all managers are constantly 

evaluating their processes.”

The Stewardship offi ce’s second mission is 

ensuring the defense fuel support points 

and service control points are audit ready 

in accordance with the Federal Managers’ 

Financial Intergrity Act of 1982 and Offi ce of 

Management and Budget Circular A-123. 

The Audit Readiness Site Visit team goes to 

DFSPs and service control points and looks 

at their source documentation, ensuring 

transactions are processed correctly, timely, 

and DLA Energy owned inventory is accounted 

for in accordance with policy, and they’re 

auditable.

The team assesses key controls within the 

inventory accountability process area, Waters 

said.

“We’re testing that they’re using their internal 

controls, and that every sale and receipt has 

a source document that is completed correctly 

and matches all the way through the system,” 

said Doug Collins, from the DLA Energy 

Stewardship offi ce.

The fi rst thing the team does when they get 

on-site is receive a tour and an overview of 

the facility. They look at the meters, pipes and 

vehicles to make sure the process of issuing 

fuel to the warfi ghter is correct. 

“For the DFSPs in general, we can rely on 

what they’re doing, but we have to make sure 

everyone is consistent and doing things in the 

right way,” Waters said. “An auditor is going to 

go out there and look at this stuff, so we just 

want to make sure everyone knows their role 

and responsibility in this process.”

The Stewardship offi ce also participates on the 

Audit Committee and Stewardship Committee, 

and sits in on the Business Cycle Team 

meetings.

“We show representation by giving them 

guidance, or we take the information they 

provide and review it for accuracy and 

completeness,” Toni said. 
6 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

Taking in aking in 

the Sites he Sites

6 www.energy.dla.mil

DLA Energy Stewardship offi ce Lead LogisƟ cs Analyst Doug Collins 

examines a gauging sƟ ck used to inventory ground product tanks 

that issue fuel to vehicles during an audit readiness site visit to 

Defense Fuel Support Point Stone Ranch, Conn., May 28. The 

Stewardship offi ce’s Audit Readiness Site Visit team assists sites 

across DLA Energy’s regions to become auditable. Photos by Frank 

Albert
Energy Source l Summer 2012 7

By Christopher Goulait

Are the defense fuel support points and 

service control points that the Defense 

Logistics Agency Energy supports auditable? 

That’s the question driving the actions of the 

Stewardship offi ce’s Audit Readiness Site Visit 

team as they assist sites across DLA Energy’s 

regions to become auditable.

“Bottom line, if they’re not auditable, DLA 

Energy as an organization isn’t auditable,” 

said DLA Energy Stewardship offi ce Lead 

Logistics Analyst Doug Collins. 

The Department of Defense came out with a 

statement saying all agencies needed to be 

able to pass an audit, and DLA Energy was 

smart enough to stand up an offi ce to oversee 

the audit readiness efforts, Stewardship offi ce 

Director Claudia Waters said. This offi ce is 

not a part of the DLA Energy supply chain 

business processes to provide an unbiased 

assessment of the internal controls or 

processes that people conduct.

“We’re not conducting an ‘audit;’ it’s more 

of an assessment of the controls. We’re 

evaluating the ‘key’ controls that support 

the fi nancial statements to provide a sense 

of audit readiness. If an independent audit 

team came and selected a DFSP we’ve visited, 

would they pass that audit? We’re looking, 

from our perspective, to make sure they’re 

auditable so that DLA Energy is auditable,” 

Collins explained.

“The fi rst thing we tell them when we walk in 

the door is that we’re here to help and correct 

anything you need to set you on the path to 

auditability,” he continued. “With us going 

there and showing them things, from source 

documents all the way through, it opens their 

eyes and closes the loop as to what they need 

to do and why in their roles.”

It’s providing the personnel at the DFSP with 

an understanding of their part in the audit 

readiness efforts, Waters explained. 

She noted there are key control objectives 

under the Financial Improvement Audit 

Readiness guidance set by the Offi ce of the 

Secretary of Defense for the DFSPs to meet 

audit readiness. 

The team identifi es and assesses those 

controls, but the process is more than just 

simply using a checklist.

“We actually do much more. Anything that has 

to do with the accountability of the inventory, 

we look at. We interview and observe the 

responsible offi cer, accountant and support 

personnel performing their job, and observe 

all aspects for the accountability of product. 

It’s not just the evidential matter; there’s a 

much broader scope,” Waters said.

And for those reasons, it’s necessary to be 

present at the DFSP to get the full picture, as 

Waters, Collins, and Logistics Analyst Frank 

Albert all emphasized as vital to a ensure 

audit readiness.

“You can’t do that via teleconference; you 

have to actually be there,” Waters said.

“We look at their meters, we look at their 

pipes, their vehicles– however they’re moving 

their fuel– to make sure that the process 

from when they take it from us to when they 

issue it is correct. Are they issuing their tanks 

correctly? Have the meters been calibrated? 

Is the fuel accounted for? Are they using the 

right source documents? Do they understand 

policy? Is the responsible offi cer doing 

oversight daily? You have to have boots on 

the ground,” Collins added.

Testing those and other controls allows the 

team to give both the DLA and DLA Energy 

leadership the level of assurance that the 

fi nancial statements can be relied on, and that 

they can trust that the processes are being 

done correctly, Waters said. 
8 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

The process

Making sure those statements are reliable 

may hinge on the fi ndings of a site visit, but 

the visit itself is the tip of the iceberg for 

the preparations taken by both the Audit 

Readiness Site Visit team and the DFSPs they 

visit. 

• A DFSP will be notifi ed 90 days before they 

are scheduled to be visited

• Forty-fi ve days after that, a conference call 

between the offi ce and the site will take 

place to discuss the visit in further detail.

• In the 30 days before the visit, the site 

visit team will work closely with the DFSP 

to perform in-depth research into the 

DFSP’s processes before traveling to the 

site.

• The site visit then takes place, and controls 

and processes are examined.

• Within 30 days after the visit, a draft of 

the report will be sent to the site and the 

region for review.

• Within 45 days, the DFSP will respond back 

with the corrective actions they will take to 

improve any of their processes.

“[Albert] is in the middle of what we call a 

‘data dump’ that we do in the two weeks 

before we go on a visit,” Collins said. “We 

request information from the enterprise 

server and look at all the products they have 

and how many transaction, receipts, issues, 

credits, etc., over the year for each product. 

We use OSD guidance to decide on how many 

products and sample transactions we’re going 

to look at, which varies depending on the 

size of the DFSP. We’ll take the complete, raw 

data from the DFSP and randomly select a set 

number of transactions to evaluate.”

“We use a random sampler to pull this data. 

We only provide the DFSP three days to pull 

this information, because a lot about audit 

readiness also involves being able to pull the 

information quickly and in time,” Waters said.

She noted that most auditors will give about 

four or fi ve days to pull the data, but if the 

information isn’t pulled in that window, the 

clock starts ticking and the auditors start their 

write-ups.

“We’ll go through each of those transactions, 

page by page, to see if they’ve been done 

correctly,” Collins said.

“And in a timely manner, because it’s a 

big deal to fi nd out if the transaction was 

processed on time,” Albert added.

“Since this program has started, there’s been 

a huge improvement in transactions being 

submitted in a timelier manner. For fi nancials, 

everything is about posting in the proper 

period, and if transactions aren’t submitted 

in a timely manner, it’s posted in the wrong 

period,” Waters said.

Good Stewards

Inconsistency with policy can cost the 

government money because of ineffi cient 

processes, but making sure that policy 

is followed can also prevent more dire 

consequences, Collins said.

“We’re looking to make sure a site is doing 

everything they can to be good stewards of 

the government’s resources,” Collins said.

“If they’re not documenting their inventory 

or transactions properly, they could be not 

billing a customer properly and we could 

be losing money simply because receipts 

aren’t being done correctly,” he continued. 

“We could be overpaying a contractor, or 

providing inaccurate amounts of fuel. And are 

they safeguarding our inventory? If there’s 

a problem with a process, it could result in a 

spill, and we want to work to keep that from 

happening.”

If processes or controls are being done 

improperly, we point to laws, regulations and 

policies to ensure everyone is consistent, 

Waters explained. Overall, processes that 

aren’t working effi ciently can be evaluated 

to see if there’s a way to either correct the 
Energy Source l Summer 2012 9

process as it’s being performed or the policy 

itself. Continually assessing the processes and 

controls can help to cut down on wasted costs.

Effi ciency and cost savings will also come 

about as the full transition to the Energy 

Convergence Enterprise Business System is 

implemented. 

While policy adherence, effi ciency, audit 

readiness and good stewardship may be pillars 

of this team’s responsibilities, their duties 

don’t end there.

“One thing that’s good about this team is that 

their hearts are in helping. It’s not just about 

going there, writing up a bunch of fi ndings 

and coming back, it’s: ‘What can we do to 

assist you to make things better?’ If it’s not in 

our area, we’ll make the right connections to 

get them the answers they need and follow up 

to make sure it helped,” Waters said.

“Most of the time, we’ve showed them, or 

at least pointed them in the right direction, 

to correct a problem before we even leave. 

Instead of just sending a report that says ‘fi x 

this,’ most of the time they’re well on their 

way to fi xing the problem by the time they get 

the report,” Collins explained.

“With more than 600 DFSPs, we may have 

been the fi rst DLA Energy person they’ve ever 

seen,” he continued. 

“We want to give them a good impression, 

and we want them to know DLA Energy is 

there to help. We want the regional inventory 

accountant or inventory manager to go with 

us to put faces to names and make these 

connections,” he said.

“They all want to do the right job. If we show 

them, they’re willing to learn,” Waters said.

DLA Energy Stewardship 

offi ce Lead LogisƟ cs 

Analyst Doug Collins 

takes a look at ground 

product tanks that issue 

fuel to vehicles during an 

audit readiness site visit 

to Defense Fuel Support 

Point Stone Ranch, Conn., 

May 28. The Stewardship 

offi ce’s Audit Readiness 

Site Visit team advises a 

site on adhering to policy 

and doing everything they 

can to be good stewards 

of the government’s 

resources.
10 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

PALOS

VERDE

BLUE

BUTTERFLY TTERFLY

By Lee Oppenheim, DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro, Calif.

keeps Ϋlying
Energy Source l Summer 2012 11

A capƟ ve raised Palos Verde Blue BuƩ erfl y lands on a plant at DLA Energy Americas 

at San Pedro, Calif. Photos courtesy of DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro, Calif.
12 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

Army Lt. Col. Gaff ney, DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro, Calif., admires a 

Palos Verde Blue BuƩ erfl y. Photos courtesy of DLA Energy Americas at San 

Pedro, Calif.

It was March 27, just before dusk, 

when Dr. Jana Johnson and her 

assistants rolled through the gate at 

Defense Fuel Support Point San Pedro, 

Calif., and were greeted by the leadership 

of Defense Logistics Agency Energy 

Americas at San Pedro, Calif.

The fi ve carloads of eager volunteers were on 

a journey to save a species by supporting the 

repopulation of the Palos Verde Blue Butterfl y. 

Johnson, a professor in the Biological Sciences 

Department at Moorpark College, called out, 

“hurry up we’re losing daylight,” as the convoy 

headed up the hill to the preselected butterfl y 

release area. 

Seventeen volunteers emerged from the 

vehicles and began unloading boxes with cups 

containing the nursery-raised butterfl ies. 

Johnson and her volunteers are a part of the 

Urban Wildlands Group, and this was the 

second year they released Palos Verde Blue 

Butterfl ies at this site.

“It’s a means to maintain steady natural 

populations in the wild,” Johnson said.

The Palos Verde Blue Butterfl y is still an 

endangered species, but slowly, through 

efforts like this, the populations and habitats 

are expanding. 

DLA continues to be a key conservationist 

partner with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Urban Wildlands Inc., the 

Palos Verde Peninsula Land Conservancy and 

Moorpark College, based on an environmental 

assessment conducted in 1994. In 1983, 

the Palos Verde Blue Butterfl y was thought 

to be extinct, but during the environmental 

assessment a fl uttering butterfl y was 

recognized as the long-lost species.

“We were honored to once again host the 

Urban Wildlands Group this year 

in their efforts to repopulate the 

Palos Verde Blue Butterfl y,” said 

DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro 

Commander Air Force Lt. Col. Tam 

Gaffney.

DFSP San Pedro is a central 

petroleum hub for DLA Energy in the 

Los Angeles basin. Initially operated 

by the Navy in 1942; it provided 

fuel support to the fl eet in the Los 

Angeles/Long Beach area. In 1980, 

the Navy transferred the use of the 

property to Defense Fuel Supply 

Center, now DLA Energy.

Many DLA offi ces share in this 

environmental stewardship 

responsibility. 

The DLA Installation Support 

Environment Management division, 

currently led by Army Lt. Col. 

Van Sherwood, coordinates the 
Energy Source l Summer 2012 13

 A capƟ ve raised Palos Verde Blue BuƩ erfl y is released at DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro, Calif.

biological opinion for 

endangered species 

with the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service. The 

opinion establishes 

the endangered 

species restoration 

activities and how 

protection will be 

accommodated while 

maintaining mission 

support to the 

warfi ghter. 

The partnership 

between DLA and the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service provides 

the parameters to 

operate the depot 

without having to 

constantly request 

permission for 

standard processes 

and practices within 

the depot. It also 

establishes a mutually 

benefi cial relationship 

between DLA, as 

operators of the 

DFSP, and the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife 

Service, as protectors 

of endangered 

species, and the 

Palos Verde Peninsula 

Land Conservancy 

for working to maintain 

and improve the natural 

environment.

The DLA Installation Support for Energy 

Environmental offi ce provides overall support 

working with environmental regulators and 

facility management operational controls to 

support the protection of the endangered 

species. 

The DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro offi ces 

are located on the DFSP and therefore take 

special interest in both maintaining operations 

and protecting the habitat for future 

generations. 

Two DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro 

personnel assure compliance with the 

environmental regulations while maintaining 

operations by the contractor charged with 

supporting the warfi ghter. 
14 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

A Palos Verde Blue 

BuƩ erfl y in its natural 

habitat at 

DLA Energy Americas at 

San Pedro, Calif.

Tim Hutson, DLA Energy Americas at San 

Pedro facility management specialist, 

the quality assurance representative 

and contracting offi cer’s representative 

communicate with the DLA Energy operating 

contractor, and any of the sub-contractors 

working on the DFSP. 

“In planning every aspect of our operations, 

performing maintenance above and below 

ground, or working with [Naval Facilities 

Engineering Command] contractors providing 

DLA engineering service support, our 

processes and procedures always take into 

consideration the enormous responsibilities of 

protecting endangered species like the Palos 

Verde Blue Butterfl y,” Hutson said. 

For instance, mowing is restricted during 

the breeding season on the depot, he said. 

This protects the 

reproduction and 

establishment of 

larger colonies by 

not disturbing the 

eggs laid into the 

larval food plants. 

Controlling bees on 

the DFSP has also 

been a concern, as 

they like to nest 

in cool dark places 

like valve pits and 

in the walls of the 

old plank wood 

buildings. 

In 2006, retired Air 

Force Lt. Col. Jon 

Ramer, former DLA 

Energy Americas 

at San Pedro 

commander, and 

Bowdoin Swenson, DLA Energy Americas 

at San Pedro distribution manager, became 

bee keepers and learned to maintain hives, 

thereby controlling where the bees would live. 

Their efforts determined that the honey could 

improve the captive breeding program’s 

success rates, and are attributed to the use of 

the naturally-occurring food within the habitat 

to rear new Palos Verde Blue Butterfl ies in 

captivity.

“As the only habitat in the northern Palos 

Verde peninsula that can sustain the 

endangered species, the DFSP was eager to 

contribute to the conservancy goals,” Gaffney 

said. “As environmental stewards, our policies 

directly support the conservancy’s mission to 

protect the endangered species and habitat.”
Energy Source l Summer 2012 15

(LeŌ to right) Army Lt. Col. Tam Gaff ney, Megan Dahl, Kara Walsh, Quincy Sweeney, Jane Jones, Roberta Brehm, Jana Johnson, 

NicoleƩ e Aringer, Alyssa Adams, Heather Balsamico, MaƩ Miller, Katelynn Adam, Tami Ware, Lauralynn Clopp and Lee 

Oppenheim pose for a photo.

The Palos Verde Blue he Palos Verde Blue 

Butterfly utterfly

Volunteer team olunteer team 
16 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

MORE THAN A TUNE UP

By Christopher Goulait

It may not come as a surprise to car owners 

performing periodic preventative maintenance 

and timely minor repairs can extend a car’s 

serviceable life. Apply this logic to fuel storage 

facilities and the mission of the Defense 

Logistics Agency Energy’s Sustainment, 

Restoration and Modernization division 

emerges.

The SRM program is built on four pillars. The 

fi rst is preventative maintenance. Much like 

the saying “you can pay me now...or pay me 

later,” preventative maintenance can mitigate 

or lessen the severity of a failure. 

“You change your oil not solely because it’s 

good for your engine, but also so that while 

you’re driving at speed your engine doesn’t 

stop, because that’s catastrophic,” said Jim 

Tyrrell, branch chief for the SRM division’s 

project development oversight. “It’s the small 

things you do up front that can prevent the 

catastrophic and ultimately very expensive 

fi xes.”

One facility discovered this the hard way, 

by performing little to none maintenance. 

The end result was within three to four 

years a relatively good facility went into 

total disrepair, and an inspector went in and 

identifi ed approximately $9 million in repairs 

to the pier piping, said SRM Division Chief 

Frank Rechner. 

Tyrrell added that ‘Sustainment’ are those 

maintenance and repair actions used to 

bring a facility into good, working order. 

‘Restoration’ is the action taken to bring a 

facility back up to par for its intended use. 

That may be repair, like in sustainment 

projects, or it could be replacing something. 

‘Modernization’ is change to the real property 

to allow it to have a new capability or a higher 

standard, since standards change.

“Essentially, you either bring something that’s 

broken to its intended use, you’re replacing 

components with new components so that 

something can be used as it’s intended, or 

you’re adding or upgrading real property 

capability,” Tyrrell continued.

The second pillar of the SRM methodology is a 

where the division conducts a functional and 

engineering review of an installation’s fuel 

facilities. 

“[Tyrrell’s] folks hire, through the Services 

Execution Agents, inspections teams to 

perform ‘planning studies,’ to look at 

everything inside the wire to identify what 

needs to be fi xed,” Rechner said. 

He explained the studies serve as an external 

look at an installation using a second set of 

eyes that don’t see the facilities every day. 

Additionally, he said American Petroleum 

Institute-certifi ed inspectors put their name 

and license on the line when they say that 

this tank can last so many years, or that 

some repairs are either mandatory or can 

wait. These types of inspections form the third 

pillar, Centrally Managed Programs. This series 

of periodic regulatory requiring inspections is 

performed on a large scale (the API 653 series 

tank program includes more than 4000 tanks 

alone). 

The fi nal pillar of the SRM program is 

Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization averts emergencies
Energy Source l Summer 2012 17

identifying 

defi ciencies 

by installation 

personnel. They 

operate the fuel systems day in and day out 

and know the facility better than anyone else. 

Rechner further went on to note SRM is a total 

team approach – from installation personnel, 

SRM program managers, engineers, fi nancial 

specialists, Service Control Point and 

Execution Agent partners.

Cost savings can be one overall result of 

applying these elements of SRM, he explained.

“When you replace small components of a 

system, you extend the life of that system, 

and it allows the Department of Defense to 

use that piece of real property for at least 

the extent of its intended lifespan,” Tyrrell 

said. “Most of our DoD facilities are beyond 

their intended lifespan solely because of SRM 

efforts. That saves money in the long run.” 

They look for indicators of the beginning 

phases of failure so fi xes can be made earlier, 

he explained. When something starts to fail, 

it reverberates across the system and other 

things start to fail. One bad piece can cause 

other failures throughout the system.

 “They identify what needs to be done to 

maintain, fi x or upgrade the facility. It can be 

as simple as removing and replacing a valve 

to a full-scale engineering effort to redesign 

the system,” he said.

But, even with proper and timely preventative 

maintenance and repairs, Rechner noted that 

sometimes there is no other choice but to 

rebuild a facility.

“Eventually, you’ll get to the point where 

there’s only one option, and that’s to totally 

rebuild the facility, like for P-401 in Point 

Loma, Calif. That facility was well past its 

useful life, but it was well maintained up until 

the point where there was no other option but 

to rebuild,” Rechner said.

He explained the SRM program is self-funded 

with a small percentage of the fuel’s standard 

price earmarked for the SRM budget. In these 

economic times, the military construction 

budget is not robust enough to fund every 

request.

“That’s why it’s so important to sustain 

existing facilities with preventative 

maintenance, routine inspections and repairs 

as soon as they’re identifi ed. Those things 

will sustain the facility until there’s money for 

recapitalization.” Rechner said.

Sustainment, restoraƟ on 

and modernizaƟ on 

eff orts work to prevent 

catastrophic failures, 

keeping defense fuel 

support points like DFSP 

Point Loma in California 

funcƟ oning up to or past 

their expected lifespans. 

Photos courtesy of U.S. 

Naval Supply systems 

Command Fleet LogisƟ cs 

Center San Diego, Calif.
18 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

The foundaƟ on of a new tank is under construcƟ on at a defense fuel support 

point at Point Loma, Calif., where the facility was maintained with sustainment, 

restoraƟ on and modernizaƟ on funding unƟ l it reached the end of its useful life. 

Additionally, benefi ts from SRM efforts go 

beyond good fi scal stewardship; they affect 

environmental stewardship as well, Tyrrell 

noted.

“When we talk about stewardship beyond 

the facilities, we can also talk about the 

environmental impact. That mostly falls under 

the ‘M’ of SRM: modernization. When new 

regulations come out and new technologies 

are available, we upgrade systems,” Tyrrell 

said.

Reducing air pollution through the application 

of new vapor recovery systems on dispensers 

is an example, he said. Another example 

are higher-precision gauges, which have the 

potential to control fuel fl ow better and reduce 

the risk of spillage.

“As technology gets better, it tightens our 

ability to control our resources and prevent 

environmental issues,” Tyrrell said.

“These measures also reduce costs and 

reduce waste, which ultimately supports the 

warfi ghter,” added Navy Lt. Cmdr. Bruce Kong, 

deputy SRM division chief.

Reducing waste also includes efforts to 

improve effi ciency and tailor solutions to the 

correct scale for a project, Rechner said.

“In some contracts, we have a minor repair/

quick repair caveat that allows things not 

requiring a technical review to be done very 

quickly. It doesn’t have to go through the 

whole review, and that’s something we’ve 

received accolades on. That has grown from a 

couple hundred thousand dollar program two 

years ago to close to $33 million now. We’re 

seeing the benefi ts of fewer SRM projects at 

installations where this program is in place,” 

Rechner said.

The SRM division is also working on a 
Energy Source l Summer 2012 19

continuous process improvement event, which 

is on the smaller scale than some of the 

other initiatives, but defi nitely saves time and 

money, Kong said.

“The Continuous Process Improvement 

Initiative is designed to streamline the process 

for small-dollar repairs at Government Owned 

Contractor Operated facilities, so the things 

that are easy, quick fi xes (i.e. don’t require 

engineering expertise / technical review)

can be done very quickly, instead of having 

one process to take care of small and large 

repairs. A larger-dollar repair requires more 

oversight, but a small-dollar repair may be 

able to be done by the onsite contractor,” 

explained Eric Wiedemann, from the SRM 

division’s Program Analysis and Master 

Planning branch.

Wiedemann said the team wrote an instruction 

outlining the new process, and in July they 

start measuring the results at 20 test case 

installations before implementation across the 

all government-owned, contractor-operated 

installations. 

He described the CPI event as part of the 

new SRM business model which is a multiprong approach to becoming more proactive. 

This CPI initiative complements the recurring 

maintenance program, planning studies and 

centrally managed programs.

“Ultimately, we want to get to a predictive, 

condition-based maintenance system instead 

of a reactive system,” Tyrrell added.

“When you have to react to something it 

becomes more expensive, since by that time, 

it’s broken,” he explained. “You have to pay 

to fi nd work-arounds and you have to pay to 

get people on the ground quickly, but if you’re 

in front of the problem and you predict these 

things, or you have someone to regularly look 

at conditions, you can tell where things will 

break and you can prevent those catastrophic 

failures.”

“We can keep things running in good working 

order to prevent those catastrophic failures, 

which would either cause damage to life, 

damage to the environment, or prevent us 

from doing our mission,” Tyrrell continued. 

“That’s our form of stewardship: to keep us 

from reaching an emergency.”

DFSP Point Loma

For a facility originally built in 1901 as a 

Navy coaling station, DFSP Point Loma, is 

no stranger to sustainment, restoration or 

modernization.

The facility was converted to fuel oil storage 

between 1917 and 1942, said Stephen Frey, 

regional fuels director for U.S. Naval Supply 

Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center San 

Diego. 

When aviation fuel was added as a product 

in 1954, a government-owned pipeline was 

installed to feed a naval air station, which is 

now tied to a commercial pipeline providing 

95 percent of all the fuel used at DFSP Point 

Loma. 

Piping rigging that will go around new tanks at Defense Fuel 

Support Point Point Loma, Calif., is installed as a military 

construcƟ on eff ort P-401 rebuilds the facility aŌ er it reached 

the end of its lifecycle. 
20 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

However, with aboveground and underground 

bulk storage tanks mainly constructed 

between 1917 and 1954, much of the facility 

was considered obsolete by today’s standards, 

said Military Construction P-401 Coordinator 

Art Van Rooy.

“Over a 10-year period, DLA spent some $59 

million in maintenance and repair projects, but 

SRM expenditures could not keep up with the 

failing systems,” Frey added.

“Basically, the piping and tanks had outlived 

their useful life cycle and needed to be 

replaced,” Frey continued. “The facility was 

originally built to store and issue Navy special 

fuel oil, and when the lighter distillates 

came along, 40 percent of the storage tanks 

that were made of riveted steel became a 

maintenance nightmare.”

That nightmare evolved into a problem 

of weeping along the rivets and seams, 

eventually leading to several popped rivets 

and a leak, Frey explained.

“By 2002, FLC San Diego realized that 

continuing with a SRM ‘Band-Aid’ approach 

to repairing the aging facilities was not 

economically viable,” Van Rooy said.

He explained a request for MILCON P-401, 

the designation number for the Point Loma 

project, was sent to the Installation Planning 

and Review Board for inclusion in the fi scal 

year 2008 DLA MILCON program.

Both Frey and Van Rooy emphasized there 

was never a point of mission failure to DLA 

Energy or the Navy. 

A number of DLA Energy-funded SRM projects 

repaired the infrastructure and maintained 

operational status while MILCON efforts took 

place. Those, together with smaller and more 

frequent resupply deliveries coordinated 

through DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro, 

ensured uninterrupted fuel support continued 

for all customers in the area.

“P-401 is a military construction project, not 

an SRM project. However, MILCON P-401 

should signifi cantly reduce lifecycle SRM costs 

at DFSP Point Loma in the out-years,” Van 

Rooy noted.

“SRM and MILCON funding do not come 

from the same funding stream, but both are 

needed to keep the facility in compliance 

with regulatory rules and regulations,” Frey 

explained. “As the operator of the facility, we 

are charged by law to be good stewards of 

the government infrastructure we are given to 

run.” 

Defense LogisƟ cs Agency Energy ExecuƟ ve Director Mike ScoƩ 

and DLA Energy Americas at San Pedro, Calif., U.S. Naval Supply 

Systems Command Fleet LogisƟ cs Center San Diego and NAVSUP 

Energy members view the interior of a tank aŌ er it was coated, 

but before the fl oaƟ ng pan is installed at Defense Fuel Support 

Point Point Loma, Calif., May 8. 

A 

fue

co

fal

sum
Energy Source l Summer 2012 21

“SRM is a ‘must’ resource required to 

make minor adjustments to the systems, 

its infrastructure and to meet regulatory 

requirements or changes,” he continued. 

“SRM will also help maintain the facility 

after the MILCON projects are completed, 

and without SRM funding it would be 

impossible to maintain a facility of this size 

in compliance with federal, state, and local 

requirements.”

Van Rooy outlined several aspects of the 

MILCON project that will result in greater 

SRM effi ciencies in the future. For example, 

the number of tanks requiring maintenance 

will decrease from 57 to 16, reducing the 

footprint of the DFSP from 200 acres to 40 

acres. Modern valves, gauges and pumps 

also requiring less maintenance are being 

installed, and the DFSP is taking steps to 

establish a comprehensive preventative 

maintenance system program.

And, these construction efforts are only a 

portion of the project’s effects on stewardship 

of government resources. 

In terms of fi nancial stewardship, Van Rooy 

explained oversight of the prime contractor 

both on-site and through monthly fi nancial 

status reports ensure funds are used as 

planned. Future cost reductions are also 

taken into account with new features like 

interior fl oating pans, the latest automated 

tank gauging equipment and new automated 

fuel handling equipment system that should 

signifi cantly improve inventory accuracy and 

reduce inventory losses.

Facility design will also affect environmental 

stewardship, as Van Rooy continued to 

explain. Along with reducing the DFSP’s 

footprint, the tanks will move farther away 

from residential housing. The interior fl oating 

pans will reduce evaporation and volatile 

organic compound emissions and odor 

inside the tanks, while white coating outside 

the tanks refl ect heat and further prevent 

evaporation. Steps are also being taken to 

reduce noise, dust and emission pollution 

from the construction site, with 96 percent of 

construction and demolition debris diverted 

from landfi lls.

On-site environmental efforts also include 

processing more than 50,000 tons of 

contaminated soil using a skid-mounted 

low temperature thermal desorption 

unit rather than transporting the soil to 

remote treatment or disposal facility. 

Treated soil is stockpiled on site to fi ll the 

underground storage tanks as a part of the 

decommissioning project, Van Rooy said. 

Recycling and traffi c control efforts have kept 

an estimated 3,000 dump trucks off the roads 

surrounding the site, reducing impact to the 

civilian community, he continued.

Frey notes that the advantages from 

this construction extend beyond reduced 

environmental risks to include reduced 

operating costs and best management 

practices.

“The MILCON will bring DFSP Point Loma into 

the 21st century, providing it with a new life 

expectancy of 50-plus years, multiproduct 

storage capability, operational simplicity, 

reduced environmental liability and increased 

employee safety,” he said.

A tank's sump and 24-inch issue line are installed at a defense 

fuel support point at Point Loma, Calif., as a part of its military 

construcƟ on eff orts. Fuel above the fl ange is issuable fuel. Once it 

falls below the fl ange, the pipe loses sucƟ on and the piping in the 

sump allows the fuel to be drained.
22 www.energy.dla.mil

Alternatively lternatively fueling troops ueling troops

Without energy, the planes, ships, 

vehicles and other energy-consuming 

equipment the military services use every 

day would come to a grinding halt. To keep 

the warfi ghter going, the Defense Logistics 

Agency Energy is looking at alternative and 

renewable ways to support the services’ 

evolving requirements.

“Our mission has expanded from what it 

once was 60 years ago, and today, the 

growth of our military services’ energy needs 

is redefi ning many aspects of our energy 

support,” said Patrick Dulin, DLA Energy 

deputy commander. 

By Christopher Goulait
Energy Source l Summer 2012 23

The Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force air demonstraƟ on squadron, perform 

precision aerobaƟ cs during the 2011 Joint Service Open House at Joint Base 

Andrews, Md. The Thunderbirds used a 50/50 blend of biofuel produced 

from camelina and convenƟ onal petroleum jet fuel provided by DLA Energy 

for the demonstraƟ on. Photo by Air Force Senior Airman Perry Aston
24 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

During the Joint Petroleum Seminar Dec. 15, 

2011, held at DLA headquarters, Assistant 

Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy 

Plans and Programs Sharon Burke said 

DoD accounts for 80 percent of all federal 

government use of fuel and 2 percent of liquid 

fuels when it comes to the entire country’s 

consumption. 

“As a single institution user, we are a very 

signifi cant player in consumption terms,” she 

said.

She explained the department is being asked 

to do more with less, and that the reality is, 

even given that responsibility, the DoD has 

been tasked with more missions. 

“Even though the troops have improved 

capabilities, the energy challenge is getting 

more complicated,” she said.

One of the measures she highlighted 

for rising to this challenge was 

diversifying the range of options there 

are for sources of fuel that can meet 

the department’s mission.

“With that in mind, as the energy 

environment changes, DLA Energy 

is evolving as a proactive player in 

the development of alternative fuels 

and renewable energy solutions,” 

Dulin said. “As an organization, we 

are devoted to the pursuit of energy 

sources that go beyond our traditional 

petroleum-based support.” 

Part of DLA Energy’s responsibility is 

to follow DoD’s Operational Energy 

Strategy’s basic tenets, he said. The 

agency will have more fi ght for less 

fuel, reducing demand while increasing 

effi ciency. 

“We will have more options for less 

risk, expanding and diversifying our 

energy sources, and we will have more 

capability for less cost, integrating 

energy into the entirety of force 

development planning,” he added.

This, as it relates to alternative fuels 

U.S. sailors conduct maneuvers aboard vessels, 

powered by an alternaƟ ve fuel blend of 50 percent 

algae-based and 50 percent NATO F-76 fuels, during 

test runs at Naval StaƟ on Norfolk, Va. DLA Energy is 

a proacƟ ve player in the development of alternaƟ ve 

fuels. Photo by Navy PeƩ y Offi cer 2nd Class Cliff ord 

Davis
Energy Source l Summer 2012 25

and renewable energy, ranges from reducing 

energy use to reducing our dependency 

on foreign oil, along with employing more 

environmentally friendly fuels to effi ciently 

and effectively meet the DoD’s immediate and 

future fuel needs. 

Several components of DLA Energy’s 

workforce engage the alternative fuels and 

renewable energy industries in all levels of 

development, from research and development 

to testing and evaluation, and, fi nally, 

contracting and implementation. 

“From a single individual to an organizationwide effort, this work is how we support the 

military services’ aggressive goals for the use 

of alternative fuels, and these goals have been 

a focus of DLA Energy’s attention for several 

years now,” Dulin said. 

Each military service determines its own 

requirements, specifi cations and quantities, 

and DLA Energy procures the alternative fuel 

for them. 

“With each service’s unique requirements, 

come their unique goals, which we’re proud to 

support,” Dulin said.

For example, the Navy aims to sail the Great 

Green Fleet by 2016 and have 50 percent of 

their total energy consumption come from 

alternative sources by 2020; the Air Force 

goals include being prepared to acquire 

50 percent of domestic aviation fuel from 

alternative blends greener than petroleum by 

2016 and the Army is looking to use 16 million 

gallons of wide-use jet fuel, JP8, by 2018, and 

22 million gallons by 2020. 

“Our immediate objective is to support the 

military services’ testing and certifi cation 

efforts, working toward approved 

specifi cations for drop-in replacement 

alternative fuels,” Dulin said. “We are looking 

for full integration of these alternative fuels 

into the supply chain.”

Alternative fuels will be usable without 

modifi cations to current aircraft, ships, 

vehicles and generators, but the aim is also 

to use existing infrastructure to transport and 

store this next generation of fuels, Dulin said. 

“This represents a true partnering with the 

services to create viable alternative fuel 

solutions,” he added.

Between 2007 to 2009, DLA Energy delivered 

730 thousand U.S. gallons of Fischer-Tropsch 

derived coal-to-liquid or gas-to-liquid fuel for 

Air Force and Navy test programs through 

four contracts. And, since 2009, DLA Energy 

awarded eight contracts for hydrotreated 

renewable fuels, to include HRJ8, HRJ5 and 

HRF76 as renewable versions of standard jet 

propellant and marine diesel fuels.

Marines set up the Ground 

ExpediƟ onary Energy Network 

System, a joint venture by the 

Navy and Marine Corps to fi nd 

alternate power systems to 

decrease the dependability, on 

Camp Tombstone in Helmand 

province, Afghanistan. 

DLA Energy assists bases, 

installaƟ ons, laboratories and 

other federal and military 

locaƟ ons seeking on-site 

renewable energy generaƟ on. 

Photo by Marine Sgt. Laura 

Bonano
26 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

“So far, we have procured 

1,084,450 U.S. gallons of the 

hydrotreated renewable fuel for 

research and development and 

test goals for the services,” Bulk 

Petroleum Director Bruce Blank 

said.

“And we have worked to procure 

more than 42.7 million gallons 

of alternate ground fuels B20 

and E85 between 2007 and 

2011,” added Direct Delivery 

Fuels Deputy Director Dave 

Peterson.

These fuels are being tested 

by all of the military services 

for use in their existing ships, 

vehicles and aircraft, and have 

real-world applications. 

“The intricacies of developing 

a biofuel from an appropriate 

feedstock, manufacturing and 

blending the fuel, transporting 

and storing it, and ensuring the 

fuel behaves the same way a 

traditional fuel would inside an 

engine are all areas of concern 

for the services,” Quality/

Technical Support Offi ce Director 

Pam Serino said. 

Because of these challenges, 

extensive research and testing 

continue to take place to 

ensure that the effects on 

engine performance, safety and 

maintenance are comparable

The Air Force Thunderbirds perform 

aerobaƟ cs during the 2011 Joint Service 

Open House at Joint Base Andrews, Md. 

DLA Energy conƟ nues to provide the 

Air Force with biofuel to use with their 

aircraŌ s. Photo by Air Force Senior Airman 

Perry Aston
Energy Source l Summer 2012 27

to traditional fuel, Serino continued.

In March 2010, an Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt 

II successfully completed the fi rst test fl ight 

of a military aircraft propelled with a 50/50 

blend of biofuel produced from camelina and 

conventional petroleum jet fuel. 

In 2011, the Air Force successfully fl ew its 

F-22 Raptor at supercruise speeds, employing 

the 50/50 camelina blend, and the Air Force 

Thunderbirds used the fuel during the May 

2011 air show at Joint Base Andrews.

“The military services are continuing their 

ongoing process of testing and certifi cation of 

their military aviation and marine platforms 

on a variety of alternative fuel technologies. 

This includes fuel quality, engine performance, 

safety of fl ight, and materials and emissions 

testing, that is required proving these fuels as 

‘fi t for purpose,’” Serino said. “As the current 

certifi cation process for hydroprocessed 

biofuel or ‘HEFA’ comes to completion, they 

continue with the task of approving alcoholbased jet fuel, known as alcohol to jet or ATJ.” 

“Continuing tests such as these highlight 

the broadening application of alternative 

fuel blends in our nation’s military ships and 

aircraft,” she continued.

DLA Energy is also leveraging its research and 

development program to advance the stateof-knowledge on alternative fuels. 

“Our projects include a variety of alternative 

fuels and renewable energy-related initiatives, 

such as analyzing carbon capture and 

sequestration, and the development of an 

electronic power control and conditioning 

gamma system – a mobile 500-kilowatt 

containerized system that can integrate 

conventional and renewable sources of 

electric power and convert direct current 

to alternating current, facilitating load 

management,” Dulin said. 

Renewable energy also plays a role in DLA 

Energy’s contracting support for green energy, 

with several projects involving solar, biomass 

or geothermal resources. DLA Energy assists 

bases, installations, laboratories and other 

federal and military locations seeking on-site 

renewable energy generation. 

“We provide contracting expertise for a variety 

of renewable energy efforts of varying scopes, 

scales and lengths,” Dulin said.

DLA Energy also helps installations meet their 

federally-mandated renewable energy goals 

through acquisition support for these on-site 

renewable energy projects, or through the 

purchase of renewable energy credits.

DLA Energy has awarded contracts for 

more than 6.5 million megawatt hours of 

renewable electricity generated from wind, 

biomass, landfi ll gas, municipal solid waste 

and hydroelectric resources in the form of 

renewable energy credits since 2003. 

“This accomplishment, valued at $7.9 

million, represents proof that for each credit 

awarded, one megawatt-hour of electricity 

was generated by a renewable energy source,” 

Installation Energy Contracting Offi cer Cynthia 

Ralph said.

DLA Energy is not alone in the pursuit of 

green energy market development, and is 

currently the chair for an interagency working 

group focused on alternative fuels, allowing 

federal agencies open communication in an 

ever-growing fi eld. 

Developments, tools or resources of one 

agency can assist the projects of others in the 

group without duplication of efforts. 

“Learning from each other’s processes helps 

us in fi nding the most effi cient and effective 

paths to harnessing alternative fuels for 

government and military use, while setting the 

stage for industry to fl ourish down the road,” 

Dulin said.

He added collaboration among like-minded 

agencies is essential to the successful 

development and implementation of 

alternative fuels and renewable energy 

throughout the federal government.
28 www.energy.dla.mil

Stewardship tewardship

Enterprise nterprise

Business System

By Terry Shawn

The Defense Logistics Agency is using cuttingedge technology to focus on supply chain 

management, the agency’s core business. 

The Enterprise Business System modernizes 

and refi nes the agency’s supply chain 

management capabilities by replacing aging 

technology legacy systems, improving 

customer support and providing better access 

to DLA’s portfolio of business systems and 

processes. The program manages functional 

boundaries, integrates project schedules and 

manages resource requirements and risks. 

EBS enables DLA to consistently deliver new 

capabilities while minimizing transition risk to 

both the agency and the warfi ghter.

Integral to EBS is the Energy Convergence 

program, a priority for the enterprise that 

also supports the fi scal 2012 DLA Director’s 

Guidance for stewardship excellence. It 

will implement information technology 

enhancements to facilitate improved customer 

support and business process effi ciencies. 

Energy Convergence will bring the DLA Energy 

business into EBS.

“The implementation of Energy Convergence 

to the EBS system will ensure the energy 

supply chain meets the same level of 

compliance with audit readiness as the rest 

of DLA,” said Claudia Waters, DLA Energy 

Stewardship offi ce director.

“The Energy Convergence program is 

implementing a comprehensive, integrated 

solution for DLA by extending EBS to DLA 

Energy,” said Mike Broderick, director of 

the Business Process Support directorate. 

“It is required to meet audit readiness in 

accordance with Federal Information System 

Controls Audit Manual standards.”

The Energy Convergence program will 

fulfi ll the Deputy Secretary of Defense 

memorandum to integrate DLA Energy’s 

supply chain with the DLA Business 

Enterprise Architecture, fulfi ll the National 

Defense Authorization Act and the Offi ce 

of Management and Budget mandates for 

business process reengineering.

“As we do this, were impacting all of our 

suppliers, all of our customers, all of our 

DFSP customers, our direct vendor delivery 

customers, as well as our customers who 

buy from us out of stock from a DFSP” said 

Broderick.

Broderick, who is responsible for Energy 

Convergence implementation, in DLA Energy 

also explained as an integrated EBS solution, 

the Energy Convergence program will adopt 

EBS business processes and standard 

organizational structure. Energy Convergence 

will:

• Align the DLA Energy petroleum supply 

chain with industry practices to enable best 

in class operations.

• Integrate DLA Energy’s supply chain with 

DLA’s Enterprise Business System, and 

will provide transparency and clarity into 
Energy Source rgy Source l Summer 2012 Summer 2 012 29

business processes to enable integrated 

business thinking and fi nancial compliance.

• Standardize DLA Energy’s business 

processes and enable process 

improvements and synchronization across 

the enterprise.

• Provide effi cient access to data and 

analytic capability to improve decision 

making, performance and service to 

customers.

• And, ultimately, integrate DLA Energy’s 

business processes in EBS to foster a 

stronger enterprise and enable continued 

commitment to warfi ghter support, 

stewardship excellence and workforce 

development.

• Release 1 included confi guring existing 

EBS functionality, modifying some existing 

energy business processes, training DLA 

personnel and transferring necessary data 

into EBS to enable use. 

Release 2 will provide the following system 

capabilities for DLA Energy petroleum 

business units:

• The ability to plan and schedule bulk 

shipments based on supply and demand, 

as well as monitor physical inventory and 

transportation.

• Technical and quality support throughout 

the life-cycle of the national stock number.

• End-to-end sales processing from 

Enterprise External Business Portal, Fuels 

Manager Defense and Customer Card 

Programs to EBS.

• Wide Area Work Flow electronic invoicing, 

receipt and acceptance.

• Automatic execution of delivery and issue 

documents, receipt/issue processing and 

inventory reconciliation.

• Contract writing tool from procurement 

requirements through solicitation, 

evaluation and award.

• Interfacing to and from Bid Evaluation 

Model to SRM.

• Custom business intelligence reporting.

• Automatic posting to customer/vendorfacing systems.

• Automation of retroactive unit price 

adjustments.

• Electronic inventory and maintenance for 

all real property assets, equipment and 

system components.

For general information on the Energy 

Convergence Program, employees should go 

to https://eworkplace.dla.mil/sites/org/j6/

j62/EBS/ec/Pages/default.aspx.
Energy

30 www.energy.dla.mil

F

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D A

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A FUELING EUROPE AND AFRICA

From the fjords of Norway to the Sahara desert in 

Africa, Defense Logistics Agency Energy Europe and Africa 

personnel ensure uninterrupted fuel and energy to U.S. 

assets, including mission support, logistics planning and 

customer engagement.

Army Col. Robert Weaver, DLA Energy Europe and Africa 

commander, represents the DLA director within the Europe 

and Africa region, and is responsible for providing full 

warfi ghter support to U.S. European Command, U.S. 

Africa Command, U.S. Department of State and U.S. 

Transportation Command. 

DLA Energy Europe and Africa is divided into four divisions 

– International Agreements, Operations, Operations 

Support and Quality Assurance. 

“We are continually synchronizing our engagement with 

the [combatant commands],” Weaver said. “We’re more 

than fuel and logistics, we are a strategic enabler.” 

By Irene Smith
Energy Source l Summer 2012 31

As a strategic enabler to EUCOM, AFRICOM 

and NATO, Weaver oversees operations in 

104 countries where there are two thousand 

languages spoken and more than 800 ethnic 

groups represented.

DLA Energy Europe and Africa’s biggest 

consumer of fuel is the Air Force, followed by 

the Navy.

Enabling communication nabling communication

DLA Energy Europe and Africa reies heavily 

on the efforts of its liaison offi cers to 

communicate with the COCOMs, service 

components and NATO. 

A major role of LNOs is to provide expert 

technical advice to shape the COCOMs’ 

requirements, concepts and plans. LNOs work 

with EUCOM and AFRICOM logisticians to help 

forecast customers’ need for fuel. 

“We look for ways to ensure the fuel is 

positioned to reduce operating costs,” Weaver 

said. “On the supplier side, we continue to 

work with suppliers in support of DLA and 

ensure inventory worldwide.”

“The challenges of getting fuel to the right 

place at the right time are numerous,” said 

Chuck Gross, DLA Energy Europe and Africa 

deputy director. “Aside from the routine of 

quality checks, inventory monitoring, ensuring 

transportation and order ship times; fuel 

movement within or from Turkey, Eastern 

European countries, and Africa have their own 

set of unique challenges.”

These include: working through complicated 

customs and export procedures, clearance 

at security checkpoints, ensuring vendor 

documentation is correct and updated, in 

some cases convoying fuel trucks and poor 

roads and infrastructure that at times is 

unusable during the monsoon season or 

during severe weather conditions, he said.

As the AFRICOM LNO for DLA Energy Europe 

and Africa, one of Sam Cooks duties is to 

help shape the command’s fuel requirements, 

refi ning them and passing them on for 

contract action. 

Cooks said he helps defi ne requirements, 

looks at existing capability, provides 

recommendations on courses of action, and if 

required helps outline the specifi cs necessary 

for a contracting offi cer at DLA Energy to 

solicit and execute an effective contract 

solution. 

“Fuel operations and mission support in the 

African command area is increasing,” Cook 

said. “Africa is a big continent with limited 

infrastructure, and has limited petroleum 

capabilities and large distances between the 

supplier and the customer location.” 

There is a lack of vendor base that is familiar 

with DLA customer requirements, and it’s 

always a challenge to fi nd vendors that can 

meet and perform DLA Energy’s needs, he 

continued. 

“There is virtually no fuel infrastructure 

outside major cities,” Weaver explained. 

“Most fuel operations utilize Into-Plane 

contracts. [DLA Energy Direct Fuels Delivery] 

recently awarded three-year [Post Camps and 

Stations] contracts to support operations in 

Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and the Seychelles.”

(LeŌ ) DLA Energy is represented in many areas throughout the U.S. European and U.S. Africa Commands’ area of responsibiliƟ es. 

DLA Energy Europe and Africa personnel share responsibility for a petroleum laboratory located in Kaiserslautern, Germany; 

fuel tanks and fuel lines at the Speyer Defense Fuel Support Point in Speyer, Germany and a hydrant system on the fl ight line of 

the Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Photos by Irene Smith
Energy

32 www.energy.dla.mil

International Agreements nternational Agreements 

“In Europe, a large part of the fuel support 

to the U.S. military comes from reciprocal 

agreements negotiated and overseen by [DLA 

Energy] International Agreements personnel,” 

Weaver said.

From the central Europe pipeline system 

in Germany to the northern Italy pipeline 

system and pipelines in Spain, Turkey and 

United Kingdom, DLA Energy has agreements 

to support energy 

requirements as needed. 

“The agreements are in 

place to help execute 

EUCOM contingency 

plans, preserve strategic 

partnerships, ensure a 

strong NATO partnership 

and enable a successful 

International Security 

Assistance Force 

transition in Iraq.” 

Weaver said. “It’s about 

building partnerships 

and engaging foreign 

countries in operations.”

DLA Energy’s military 

partners provide 

extensive worldwide 

fuel support to one 

another, and the 

organization has 

12 fuel exchange 

agreements in the European theater, Weaver 

said. 

“We look for opportunities to create logistical 

effi ciencies and optimize fuel operations 

around the world,” he said.

DLA Energy’s Fuel Exchange Agreement 

program is also available for U.S. allies for 

fuel support. In Europe, there are 16 fuel 

storage agreements in place, totaling 9.2 

million barrels. DLA Energy has 44 fuel 

agreements worldwide, 22 of which fall within 

the DLA Energy Europe and Africa area of 

responsibility.

 “DLA understands how important these 

international relationships are, and actively 

works to support the COCOMs,” said EUCOM 

Director of Logistics Navy Rear Adm. William 

Brown.

An example of DLA Energy 

strengthening relationships 

with other countries was 

when DLA Energy Europe 

and Africa hosted a U.S. 

European Command-Russia 

bilateral fuels delegation in 

Kaiserslautern, Germany, in 

May. 

The Russian visit was 

the continuation of U.S.-

Russia strategic bilateral 

engagement, and is part 

of an effort to promote 

fuels interoperability during 

bilateral and multi-national 

exercises.

The visit was designed to 

familiarize the Russians 

with U.S. and NATO military 

fuel specifi cations and fuel 

handling capabilities, and to 

strategically map out the way ahead for U.S.-

Russian fuel interoperability.

Brown and Weaver accompanied the Russian 

delegation for a tour of the DLA Energy 

laboratory at Rhine Ordnance Barracks 

in Kaiserslautern, Germany, one of two 

worldwide DLA Energy petroleum laboratories. 

The lab supports the U.S. Central Command, 

An Airman collects fuel for tesƟ ng at the fuels control 

center of the 86th LogisƟ cs Readiness Squadron/

LogisƟ cs Group Readiness Flight at Ramstein Air 

Base, Germany.
Energy Source l Summer 2012 33

EUCOM and AFRICOM quality surveillance 

mission.

 “We use the DLA Energy lab as a strategic 

platform and as an engagement opportunity 

with our European and NATO partners,” Brown 

said. “Russia is one of the top four countries 

for engagement.”

Brown said the U.S.-Russia bilateral fuels 

visit is a big endeavor, and he wants to make 

sure they can move forward with NATO and 

Russian interoperability. He also supports 

the goal of establishing a fuel exchange 

agreement.

“Both parties are focused on developing 

interoperability of aviation, Navy and ground 

fuels, fuel handling equipment and movement 

toward establishing U.S.-Russia fuels 

implementing prearrangement,” he said. 

Airmen monitor fuel levels and receipts to make sure fuel levels are maintained and ready to support aircraŌ operaƟ ons at the 86th 

LogisƟ cs Readiness Squadron/LogisƟ cs Group Readiness Flight at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Energy

34 www.energy.dla.mil

DLA Energy Quality Assurance Specialist Axel 

Spear prepares fuel for tesƟ ng at the fuel lab 

in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The lab is the only 

one of its kind in Europe. Photos by Beth Reece

34 www.energy.dla.mil
Energy Source l Summer 2012 35

By Beth Reece, DLA Strategic Communications

Whether they’re checking the quality 

of fuel at a refi nery in Greece or 

inspecting a vendor in one of the most 

poverty-stricken countries in Africa, 

quality assurance representatives 

working for Defense Logistics Agency 

Energy Europe and Africa expect to 

get their hands dirty.

“They’re the ones out there accepting fuel 

and pulling samples to make sure it meets 

specifi cations. And often, they’re working in 

intense heat or cold, with heavy stress and 

a heavy workload,” said Lanny Collums, a 

supervisory quality assurance specialist who 

leads about half of the 20 quality assurance 

representatives assigned throughout Europe 

and Africa.

More than 770 million gallons of fuel were 

issued to customers in Europe, Africa, Iraq 

and Turkey in fi scal 2011, primarily at 60 

defense fuel support points, 87 into-plane and 

25 bunker locations. The largest consumer 

was Ramstein Air Base, Germany, which is a 

hub for supplies going into Afghanistan.

In that time frame, DLA Energy Europe and 

Africa supported about 70 exercises and 

operations with everything from jet fuel to 

various grades of ground products, and even 

helium for Army aerostat platforms that 

provide surveillance, said Air Force Capt. 

Carissa Deeney, operations offi cer. 

DLA Energy Europe and Africa Deputy 

Director Chuck Gross said increasing military 

operations in austere locations in Africa and 

Turkey and declining resources are daily 

challenges for his 85-member team. 
Energy

36 www.energy.dla.mil

“The reality is, these days we’re being asked 

to support the warfi ghter in more remote 

locations, far from established bases, in areas 

with little to no infrastructure. That also 

means fi nding and dealing with new suppliers 

and working with government agencies to 

resolve complicated customs regulations and 

tax issues that aren’t an issue in the U.S. and 

Western Europe.” he said.

Liaison offi cers partner with the logistics 

staffs at U.S. European Command and U.S. 

Africa Command to help forecast customers’ 

need for fuel. But providing fuel for military 

exercises and contingency operations has 

become especially diffi cult due to the fl uid 

nature of those operations, added Army Col. 

Robert Weaver, commander of DLA Energy 

Europe and Africa. 

DLA Energy Direct Delivery Fuels contracting 

representatives are currently working on a 

blanket ordering agreement that Weaver said 

will enable his organization to better meet 

short-notice requirements for troops in Africa. 

“With the blanket ordering agreement, we’ll 

have vendors that are already vetted, so when 

a requirement does come up, the solicitation 

process will be faster,” he said.

Depending on the quantity of fuel needed 

and the duration of the requirement, DLA 

Energy Europe and Africa can also turn to 

local purchase agreements, direct-delivery 

contracts and one-time spot buys, Deeney 

added. 

When U.S. forces launched Operation Odyssey 

Dawn with airstrikes in Libya in March 2011 

on short notice, energy experts in Europe 

scrambled to expedite fuel resupply to cover a 

125 percent increase in jet fuel consumption 

to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, 

Italy, said Phillip Greene, a DLA warfi ghter 

support representative who serves customers 

in northern Italy and U.S. Army Africa. 

Tests at the DLA Energy Fuel Lab in Kaiserslautern, Germany, 

ensure the fuel used by military customers throughout 

Europe and Africa meets military specifi caƟ ons.
Energy Source l Summer 2012 37

The effort was renamed Operation Unifi ed 

Protector on March 31, when NATO assumed 

command. Between then and October 2011, 

DLA Energy Europe and Africa contributed in 

providing 209 million gallons of fuel products 

to U.S. forces and another 40 million to 

coalition partners. 

DLA Energy DDF also arranged direct delivery 

of fuel from Turkey for the Department 

of State as it assumed responsibility for 

operations in Iraq. The effort meant a huge 

learning curve for DLA and DoS alike, said Air 

Force Maj. Todd McDowell, operations offi cer.

“Dealing with clearance requirements from 

newly-formed organizations in the Iraqi 

government, reacting to detained convoys 

and drivers, and making sure our vendors are 

providing quality product on time have been a 

huge challenge,” he said. 

DLA representatives also trained State 

Department offi cials on fuel inventory 

management and standard operating 

procedures for ordering, coordinating delivery 

and receiving fuel products.

In November, offi cials setting up a remote 

site in eastern Turkey requested DLA’s help 

to determine why fuel wasn’t fl owing properly 

into generators that run the system. 

“The site is over an hour from the closest 

town, and securing fuel to run the generators 

and vehicles presented a big challenge, which 

was complicated by poor roads and severe 

weather,” Deeney said. 

Subzero temperatures and a lack of fi ltration 

capability were keeping fuel from getting 

into the generators, so Army Sgt. 1st Class 

Juan Nieves, an operations noncommissioned 

offi cer assigned to Incirlik Air Base, 

Turkey, was sent to the site. Finding that 

the equipment had been set up wrong, 

Nieves helped identify equipment needs 

and familiarized site operators with fuel 

maintenance procedures.

“The difference we were able to make there 

and elsewhere is a testament to our team’s 

expertise and to their willingness to help 

warfi ghters whenever possible,” Gross said. 

Air Force Chief Master 

Sgt. Howard Heisey, 

86th LogisƟ cs Readiness 

Squadron fuels manager, 

discusses fuel quality 

with Lanny Collums, 

a supervisory quality 

assurance specialist for DLA 

Energy Europe and Africa.
We Are DLA e Are DLA

388 www.energy.dla.mil .energy.dla.mil

GREENER

ENVIRONMENT NVIRONMENT

There’s a Defense Logistics Agency team 

revolutionizing the way the agency does 

business and making it more environmentally 

friendly in all its business practices, garnering 

big successes along the way.

The DLA Supply Chain Sustainability and 

Hazardous Materials Minimization Team was 

established in November 2008 in response 

to executive orders and a governmentwide 

trend toward reducing hazardous materials 

and encouraging the use of environmentally 

preferred, or “green,” products. The team 

includes representatives from throughout 

the agency. Its members are logisticians, 

product specialists, business process analysts, 

chemists, engineers, acquisition specialists, 

standardization specialists, program 

managers, and technical and quality analysts, 

and they work together to make the agency 

greener and even more effective and effi cient. 

“We have a hard-working team,” said James 

Reed, DLA’s Hazardous Minimization Program 

manager. “Currently there are 36 members 

on our team, and we all work together, 

along with the military services. We’re 

out there promoting DLA [and] promoting 

environmentally preferred products.”

Reed runs the program tasked with tracking 

the receipt, storage and handling of hazardous 

materials while also reducing the use of such 

materials. The other major program run by 

the Supply Chain Sustainability and Hazardous 

Materials Minimization Team is the Supply 

By Sara Moore, DLA Strategic Communications

The Defense Logistics Agency works to sustainably he Defense Logistics Agency works to sustainably

• DLA Aviation team members worked with Naval Air Systems Command to 

identify and qualify alternatives to high volatile organic compound and 

hazardous air pollutant aircraft cleaners, whose use contributes to groundlevel ozone or photochemical smog formation that harms humans and 

damages vegetation. Installations using high volatile organic compounds 

and hazardous air pollutants cleaners in localities with stringent air quality 

rules may suffer adverse impacts on their ability to perform their mission. 

• DLA Aviation team members worked with Naval Air Systems Command to 

identify and qualify alternatives to high volatile organic compound and 

hazardous air pollutant aircraft cleaners, whose use contributes to groundlevel ozone or photochemical smog formation that harms humans and 

damages vegetation. Installations using high volatile organic compounds 

and hazardous air pollutants cleaners in localities with stringent air quality 

rules may suffer adverse impacts on their ability to perform their mission. 

38 www.energy.dla.mil
Energy Source EEnergy Source Energy Sourcel Summer 2012 lSu Summer 2012 Summer 20012 3939

Chain Sustainability Program, which focuses 

on offering customers environmentally 

responsible products and services.

“With both these programs, the team works 

to bridge the gap between people in the 

environmental sector and people in the 

logistics world,” Reed said. 

Often, similar initiatives are being 

worked on under the Offi ce of the Under 

Secretary of Defense for Installations and 

Environment and the deputy assistant 

secretary of defense for supply chain 

integration, he said. 

“If such initiatives can be linked, solutions can 

be reached more quickly and effectively,” Reed 

said. 

Reed noted current efforts to eliminate a 

chromium-specifi c hazardous substance in 

surface coatings as an example. When the 

use of hexavalent chromium, a potential 

carcinogen, came up as an issue for the 

Defense Department, the Supply Chain 

Sustainability and Hazardous Materials 

Minimization Team spoke with logistics 

professionals to determine if replacing it with 

an environmentally preferred product would 

be feasible, he said. 

“When you take the chromium out of the 

product, we have to go back to the services 

to make sure that they have alternatives to 

do this, number one,” he said. “Number two, 

if we do take it out, how will that affect the 

weapons systems and what they do?”

Determining the effectiveness of green 

products also means conducting joint testing 

with the services and sometimes research 

universities, Reed said.

“The coordination involved with these green 

initiatives is why it’s important for the team 

to have such a diverse makeup, representing 

all the DLA fi eld activities and supply chain 

support organizations within DLA 

support the warfi ghter

• DLA Energy is helping to expand the use of alternative fuel sources for 

America’s warfi ghters by embracing the challenge to reduce military 

dependence on foreign oil and increase use of biofuels. DLA Energy is 

working toward full integration of these fuels into the military supply 

chain. Efforts are focused on working in partnership with the military 

services to get engines certifi ed according to the services’ testing and 

certifi cation protocol. Also, DLA Energy is focused on tailoring contracts 

for renewable fuel purchase, including the renewable jet fuel requirement 

for the Air Force and the Navy. In support of the 2012 Rim of the Pacifi c 

exercise, DLA Energy made the single-largest government purchase of 

biofuels: 100,000 gallons of hydrotreated renewable JP5 jet fuel and 

350,000 gallons of hydrotreated renewable F76 marine distillate fuel, 

known as HRD76. 

An airman scans medicaƟ ons at the pharmacy on Ellsworth Air 

Force Base, S.D. The DLA Troop Support’s Medical Division is using 

reverse distribuƟ on to allow medical treatment faciliƟ es to return 

expired pharmaceuƟ cal items. Photo by Air Force Airman 1st Class 

Zachary Hada

• DLA Energy is helping to expand the use of alternative fuel sources for 

America’s warfi ghters by embracing the challenge to reduce military 

dependence on foreign oil and increase use of biofuels. DLA Energy is 

working toward full integration of these fuels into the military supply 

chain. Efforts are focused on working in partnership with the military 

services to get engines certifi ed according to the services’ testing and 

certifi cation protocol. Also, DLA Energy is focused on tailoring contracts 

for renewable fuel purchase, including the renewable jet fuel requirement 

for the Air Force and the Navy. In support of the 2012 Rim of the Pacifi c 

exercise, DLA Energy made the single-largest government purchase of 

biofuels: 100,000 gallons of hydrotreated renewable JP5 jet fuel and 

350,000 gallons of hydrotreated renewable F76 marine distillate fuel, 

known as HRD76. 

Energy Source l Summer 2012 39
We Are DLA e Are DLA

4040 www.ener www.energy.dla.mil www.energy.dla.mil gy.dla.mil

A sailor verifi es the preset funcƟ ons of sonobuoys. DLA 

Troop Support’s Clothing and TexƟ le Division is developing a 

bio-degradable parachute for sonobuoys. The current nylon 

parachutes cause entanglement of marine mammals and 

sea turtles. Photo by Navy PeƩ y Offi cer 2nd Class Julian R. 

Moorefi eld

Headquarters. [It’s] also why the team 

members are involved in many different 

government and industry working groups,” 

Reed said.

Team members represent DLA and DoD on 

many groups, including the Interagency Task 

Force on Electronics Stewardship, the Federal 

Electronics Stewardship Working Group, 

the Interagency Energy Effi cient Product 

Procurement Working Group, and the American 

Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. 

The team also represents DLA in the European 

Union Registration, Evaluation, Authorization 

and Restriction of Chemicals Program, the 

result of a 2007 law that aims to improve the 

identifi cation of the properties of chemical 

substances.

In addition to these large-scale projects, 

each DLA primary-level fi eld activity runs 

specifi c programs to promote sustainability 

and environmentally preferred products. One 

specifi c program is the Hazardous Material 

Information Resource System, managed by 

DLA Aviation. 

“This system is a database that contains 

material safety data sheets for hazardous 

materials and other information required by 

logisticians in the fi eld,” said Edilia Correa, 

chief of the Hazardous Information Programs 

Division at DLA Aviation. 

Correa’s division also includes the Hazardous 

Minimization and Green Products Branch, 

which was created about two years ago in 

response to a push for more environmentally 

preferred products throughout the 

government. 

“This branch works directly with DLA Aviation 

customers to identify products and materials 

that could be replaced by environmentally 

friendly alternatives,” Correa said.

Calvin Lee, who runs DLA Aviation’s Hazardous 

Minimization and Green Products Branch, said 

• DLA Land and Maritime team members developed three new alternative 

cadmium connector fi nishes: zinc nickel, nickel fl uorocarbon polymer 

and electrodeposited aluminum in lieu of traditional fi nishes that rely 

on the hazardous chemical cadmium. By providing a comprehensive set 

of cadmium alternative parts, it is conservatively estimated that the 

introduction of at least 200 nonstandard connectors is avoided. Using the 

Department of Defense Parts Management Cost Avoidance of $20,904 for 

each nonstandard electrical connector, this effort is estimated to save at 

least $4.18 million annually, and over the next fi ve years, $209 million.

• DLA Land and Maritime team members developed three new alternative 

cadmium connector fi nishes: zinc nickel, nickel fl uorocarbon polymer 

and electrodeposited aluminum in lieu of traditional fi nishes that rely 

on the hazardous chemical cadmium. By providing a comprehensive set 

of cadmium alternative parts, it is conservatively estimated that the 

introduction of at least 200 nonstandard connectors is avoided. Using the 

Department of Defense Parts Management Cost Avoidance of $20,904 for 

each nonstandard electrical connector, this effort is estimated to save at 

least $4.18 million annually, and over the next fi ve years, $209 million.
Energy Source Energy Source Energy Source l Summer 2012 l Summer 2012 Summer 2012 4141

Sailors load sonobuoys before fl ight operaƟ ons on a P-3C Orion. DLA Troop 

Support’s Clothing and TexƟ le Division is developing a bio-degradable 

parachute for sonobuoys, which are a sonar canister system ejected from 

air craŌ or ships that deploy as a buoy upon water impact. Photo by Navy 

PeƩ y Offi cer 2nd Class Julian R. Moorefi eld

his team has always been heavily focused 

on collaboration with customers throughout 

the process of identifying products to 

be replaced and developing and testing 

environmentally preferred alternatives.

“We go out to the facilities and the different 

installations and stay in contact with them 

and dialogue with them on what their 

needs are and, based on that, try to work 

on a solution to solve that problem,” Lee 

said. “It takes a good amount of effort and 

planning.”

Some of the DLA Aviation team’s notable 

achievements include developing a 

microfi ber cloth that can clean the canopies 

of aircraft and developing anti-corrosion 

agents for the Army that are free from 

harmful chemicals. 

“DLA Aviation’s program is unique,” Lee 

said. “The team tests the environmentally 

friendly alternatives it develops at military 

installations, resulting in direct feedback 

about whether a product works.” 

Once that is proven and verifi ed by the 

military customers, the services coordinate 

the assignment of a national stock number for 

the new product to be incorporated into DLA 

Aviation’s supply chain, making it available for 

all customers.

Collaboration with customers is essential 

when developing products that will potentially 

be added to the DoD catalog, Reed said, 

because DLA does not have the authority 

to add products without approval from the 

military. 

“Any new product must be verifi ed by the 

military prior to being included in the catalog, 

so the Supply Chain Sustainability and 

Hazardous Materials Minimization Team’s 

quarterly meetings always include military 

representatives to speed up the process,” 

he said. “We can provide a conduit to the 

service to be able to speak directly with a DLA 

representative for the area of supplies that 

they’re looking for. They work hand in hand in 

developing the environmentally 

• DLA Troop Support’s Clothing and Textile Division is working with Army 

Natick Soldier Systems Center and Navy Naval Air Systems Command to 

develop a bio-degradable parachute for sonobuoys, which are a sonar 

canister system ejected from aircraft or ships that deploy as a buoy upon 

water impact. The current nylon parachutes cause entanglement of marine 

mammals and sea turtles. They also pose threats of ingestion to marine 

life, and can damage or smother benthic resources such as coral and 

essential fi sh habitats. 

p gp p y pg y

• DLA Troop Support’s Clothing and Textile Division is working with Army 

Natick Soldier Systems Center and Navy Naval Air Systems Command to 

develop a bio-degradable parachute for sonobuoys, which are a sonar 

canister system ejected from aircraft or ships that deploy as a buoy upon 

water impact. The current nylon parachutes cause entanglement of marine 

mammals and sea turtles. They also pose threats of ingestion to marine 

life, and can damage or smother benthic resources such as coral and 

essential fi sh habitats. 
We Are DLA e Are DLA

42 www.energy.dla.mil

preferred products with our primary-level fi eld 

activities.”

DLA Troop Support Subsistence reworked 

the fl ameless ration heater found in combat 

rations.

“The gases in the heaters caused damage 

and were potentially hazardous to troops,” 

said John Woloszyn, 

with DLA Troop Support 

Subsistence. 

“DLA team members are 

always working on new 

projects to enhance the 

use of environmentally 

preferred products,” Reed 

said.

The Supply Chain 

Sustainability and 

Hazardous Materials 

Minimization Team 

has been recognized 

with several awards, 

including an honorable 

mention for the 2011 

Secretary of Defense 

Environmental Award for 

Sustainability – Individual or Team and the 

DLA Environmental Award, he noted. 

Reed said he sees DLA’s hazardous materials 

minimization and sustainability mission 

growing as the military services look for 

more ways to be environmentally conscious 

without compromising mission effectiveness. 

He stressed that the team DLA has in place 

is the right construct for going forward, 

because collaboration between different 

organizations throughout the agency and with 

customers is vital. Correa, of DLA Aviation, 

agreed, noting that the 

Supply Chain Sustainability 

and Hazardous Materials 

Minimization Team has been 

fully integrated from the 

start, leading to many of its 

successes.

“This is a program that, 

to me, has been very 

unique because from the 

very beginning, it was 

fully integrated across the 

enterprise and across all 

the supply chains,” she 

said. “A lot of times, based 

on the uniqueness of our 

customers and the products 

that the supply chains 

support, we work separately 

 from each other. And in this 

situation, even though we have some distinct 

differences, from the very beginning we 

partnered and decided the best way to do this 

is in an integrated fashion.” 

42 www.energy.dla.mil 42 www.energy.dla.mil

Soldiers prepare food at a dining facility. DLA Troop 

Support–Subsistence conƟ nues to purchase 50 

percent bio-based cutlery, and works to incorporate 

100 percent bio-based cutlery into the supply chain. 

Photo by Army Spc. Andrew Ingram

”

• The DLA Troop Support’s Medical Division demonstrates environmental 

stewardship and streamlined pharmaceutical disposal for customers. 

Improper disposal of expired pharmaceutical items often results in soil 

or water contamination if the items are sent to a landfi ll or disposed of in 

sewage systems. The pharmaceutical program uses reverse distribution to 

allow medical treatment facilities to return expired pharmaceutical items 

to the contractor for proper disposal in a high temperature incinerator. 

Manufacturers deliver their customers a monetary credit, which can be 

applied toward future purchases.

• DLA Troop Support’s Subsistence Division continues to purchase 50 

percent bio-based cutlery, and works to incorporate 100 percent bio-based 

cutlery into the supply chain. It continues to identify other DoD supply 

chain items for conversion to 100 percent bio-based content.

• The DLA Troop Support’s Medical Division demonstrates environmental 

stewardship and streamlined pharmaceutical disposal for customers. 

Improper disposal of expired pharmaceutical items often results in soil 

or water contamination if the items are sent to a landfi ll or disposed of in 

sewage systems. The pharmaceutical program uses reverse distribution to 

allow medical treatment facilities to return expired pharmaceutical items 

to the contractor for proper disposal in a high temperature incinerator. 

Manufacturers deliver their customers a monetary credit, which can be 

applied toward future purchases.

• DLA Troop Support’s Subsistence Division continues to purchase 50 

percent bio-based cutlery, and works to incorporate 100 percent bio-based 

cutlery into the supply chain. It continues to identify other DoD supply 

chain items for conversion to 100 percent bio-based content.
Energy Source l Summer 2012 43

Lee Dvonch

Name: Lee Dvonch

Job: Contracting specialist at Defense Logistics Agency Energy 

Europe and Africa. I work in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and I’ve 

been assigned to this job since October 2011. My job focuses on 

the planning and execution of fuel contracts for the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility, a 

region that includes four combatant commands and 104 countries. 

My responsibilities start from getting the right requirements from the customer in order for the 

contracting offi cials at Fort Belvoir, Va., to put the best contracts in place. After the contract is awarded, I 

coordinate to make sure the right products are delivered to the right place at the right time, and the 

contractor gets paid. I make improvements by bringing my contracting knowledge forward to the 

customer and contractor, and translating real world issues back to headquarters. 

Energy experience: I started my career at DLA Energy at Fort Belvoir as part of the fi rst class of contract 

specialist interns in 2004. I worked as a contract specialist in the Direct Delivery Ground Fuels division. I 

returned to DLA Energy in 2009 as a contracting offi cer for the Into-Plane, Bunkers and Fuel Card division. 

After a couple more years working in Direct Delivery, the opportunity arose for me to work for a region.

Challenges and rewards of the job: The region’s mission is a combination of tactical and strategic goals. 

The tactical side is the hands-on part, ensuring that the vendor’s driver knows where to go to deliver the 

fuel and who to contact to get on base, and that he has the all right hoses, connections and fi ttings. The 

strategic side is working with the contracting offi cers at Fort Belvoir to put the right contracting 

vehicles in place that will provide the best value to fulfi ll customer requirements. 

I get to see the working end of our contracts, where the rubber meets the road. I see the real problems 

in the fi eld and provide contracting solutions to help the customer receive the fuel they need. It’s been 

a great career-broadening opportunity to see how the contracts put in place at Fort Belvoir are enacted, 

sometimes in very austere overseas environments. Working in the region really gives perspective and 

context to the DLA mission and is helping me become an expert at managing contract performance. 

It has also been a terrifi c personal experience to live overseas and experience the diff erent cultures, travel, 

and see a lot of Europe. When I was off ered this job, I proposed to my girlfriend and asked her if she 

would go to Germany with me and she said yes! So I joke that this is our three-year long 

honeymoon. 

A memorable mission: We have been involved in development of several new contracts in place to 

support fuel requirements in AFRICOM. The infrastructure and quality issues in this area of the world 

always make these requirements very challenging. We also support the State Department through the 

U.S. Mission-Iraq, which is a high-visibility requirement that entails a complex supply chain, and 

requires close and detailed oversight to ensure success. 

Future Plans: I plan to make a career working for the Department of Defense. There are a lot of 

interesting, challenging opportunities out there that I’m looking forward to taking on in the future. 
Providing Energy roviding Energy 

 Solutions Worldwide Solutions Worldwide

Available at www.energy.dla.mil

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