ENERGY

Winter 2017 

SOURCE

Defense Logistics Agency Energy
2 www.dla.mil/Energy

Front cover by: Jonathan Stack

Back cover by: Leo Boczar

Commander

Air Force Brig. Gen. Martin Chapin

Deputy Commander (Acting)

Gabriella Earhardt

Chief of Staff

Army Col. Doug Henry

Public Aff airs Offi cer

Irene Smith

Editor

Ronald Inman

Writing Staff

Tanekwa Bournes

Elizabeth Stoeckmann

Jonathan Stack

Layout/Design

Ronald Inman

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

Energy Source is an offi cial publication distributed by and for the Defense Logistics 

Agency Energy and energy-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 Logistics Agency or Defense Logistics Agency Energy. 

Energy Source is prepared by desktop publishing applications. 

Photos not credited are courtesy of DLA Energy sources.

From the Commander

Energy Source

lications.

.

DLA Energy Team, 

This is my fi rst issue of Energy Source as your commander, and although my tenure has been relatively short, 

I have been fortunate to start making my way around the 

enterprise and meet with our team in the fi eld. I couldn’t 

be prouder of you and your signifi cant accomplishments in 

full and enthusiastic support of the Warfi ghter, every day. 

Any given day fi nds the DLA Energy team fully engaged 

around the world doing what we do best - supporting the 

Warfi ghter. Our role is to ensure their mission accomplishment, and it takes a team with a ‘deep bench’ to make that 

happen consistently and dependably. We have a very deep 

bench here at DLA Energy, and I know and appreciate that 

our entire team works together to keep our Warfi ghters in 

the fi ght and winning. 

One thing that is always welcomed at DLA Energy is 

diversity. Within these pages we’ll examine what makes 

DLA Energy tick – our people. Their unique and varying 

perspectives, knowledge, talents and life experiences make 

Energy the logistically savvy and energetic team of professionals that we are today, and strive to be in the future. 

Diversity and inclusion fuels our success!

Like most endeavors here at DLA Energy, and for that 

Brig. Gen. Martin Chapin, USAF

Defense Logistics Agency Energy

matter anything 

worth doing, it takes 

planning, teamwork, 

motivation, communication and skill to put 

together any complex 

project and see it 

through to its successful completion.

Our team exhibits 

these traits daily, and 

diversity is both a valued resource and an 

inspiration to us all. 

This issue begins 

with an in-depth 

interview where I’ll 

share with you what 

makes me tick and what my vision is for DLA Energy; then 

we’ll closely examine the critical practices of diversity and 

equal opportunity and the incredible value they bring to 

our team. We’ll also see how a voluntary personality assessment tool we’re using is helping to ensure that teams 

interact and work together eff ectively (I’m a 50/50 split 

of green and gold; see the article on Page 12 to learn what 

that means). The rest of the issue will be dedicated to 

focusing, rightly so, on the people who represent all of us 

and embody everything that is great about the incredible 

team here at DLA Energy. 

As your commander, I look forward to the successes and 

challenges that we’ll face in the future as we work together 

in support of the Warfi ghter – and each other. 
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 3

FEATURES EATURES

14

Departments epartments

4 Fueling Energy’s Success Fueling Energy’s Success

 28 One Face 28 One Face

 30 Energy Stars 30 Energy Stars

 8 Leveraging Diversity & EEO

12 4 LensesTM Workshop

14 Success Stories

18 Taking BIG Strides

DLA Energy continues to build upon a strong foundation 

and an inclusive work environment.

Assessment training is providing DLA Energy employees 

with constructive insight into themselves and others.

DLA Energy’s senior female leaders refl ect on career 

development and share their insights.

DLA and DLA Energy employees attend the Blacks in 

Government (BIG) National Training Institute and establish 

a BIG DLA chapter.

22 Hiring Disabled Employees

DLA and DLA Energy seek the contributions and value the 

skills employees with disabilities bring to the organization.

24 Unsung Heroes

A diverse team of Resolution Specialists keeps a close eye on 

fuel activities across Europe and Africa.

Energy Source l WINTER 2017 3

24

18
4 www.dla.mil/Energy

Energy Source: You’ve been in command of DLA 

Energy since July 22. What have you learned about the 

organization, and what have you come to appreciate 

about our mission?

Brig. Gen. Chapin: I’m convinced that a year-and-a-half 

from now when I am reasonably well-versed in the job, I’m 

still going to be learning so much from the experts here. So 

it’s going to be continual learning for me from that point 

of view. 

What I’ve seen so far isn’t so much the technical aspects 

of energy or fuel. What I’ve taken away so far is just how 

much the rest of the Department of Defense relies on what 

happens here and out through the regions. The fuel arrives, the energy is delivered. Whatever it is they need, it 

happens by design – and that’s what’s supposed to happen. In my case, I was sitting in the cockpit getting ready 

to fl y, and somebody was in the back refueling the aircraft; 

I just took it for granted that the fuel made it into the aircraft, that it was in the ground in the tank, and that it was 

on spec and my plane was going to fl y. You don’t give it a 

second thought. Which is exactly the end-state that we’re 

hoping for, clearly. The Department of Defense is very 

reliant on everything DLA does – not the least of which, is 

what we do here in DLA Energy.

Energy Source: Do you have a personal command philosophy or belief that you can share with our readers?

Fueling

Energy’s nergy’s

Success

Introducing Brig. Gen. ntroducing Brig. Gen. 

Martin Chapin, USAF artin Chapin, USAF

Energy Source interviewed Brig. Gen. Chapin to learn 

more about him, his command and leadership philosophies and his vision for DLA Energy. 

Brig. Gen. Chapin: I’ve become a fi rm believer that 

we’re not the same military that we were in World War 

II, or Vietnam, or even 10 years ago. If you look back to 

romantic military leaders of the past, it was fairly easy 

to characterize leadership in an autocratic way; and it 

worked. You could be a very autocratic leader, and it certainly had its place. I think today’s world is far too complex, certainly for senior leaders, to operate in that realm. 

So the way I choose to operate, and I sincerely believe it 

benefi ts the whole organization, is always a teamwork 

approach. It’s the old adage: “None of us are as smart as 

all of us.” I think that rings very true today. There’s just so 

many things we have to be able to understand, and to comprehend, that no one person can be that single individual 

way out front saying, “Follow me!” You need somebody 

to say it, but you have to talk to the people around you to 

make sure that you have buy-in where you’re headed, otherwise you’re likely to be leading the way up the hill and 

you turn around and there’s no one behind you. But as you 

Brig. Gen. Martin Chapin assumed command of 

DLA Energy this summer. Photo by Ron Inman
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 5

Chapin briefs the Energy workforce on the organization’s 2016 Denison culture survey action plan and takes questions during 

an Energy town hall meeting, Dec. 6. Photo by Tanekwa Bournes

formulate what you think that way is, make sure everyone’s had a chance to be part of it, rather than just picking 

it up. That goes back to continuous learning. It would be 

silly for me to walk into this job and say, “I’m convinced I 

know what DLA Energy needs right now,” compared to the 

vast amount of knowledge within DLA Energy’s workforce. 

That’s what folks can expect from me – a continuation of 

continuous learning – and that’s what I’d like to see everyone else do as well, since it benefi ts the organization. 

I’m a big fan of “servant leadership.” (Editor’s Note: According to the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership: 

“A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and 

well-being of people and the communities to which they 

belong. While traditional leadership generally involves 

the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the 

‘top of the pyramid,’ servant leadership is diff erent. The 

servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others fi rst 

and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.”) It’s a great way of encapsulating what we’re talking 

about. Going back to my service in Air Mobility Command, 

it’s part and parcel to what we do. It’s baked into our DNA 

as people who work for mobility air forces because we’re 

not the folks usually on the front lines, but we’ve learned 

how important mobility is to the Warfi ghter. My prior job 

at USTRANSCOM had a very similar dynamic to exactly 

how we do things here in DLA and DLA Energy. 

Energy Source: What do you believe is the strength of 

any workforce?

Brig. Gen. Chapin: Two important things motivate us 

and get us moving in the right direction. First, people need 

to truly believe they make a diff erence. I just don’t think a 

workforce can be truly eff ective if they really don’t understand what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, or if they 

don’t feel it’s necessarily appreciated. That’s fundamental 

and very important to what I hope to accomplish here – to 

make sure people have that sense and philosophy. 

Related, but slightly diff erent, is people feeling they’re 

empowered to operate in that space and make a diff erence, 

at every level. It doesn’t mean the newest employee in the 

most junior position gets to decide the strategic direction 

of the organization; that’s not the way it works. But that 

person needs to feel they have an opportunity to have 

some level of infl uence, and not be continually micro-managed or get the impression that their inputs aren’t of value 

to the organization. You want people to come to work and 

feel they’re making a contribution. That’s where an organization turns that corner from one that’s just getting by, to 

a high-performer. You’re never going to have everybody, 

but you will have the vast majority of the workforce that 

comes to work every day hoping they can make a diff erence. I think those things characterize [successful] orga-
66 www.dla.mil/Energy

nizations. We have a lot of it in place and will hopefully 

continue that journey. 

Energy Source: Please tell us about yourself. What are 

your personal interests or hobbies? 

Brig. Gen. Chapin: Family is important. We have a 

small family; both my wife Grace and I came from small 

families. I was an only child, and it creates a diff erent 

dynamic. We have two kids, and one is at college so that’s 

a big change for the Chapin family. I don’t think that’s any 

diff erent from our workforce – a lot of folks have kids in 

the same stages of life. I say “we” a lot. I always think of 

Grace, the family and I being together. Even when I’m at 

work, I’ll refer to [them] and say we’re going to do something. It’s sort of subconscious at this point, but people 

have asked me about it. Family is the nucleus of what we 

do. 

Hobbies and interests – apparently, my interest in cars has 

peaked interest within the organization (laughs). I didn’t 

realize that. I like cars. I love classic cars. I wish I owned 

one. I don’t yet, I’m still working on the wife to that angle, 

[to] see if that actually pans out for me. But we have a few 

cars that I enjoy and it’s an enjoyable fascination for me. 

Chapin conducts a site visit to the Hakozaki Fuel Support Point facility on Azuma Island in Tokyo Bay, Japan in October. 

Photo by Jeff Connell

Energy Source: What are your priorities for DLA Energy? 

Brig. Gen. Chapin: Two things stand out to me. We 

have to make sure we never lose sight of the fact that our 

number one priority is to support the Warfi ghter. [DLA 

Director] Lt. Gen. [Andy] Busch has articulated that, and 

I feel very strongly about it. The Warfi ghter is our fundamental purpose for existing as DLA Energy. If we’re not 

doing that, and not doing it well, then the rest doesn’t 

really matter. It’s the heart and soul of what we do. In my 

mind, that always has to be out front. 

The second thing is making sure we continue to cultivate 

the culture of our organization. I’m getting a sense for our 

culture, and it’s a good, strong culture. We’ve been fortunate to have the [2016 Denison culture] survey results 

come back and the feedback helps. We’re going through 

the action plans to identify areas where we may not be as 

good as we thought we were, and to hopefully tweak some 

of that. All of us understanding what our culture is and 

understanding what we want the culture to be, and then 

fi lling in the gaps, is what I want to focus on. That doesn’t 

mean there’s a glaring need in that area. I’ve been very impressed with the organization as a whole and where we are 
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 7

My command 

philosophy is 

that I work for 

everyone at 

DLA Energy.

“

“

right now. But those are a couple of the things I’m interested in pursuing, and continuing to learn more about. 

Energy Source: What is your vision for DLA Energy?

Brig. Gen. Chapin: My vision would be that the customer trusts us to always meet their requirements ... always! And that everyone on the Energy team feels valued, 

understands the important role they play in supporting the 

Warfi ghter and looks forward to coming to work each day 

to make a diff erence.

Energy Source: As DLA Energy 

Commander, what message do you 

have for our most important customer, 

the Warfi ghter?

Brig. Gen. Chapin: Our customers – 

the Warfi ghters, the services, the [combatant] commanders – need to have 

a fi rm understanding that we’re good 

stewards of the resources they give to 

us. That’s absolutely critical. They have 

to understand that we do this to make 

them successful. This is not about 

building a DLA Energy empire. It’s not about driving their 

requirements. We want to understand their requirements 

and get better at understanding them; to actually predict 

their requirements and meet them before they may even 

know they need them, and create a seamless loop with 

them. That’s what I would like them to take away. 

Energy Source: What message do you have for the DLA 

Energy Team? 

Brig. Gen. Chapin: Teamwork is so important. Just like 

communication, teamwork’s very hard. And it’s because 

the fundamental [element] of teamwork, in my opinion, is 

communication. It’s communicating well with ourselves, 

which, as good as we are, we don’t always get right. There 

are times when we fi nd out we’ve missed the boat, and 

that’s true of any organization. We need to make sure 

we’re communicating with DLA Headquarters because 

they are our advocates and we can leverage what they 

bring to the table for us, and with our customers, suppliers and industry. We need to ask the questions, “Who do I 

need to be sharing this information with? Who do I need 

to be talking to? Does everyone who needs this information have it?” I think that creates the teamwork atmosphere I am hoping to accomplish. 

There’s always a balance point in creating that sense of 

teamwork. An organization can take teamwork and culture 

to a point where you become very internally focused. You 

can have high esprit de corps inside a group and use that 

positive energy internally, but that isn’t always a good balance for external folks. They don’t necessarily understand 

that kind of unique nature. You can also take things in the 

opposite direction, in terms of balance and you can blend 

into a larger organization to the point where the team 

doesn’t have a sense of what makes them special and they 

ask, “What value do we have? We seem like we’re part of 

this bigger collective.” So I’m trying to fi nd something in 

the middle of that space. I know it’s there and I hope we 

continue to try to fi nd it. 

I’ve been fortunate enough in most of my professional 

career to be part of supporting organizations that work to 

make others successful. That has always resonated with 

me. I’ve never been the sort of person 

who felt like I needed to be in front of the 

group to contribute to it. I like the opportunity to help other people be successful. 

The role I’m in now is to help our whole 

team help others be successful. 

Energy Source: Is there anything else 

you’d like to add? 

Brig. Gen. Chapin: I want to give my 

sincere and heartfelt thanks to the whole 

DLA Energy team for what we do on a 

daily basis, making the Warfi ghter fi rst 

and ensuring everyone in the DoD has what they need. It is 

amazingly complex and detailed work. I continue to gain a 

profound appreciation for it – so thank you for everything 

you have done, and will do in the future. 

I would love for folks to understand how much Grace and 

I appreciate being welcomed into this team. I said during 

my change of command, “We’re joining this team,” and 

I truly believe it. I don’t want this to be General Chapin 

showing up and forming a team around him. This is us 

– Grace and I and the whole family – joining an existing 

team and molding ourselves into this team. I’ll contribute 

in the way that I can with the skills that I bring, and hopefully that’s valuable to the team. Everyone’s been great. 

They’ve been very patient trying to educate an aviator on 

what reactive molecules are (laughs) and all these other 

amazing things we do, and explaining acronyms to me that 

I don’t understand. I hope to repay that by making sure 

I fully support what they do and engaging in areas that 

make their job a little bit easier. 

My command philosophy is that I work for everyone at 

DLA Energy. If I’m not off ering something to them on 

a daily basis that makes their job easier or better, then I 

haven’t met my goal for that day. I hope everyone can truly 

believe that and get a sense of that from me. If I can leave 

here a couple of years from now having been successful on 

that front, it’s a touchdown for all of us. 
8 www.dla.mil/Energy

E 

DIVERSITY

O 

Leveraging Diversity and EEO

Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity are distinct 

but related activities that complement each other and 

provide Defense Logistics Agency Energy employees with a 

strong foundation for a fair and inclusive workplace.

Both practices deliver rules and guidelines and shape DLA 

Energy’s culture.

“How the two merge is where we look at the demographic 

studies and special emphasis programs that fall under the 

EEO umbrella to ensure we have a diverse workforce and 

that we are recognizing and celebrating that diversity,” 

said DLA Energy EEO Director Darrell Bogan. “Managing 

both EEO & Diversity programs is like wearing two hats.”

Bogan said diversity is considered a strategic best-business 

By Elizabeth Stoeckmann
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 9

practice for the organization in terms of developing diversity and inclusion programs. Whereas, EEO is governed by 

law, and all federal agencies are required to be in compliance with the regulations and laws set forth by the U.S. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Diversity has a much broader scope. It’s centered on 

awareness of diff erences – which can be based on multiple 

factors such as gender, race, disabilities, communication, 

age, ideas and thoughts. 

DLA Energy’s EEO & Diversity offi ce remains in-step with 

the executive order signed by President Barack Obama in 

2011 aiming to make the federal government “a model for 

the employment of individuals with disabilities.”

Through demographic studies with DLA Human Resources, DLA Energy has proven to have a diverse workforce. 

The studies compare data to the civilian labor workforce 

put out by the U.S. Department of Labor.

“Our goal is to mirror the department’s numbers and in 

most areas we meet expectations,” Bogan said. “However, 

there are three underrepresented areas: individuals with 

targeted disabilities, white females and Latinos.”

With the help of DLA J1, ongoing recruitment and retention eff orts and events are being employed to help close 

the organization’s diversity gaps. 

Bogan explained that while women have made positive 

strides in the federal workforce, a signifi cant gender gap 

still exists, especially in the National Capital Region. He 

said the factors may include the fact that white females 

married to active duty military members remain in the 

area for a short time before moving with their spouse, and 

that the civilian sector is scooping up federal women for 

employment.

DLA Energy’s population diversity is closely monitored by 

the DLA Energy EEO & Diversity offi ce as they gather key 

trends and analyze data that impacts the organization. 

According to DLA Energy workforce demographic data, 

DLA Energy employs 38 white females in senior-level 

positions (GS-14, -15 and SES), representing two percent 
10 www.dla.mil/Energy

of DLA Energy’s workforce compared to the federal government rate of 24.3 percent. Additionally, DLA Energy 

employs 182 white females, or 16.7 percent, whereas the 

labor force employs 34 percent.

“So we need to increase [the representative percentage 

of] white senior level females to get closer to that higher 

percentage,” Bogan said.

DLA Energy employs 80 Latinos and Hispanics who constitute 7.4 percent of its workforce, compared to a representative population of 10 percent of the federal government workforce.

In the area of individuals with targeted disabilities, DLA 

Energy does not meet requirements with ten employees, 

0.9 percent of DLA Headquarters’ goal of three percent. 

Bogan said the African-American and female demographics are usually well-represented at DLA Energy; however, 

there still needs to be more African-American representation at the higher grades. 

DLA Energy’s EEO & Diversity offi ce is responsible for 

reporting diversity data to DLA headquarters staff and the 

EEOC with a way-ahead plan to mitigate any discrepancies. Additionally, EEO is not expected to close gaps immediately, but rather to work to close the large gaps over 

time, particularly in underrepresented areas.

Diversity provides an organization the opportunity for 

positive change as it sparks innovation, increases productivity and maximizes strategic mission-driven results, 

Bogan said.

“The greatest benefi t of workforce diversity is employees’ 

thoughts, ideas, backgrounds and experiences they bring 

to the organization,” Bogan said. “When sitting around 

a conference table where decisions are made, having a 

diverse group of decision makers lends itself to someone 

being able to provide a diff erent perspective.”

A current example many organizations are working on is 

restroom accommodations for transgender employees, 

Bogan said. Decisions are being made in regard to bathrooms and having that diverse voice at the table benefi ts 

the discussion so decisions are not made in a vacuum.

Bogan emphasized today’s workforce is more complex, 

with fi ve generations in the workplace for the fi rst time in 

history. Subtleties like retention and outreach can have a 

profound impact on the organization.

“Retention eff orts such as training, mentoring, development, rotation and the recognition program are all areas 

for employees to broaden their skills, [and for us to] retain 

them as valued employees,” he said.

Bogan added helping employees build a support network 

is really benefi cial to the DLA Energy workforce. “Several 

employees have attended the annual Blacks in Government workshop and hopefully we’ll be able to send folks 

“The greatest 

benefi t of 

workforce diversity 

is employees’ 

thoughts, ideas, 

backgrounds 

and experiences 

they bring to the 

organization.”

- DLA Energy EEO Director 

Darrell Bogan

From left, DLA Energy Bulk Petroleum Supply Chain Services Contract Specialist 

Heather Adams, DLA Energy Acquisition Workforce Development Center Division 

Chief Ditu Kasuyi and DLA Energy Chief of Staff Army Col. Doug Henry collaborate 

on a T-shirt design while a contractor facilitator observes as part of an interactive 

mentoring exercise. Photo by Elizabeth Stoeckmann
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 11

to the Federally Employed Women workshop as well as 

the Federal Asian Pacifi c American Council workshop and 

several others,” he explained.. 

Recently, the EEO & Diversity Offi ce introduced 4 LensesTM training to the DLA Energy workforce; a tool for 

identifying and recognizing personality variables. With 

more than 400 employees trained to date, employees are 

hearing about this interactive training by word of mouth 

and have been quick to sign up for available sessions, the 

EEO director said.

In parallel with 4 LensesTM training, strategic planning 

is underway to off er Generational Diff erences training - 

diversity training which examines generation gaps and 

solutions for managing and getting the best out of relationships with each other.

“I’m excited about these programs because they support 

employees, build relationships and most importantly 

invest in their future – because DLA stands behind its 

strategic goals of People and Culture,” Bogan said.

As the EEO director, Bogan’s vision for DLA Energy is an 

amicable work environment where DLA Energy employees feel happy and enjoy walking through the door every 

morning.

“Most of the time, I’m upbeat and I know it’s my respobility to create an environment where zero discrimination 

exists and off er programs that support employees’ work 

conditions and accessibility,” he said.

Air Force Master Sgt. Keith Grady, former DLA Energy Operations Center Logistics Education Advancement Program 

noncommissioned offi cer, left, speaks with current LEAP 

NCO Air Force Master Sgt. David Janes, DLA Energy Operations Center on fuel-related logistics issues at the Air Force 

and Department of Defense level. Photo by Tanekwa Bournes

“When someone says diversity, is it race or skin 

color that fi rst comes to mind? Because actually, it's 

much more than that.

“When I hear the word diversity, the fi rst thing that 

comes to my mind is the understanding and 'respect' 

of diff erent cultures. Culture includes everything 

from beliefs, customs and even habits. As diversity 

is mastered, ignorance will be shattered.”

- Estee J. Pender III

Program and Management Analyst, DLA Energy 

“For some people, diversity means having a 

variety of individuals with diff erent racial, ethnic, 

experience, social foundations, diff erent ways of 

life and interests. Diversity means there's various 

pieces to something; however, they all work 

together in some way or another. 

“Diversity to me means having the capacity 

to gain from individuals from every single 

characteristic of life. Whether it's a diff erence in 

society, religion, training or foundation, I truly 

feel like you can learn so much by being exposed 

to these diff erent experiences and perspectives or 

points of view. Diversity should test individuals to 

be tolerant of others, as well as to try to learn from 

them.”

- Sasha Paris

Admin Support Asst./Supply Management,

DLA Energy

diversity iversity

means to me

what 

“For me, diversity is about people from all walks 

of life, serving and supporting the mission at DLA 

Energy. I like living in the Washington D.C. Metro 

Area because you are exposed to so many diff erent 

cultures and people. I think it opens up your mind to 

diff erent lifestyles and points of view.”

- Linda Taetsch

Civilian Support Branch,

Manpower & Administration Support Offi ce,

DLA Energy 
12 www.dla.mil/Energy

Throughout an individual’s 

formative years, they may 

take tests to discover their 

likes and dislikes, fi nd areas 

where they would excel, jobs they can do in the military or 

the possibility of pursuing an advanced degree. 

Unlike these tests, the 4 LensesTM Assessment places 

participants into four color-coded groups based on their 

personality traits. 

Defense Logistics Agency Energy adopted this tool in 

March 2016 and by request, it is given to employees in 

business units or primary level fi eld activities.

It was created by Shipley Communication and is based 

on work done by Dr. David Keirsey in 1978 in which he 

called the four basic personality traits temperaments. The 

temperaments have subgroups based on the Myers-Briggs 

Type Indicator. 

“The organization decided to deploy it after the Equal 

Employment Opportunity & Diversity offi ce met with 

the agency’s chief of staff and received approval to move 

forward with a test group,” explained Darrell Bogan, DLA 

Energy’s EEO director. “The test group became ambassadors who promoted the training with their leadership and 

by word of mouth, interest in the training grew.” 

The 4 LensesTM Discovery Workshop identifi es the diff erVoluntary Assessment

Sharpens Employees’ 

Interpersonal Skills

ent temperament styles as gold, green, blue and orange. 

Under these types, individuals identify their diff erent preferences. According to Shipley Communication, individuals 

who share temperament styles measure self-worth in similar ways. Learning about each style, individuals benefi t by 

learning to appreciate the diff erences in values and needs 

of the other styles. 

In turn, individuals will have a better understanding of 

how others learn, think, establish personal values and conceptualize. This provides a baseline to assist in predicting 

behavior during interactions with others. 

“We want employees to know that everyone they meet or 

interact with is unique with diff erent preferences, styles, 

mannerisms and ways of approaching life’s challenges,” 

Bogan said. “[This] can be the cause of much heartache 

and misunderstanding.” 

During the workshop, participants identify their temperament and personality, the strengths and weaknesses of 

each temperament, discuss thoughts and ideas with similar and opposite temperaments, and work in temperament 

teams to better understand the other temperaments and 

improve communication and knowledge of other personalities. 

By Tanekwa Bournes

Beverly Johnson, DLA Energy EEO & Diversity complaints manager and Four LensesTM 

Discovery Workshop facilitator, guides Energy’s leadership through the assessment and 

training. Photo by Tanekwa Bournes 

According to 4 LensesTM, orange personality traits 

mean an individual is bold, generous, witty, a 

trouble-shooter, spontaneous, entrepreneurial, 

charming, courageous, independent, fearless, 

easy-going, optimistic, enthusiastic, wild, fun, 

crazy and competitive. 

Words used to describe an individual with blue 

tendencies: artistic, caring, spiritual, subjective, 

insightful, compassionate, personal, peaceful, 

empathic, romantic, poetic, sensitive, patient, giving 

and true.

Four Lenses our Lenses

Workshop

Orange Blue
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 13

Marlin Ingram, a logistics system specialist with DLA Energy Americas East at Houston, took the training last June 

and agrees that it assists in the self-realization process.

“I discovered something new about myself,” he said. “According to the training, I’m a right-brain learner.”

He also agrees that more employees should want to take 

the training, recommends that they enter it with an open 

mind and believes that they will leave understanding more 

about their true self. 

More than 590 Energy employees, or about 50 percent of 

the DLA Energy workforce, have gone through the training since it fi rst began in June, Bogan said. “DLA and DLA 

Aviation employees have also gone through it; our goal is 

to have the whole Energy team take the training by this 

time next year,” he said in mid-December. 

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” he said. 

“The workshop has armed employees with the tools necessary to better understand the diff erent personality types of 

their leadership and coworkers and how to leverage that 

knowledge for best business practices.” 

Beverly Johnson, one of the trainers and a complaints 

manager for DLA Energy EEO & Diversity, said everyone 

has a primary color and a secondary color.

“A person’s primary color represents the lens in which information is gathered or taken in and the secondary color 

represents the action taken once the information is received,” she said. “Every individual moves through various 

situations and lenses, so no one person is set in stone to be 

one color, either primary or secondary.”

After respondents know their numbers for the various lens 

colors, they plot them and draw a shape graph which helps 

them to see which areas they can improve.

“We usually tell someone who is more green to pair with 

someone who is blue since they complement each other,” 

said Johnson during one of the training sessions. 

The third portion of the training discusses the maturity 

continuum that shows how each lens moves from a self-interested and prideful state to a state of humility and caring 

for others, which mirrors the stages of growing up.

DLA Energy’s EEO & Diversity offi ce uses 4 LensesTM as 

a proactive means to prevent EEO complaints by arming 

employees with a better understanding of themselves and 

their co-workers. “Several employees have told us that 

after the training, they took the workbook home and went 

through the steps with their families,” Bogan explained.

“Eff ective teamwork is essential in meeting the demands 

associated with today’s dynamic and complex environment, and especially solving the associated tough logistics 

support challenges,” said Navy Capt. Timothy Daniels, 

DLA Pacifi c commander. “Organizational and individual 

learning tools, such as the 4 LensesTM workshop, increase 

group and individual awareness and help foster more constructive, trust-based relationships.”

Daniels took the course after hearing good reviews from 

DLA Energy Pacifi c staff who participated in the training. 

“I didn’t learn anything new about myself but it was more 

of an improved self-awareness,” he said. “The informal 

group interaction helps to foster [a] self- and group-learning environment.”

As the chart above shows, among U.S. participants in the 

Four LensesTM Assessment 44 percent were found to be in the 

gold category, 40 percent in the orange, ten percent in blue 

and six percent in green. It is important to note that being 

assessed as having traits in a specifi c category does not mean 

that a person does not have or display traits from any of the 

other categories. Graphic courtesy of DLA Energy EEO. 

Individuals who demostrate green traits are complex, 

abstract, independent, ingenious, scientifi c, inventive, 

fact-oriented, logical, cool, calm, collected and 

theoretical.

Those with gold traits are described as punctual, 

sensible, organized, stable, thorough, dependable, 

conservative, detailed, hard-working, orderly, 

consistent, structured, positive, reliable and 

practical. 

Green Gold
14 www.dla.mil/Energy

 At the time the report was written, few women occupied supervisory and executive positions in government. 

Today, more than half the workforce at Defense Logistics 

Agency Energy are women according to statistics provided 

by DLA Energy’s Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity offi ce. 

At DLA Energy headquarters staff offi ces, 10 of 24 director positions are held by female employees. Many of these 

senior female directors began their career at DLA in the 

DLA Energy’s Female Leaders LA Energy’s Female Leaders 

Share Their Paths to Success hare Their Paths to Success

Women have made considerable progress in the federal government 

since 1992 when the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board presented its 

study, A Question of Equity: Women and the Glass Ceiling in the Federal 

Government.

By Irene Smith

early 1980s when there were few women in senior management positions.

“In terms of the legal profession overall, great strides have 

been made over the years,” said DLA Energy Chief Counsel Kathleen Murphy. “Women now make up more than 

50 percent of the incoming classes in many law schools. 

Throughout my career, I worked with senior leaders in 

the DLA legal community and in DLA Energy who gave 

employees opportunities to grow and excel. Now that I 

Success Stories: tories:
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 15

am part of the hiring process for DLA’s Offi ce of General 

Counsel, I am interested in ensuring that the opportunities 

continue.”

The federal government already has a higher proportion of 

women senior leaders than the private sector. Women now 

hold approximately 44 percent of all positions in both professional and administrative occupations that provide the 

path to high-level positions, including the Senior Executive Service, according to a report published by the United 

States Offi ce of Personnel Management in 2014.

In the federal workforce, 34 percent of all SES positions 

are occupied by women. Within DLA, there are six female 

SES representing 24 percent of the SES population. 

The increased representation of women in supervisory and 

high-graded positions shows continued movement toward 

equality for women, both in the positions they hold and in 

the pay they receive.

“I started my career in 1987 at the Defense Fuel Supply 

Center Offi ce of Counsel,” Murphy said. “I didn’t plan 

on staying at DLA, but the career opportunities and 

professional experiences kept me here.”

The agency’s opportunities for advancement and internal 

hiring helped women progress to senior levels of responsibility. One of the most senior woman at DLA Energy began 

her federal service in September 1980 as a part-time DLA 

employee.

DLA Energy Customer Operations Deputy Director Linda 

Barnett is responsible for supporting the Department of 

Defense and federal agency customers who generated 

roughly 100 million barrels in sales of bulk petroleum 

products valued at $14 billion in fi scal year 2015. As the 

civilian deputy, she supports the directorate’s director, an 

Air Force colonel, by supplying contracting expertise and 

experience and long-term continuity to the division which 

employs more than 100 civilian and military personnel.

“I began at DLA Headquarters as a GS 3-4 in the 300 

series in the Programs and Analysis offi ce pulling data and 

later moved over to DLA Energy to a programs offi ce that 

handled transactions in the Defense Finance Accounting 

Management System,” Barnett said.

DLA Energy Chief Counsel Kathleen Murphy, right, guides mentee Heather M. Thomas, a contract specialist with Utility 

Services Contracting Branch II. Photo by Tanekwa Bournes 
16 www.dla.mil/Energy

Barnett later went on to positions of increased responsibility within facilities, contracting, international agreements 

and as the chief for the Ocean Tanker branch. 

“I moved from the Ocean Tanker branch to the Inventory and Distribution division – where I got to be more 

involved in transportation and larger distribution eff orts,” 

Barnett said. “I tend to not really think about being in a 

male-dominated environment – unless it is in a humorous way. However, I have often noticed that I would be the 

only female in a meeting or on a trip engaging with mostly 

military or civilian [fuel distribution system operators, 

quality assurance personnel, logisticians and engineers].” 

analyses that have DLA Energy-wide mission implications. 

Despite challenges working in non-traditional career 

fi elds, DLA Energy senior female leaders did not let the 

absence of role models dissuade them. 

“I learned very quickly that I had to prove myself to my 

male peers,” Gray said. “This included going on temporary 

duty to Mexico for 21 days to load crude oil tankers in support of the Department of Energy’s Strategic Petroleum 

Reserve eff orts, serving as a member of the U.S. delegation for the NATO Fuels & Lubricants Working Group and 

serving as an active member and subcommittee offi cer for 

the American Society for Testing and Materials for 

many years [DoD uses most of ASTM’s specifi cations 

and standards to support Warfi ghter fuels requirements]. 

Gray attributes much of her success, starting as a 

GS-9 chemist and advancing to a GS-14 technical division chief, to her former boss who served as a mentor 

during her formative career development years. 

“This time period allowed me to grow by learning the 

trials and tribulation associated with working in an 

organization that relies a lot on building relationships 

with peers both inside and outside of DLA Energy to 

get things done,” Gray explained. “When my mentor 

retired, I had to reassess how I could move to the next 

level. I then took on highly visible projects that gave 

me more exposure at the Offi ce of the Secretary of 

Defense level and at [the Offi ce of Management & Budget, 

Department of Energy]. I also volunteered to represent 

DLA Energy on the headquarters diversity team where I 

interacted with DLA senior executive service leadership. I 

also took advantage of all career development opportunities such as the Offi ce of the Secretary of Defense Leadership and Management Program and the Eisenhower 

School for National Security and Resource Strategy. This 

ultimately led to me being promoted to a GS-15 senior 

leadership position in 2003.” 

The barriers for lateral movement and career growth for 

employees in lower-paying or non-mission critical occupations did not stop Murphy, Gray or Barnett from succeeding in their respective career fi elds.

“I remember an interview many years ago for a position 

in a very male-dominant area at the time – where I was 

asked if I had children or how would I deal with traveling 

and going to facilities where there are predominantly men 

working in an operational/fi eld environment,” Barnett 

said. “I took the question in stride, answered honestly and 

tried to make sure they understood how I would perform 

my duties. I was selected and then was very conscious 

of the question as I moved forward in terms of how I 

behaved, dressed, and ensured it was known that I was 

technically capable and knowledgeable. I had to do what 

Customer Operations Deputy Director Linda Barnett brings 

a wealth of experience in a variety of roles to DLA Energy. 

Photo by Irene Smith

DLA Energy Strategic Policy & Programs Director Regina 

Gray also got her start in the federal government in the 

early 1980s.

“I am originally from Houston, where I graduated with a 

chemical engineering/chemistry degree,” Gray said. “My 

original plans were to work for an oil company or engineering fi rm that supported the oil industry, but due to 

layoff s and the advice of my mother, I moved to Washington D.C., started as a GS-9 chemist and worked my way up 

the corporate ladder at DLA Energy.” 

As SPPD co-director, Gray supervises 42 employees responsible for all of DLA Energy’s policy/procedures, management oversight of business processes [process health] 

and long-range and strategic initiatives that aff ect DLA 

Energy’s mission. Her directorate manages and oversees 

the department’s entire bulk petroleum supply chain in 

DLA’s role as Executive Agent. Additional duties include 

audit sustainment management oversight; support and 

analysis of all DLA Energy governance activities, including 

strategic planning and organization performance metrics/

management; and studies, projects and business case 
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 17

was necessary to remove what might be seen as a barrier 

to successfully getting the job done.

“You have to prove yourself as competent, reliable and 

capable,” Barnett said. “You cannot expect a diff erent set 

of rules. I was very sensitive to the fact. If I had a job that 

required a lot of travel, then that is what I had to do if I 

was going to take the job. There were some [people] I had 

worked with who took the job then [added the caveat of] 

‘I would rather not travel or do portions that [are] diffi cult 

when raising a family.’ You need your family’s support to 

be successful. I think that is the case for anyone, regardless of gender.” 

For both men and women, commitment to career advancement requires accomplishment and dedication.

As the highest-ranking woman of color within DLA Energy, Gray refuses to see obstacles and challenges in her job.

“I am truly confi dent in what I bring to this organization 

... corporate knowledge, experience and excellent leadership and communications skills,” Gray said. “I used to 

worry about what others thought about me. Today, I speak 

openly and with confi dence. I guess this is because I truly 

understand what my strengths and weaknesses are. Also, I 

am not afraid to ask questions if I don’t understand. Lastly, I believe in treating everyone with dignity and respect, 

no matter what level they are in the organization.” 

Barnett shares a similar view. 

“There is the impression someone has when they fi rst 

meet you or engage in conversation. I recall when I was 

young and we met with some of the suppliers from the 

Southwest Asia areas – I came into the room representing the logistics/distribution team. I was young and not a 

male so I got the impression they expected little ... however, once we began to discuss the issues that changed. I 

recall one of the individuals saying, ‘You really know about 

this.’ I laughed and said something like, ‘That is why they 

pay me.’ It changed our future rapport working together, 

but had I been off ended or taken the remark to heart, the 

relationship and my ability to work with them would have 

been impacted. I purposefully did not let the comments or 

actions of others bother me or dissuade me from doing the 

job I was being paid to do.” 

Today’s high-performing, diverse workforce at DLA Energy refl ects the considerable advances women have made 

in leadership positions since 1992 and changes in the 

composition of the workforce.

According to OPM, women entering the workforce now are 

more likely to be on a management track than they were a 

decade ago. Within the federal workforce, diff erences between women and men in experience and education have 

diminished. Women are more likely to hold a four-year 

degree and the trend of women who have both extensive 

work experience and degrees will continue to rise.

With the considerable progress that has been made, is 

there still room for improvement?

For Gray, there are still challenges ahead.

“Looking back at my career over the past 33 years, I fi nd it 

quite shocking that I am the ‘only’ GS-15 African-American 

female in the history of DLA Energy to serve in senior 

leadership positions,” said Gray. “This was a goal I set 

for myself early on in my career. Was it easy? No, but I 

continued to prepare myself for the next level. Ultimately, 

my past experiences have made me a much better leader. 

Also, in order to open doors for other African-American 

women to achieve this goal, we need to look beyond skin 

color when hiring the best candidate for the job.”

Strategic Policy and Programs Director Regina Gray, the 

fi rst GS-15 African-American female to serve in a DLA 

Energy senior leadership position, started her federal career 

in the 1980s as a GS-9 chemist. Photo by Ron Inman

“You have to prove yourself as 

competent, reliable and capable ... you 

cannot expect a diff erent set of rules.” 

-- Linda Barnett
18 www.dla.mil/Energy

38th National Training 8th National Training 

 Institute Institute

While attending the Blacks in Government conference, Defense Logistics Agency and DLA Energy team members pose for 

a photo before the start of the morning session. From left, Kevin Phillips, Angela Jones, Larry McCauley, Ednora ArmourOhanmu, Brandi Carson, Linda Clark, Elijah Cornish, Nicole Yun, Vandella Taylor and Dwayne Foster. The Blacks in Government conference was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Aug. 22-25. Photos by Tanekwa Bournes

By Tanekwa Bournes

Blacks in lacks in Government overnment
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 19

This year’s Blacks in Government 38th National Training 

Institute was held at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, New 

Jersey Aug. 22-25. 

“Commit to Excellence: Think, believe and achieve BIG!” 

was this year’s theme, which was appropriate for Atlantic 

City since tourists and locals come to its casinos hoping 

to win big. But in this case, attendees walked away with 

knowledge of how they can make themselves and their 

organizations better, instead of walking away with less 

money in their pockets. 

More than a dozen team members from Defense Logistics 

Agency and DLA Energy participated in the event. 

Before the sessions began the opening ceremony’s guest 

speakers, including the organization’s president, the 

mayor of Atlantic City and the administrator of the General Services Administration stressed the importance of 

organizations such as BIG. 

 

Denise Turner Roth, GSA’s head administrator, said during her opening remarks that it was people like those in attendance and those who have attended events such as the 

conference to better themselves, who are the reason she is 

where she is today. 

Darlene Young, Blacks in Government national president, 

encouraged attendees to spend time networking with 

others and take full advantage of the training opportunities available during the event, as well as connecting with 

people they didn’t know in order to build relationships that 

would serve them in the future. 

“I will do more than dream, I will work ... I will do more 

than teach, I will inspire,” Young said during a poem she 

recited at the end of her comments.

Blacks in Government was established in 1975 by African 

Americans at the Public Health Service (part of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare) to address racially 

motivated problems employees faced on the job. This year, 

the organization marked its 40th anniversary. 

“The [BIG] event off ered over 80 classes and 

ranged from strategic planning to fostering a 

diverse and inclusive workplace.” - Larry McCauley, DLA Installation Support branch chief and 

newly-appointed BIG president of the DLA chapter. 

“The event off ered over 80 classes and ranged from strategic planning to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace,” said Larry McCauley, branch chief with DLA Installation Support and newly-appointed BIG president of the 

DLA chapter. 

McCauley added that the Blacks in Government executive 

board put a lot of thought into the training that was presented and will off er future training geared toward specifi c 

job series.

Several organizations held breakout sessions where attendees employed with the organization or potential 

employees could learn more about them and have the opportunity to ask questions. 

Other sessions focused on diversity in the workforce and 

working with individuals who may be diffi cult to work with 

due to personality traits or other denominators. One session asked participants to write on a sheet of paper the 

time they would like to get up every morning, their favorite color and favorite ice cream. Then they were tasked 

with fi nding someone who had the same likes. No one 

found anyone who matched their likes and this led into the 

discussion of diversity.

Many of the DLA members who attended were fi rst-time 

participants who had been interested in the organization 

for quite some time and wanted to learn more about it.

“I’ve been interested in attending for several years but my 

schedule always confl icted with the timing of the training,” 

said Brandi Carpenter, an acquisition specialist with DLA 

Energy. “I heard about the great networking opportunities 

and wanted to be part of [the event].”

Some of the sessions focused on young professionals new 

to government service, while others discussed managing 

stress and other factors that aff ect everyone on the job. 

These sessions gave non-members and members opportunties to interact with each other and come up with 

solutions to problems the instructors tasked them with, 
and meet people they may not have known before attending the event. 

Kevin Phillips, a logistics specialist and fi rst-time attendee, said he enjoyed the chance to be around inspiring 

and like-minded people and shared his thoughts on his 

favorite session. 

“I really enjoyed attending ‘Playing the Career Game: 

A Strategic Plan for Career Success’,” he said. “The two 

instructors created an interactive environment and went 

deep into achieving success in the workplace, which they 

stated as having the right mind, right relationships, building career teams and keeping score of your accomplishments.”

McCauley, who has been a member of the organization 

since 2008 and gained his lifetime membership at this 

year’s event, suggests that others at DLA become part 

of the new chapter of BIG and look for opportunities to 

volunteer. 

“We will be sponsoring a retirement workshop in the very 

near future with a fi nancial planning workshop following closely behind,” he said. “As our chapter continues 

to grow, our hopes are to be able to have representatives 

from DLA speak at the event as they have done in the 

past.”

The DLA chapter received authorization in October 2015. 

Blacks in Government national president Darlene Young, right, speaks with Defense Logistics Agency employees Vandella Taylor 

and Linda Clark during the Blacks in Government conference at the Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Aug. 24. 

20

By April 2016 the bylaws were accepted and it now has a 

president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and assistant 

treasurer. During the conference, the agency received its 

charter to operate.

For those team members interested in going to the event 

next year, McCauley suggests reviewing the training session booklet ahead of time and tailoring their training to 

coincide with their agency’s core values to get what they 

need for career enhancement. 

Carpenter agreed with him and said she came to the event 

expecting to learn lessons she could apply at her current 

job.

“I also wanted to gain a greater insight into other areas of 

the government and how they interact with my agency,” 

she said. 

During one of the lunchtime networking sessions, attendees under the age of 40 were given the chance to talk to 

BIG representatives and learn more about how the organization could help them grow professionally, and ways they 

could be part of it. 

Next year’s event will again be held in Atlantic City. Employees looking for more information on the organization 

can talk to McCauley or email him at Larry.Mccauley@dla.

mil.

www.dla.mil/Energy
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 21

Since getting approval to be established at Defense 

Logistics Agency, the Blacks in Government chapter has 

been making strides to make its presence known.

“For Thanksgiving, our chapter voted on doing holiday 

food baskets for the New Hope House Homeless Shelter. 

Nicole Yun, Rotanda Yarbrough and Sonia Bizzell-Wynn 

put the baskets together and delivered them with the 

help of DLA Police Capt. Felix Fletcher and Lt. Thomas 

Mills,” said Larry McCauley, chapter president. “Our 

goal is to get more involved in the community and eventually expand to giving college scholarships to deserving 

students.”

“We received the authorization[to establish the chapter] 

in October 2015, and started the process of fi ling the 

necessary paperwork to the National Offi ce of BIG,” McCauley explained. “Our bylaws were accepted in April of 

2016, after voting on a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and assistant treasurer,” he said.

BIG’s website states that the organization’s goals are: 

to be an advocate of equal opportunity for blacks in 

government, eliminate practices of racism and racial 

discrimination against blacks in government, promote 

professionalism, develop and promote programs which 

will enhance ethnic pride and educational opportunities, 

establish a mechanism for gathering and disseminating information and provide a nonpartisan platform on 

major issues of local, regional and national signifi cance 

that aff ect blacks in government.

“Our chapter’s focus is professional development 

through education, growth of expertise in the enterprise 

to maximize effi ciencies, and to create synergy in a positive forum mutually benefi cial to DLA and the workforce,” said Bruce Jones, Communications and Public 

Relations Committee C0-Chair for DLA’s BIG chapter.

During the chapter’s fi rst offi cial meeting Sept. 21, 

members in good standing voted on key positions,and 

learned more about the organization, future events and 

guidelines for how the meetings will be conducted.

“My hope and my expectation is that we leave a trail for 

other chapters of Blacks in Government and other affi nity groups to follow, and that we create a path that will 

encourage all employees and supporters to contribute to 

making the [McNamara] Headquarters Complex an ideal 

workplace,” said McCauley.

“The DLA chapter has 60 members in good standing but 

one of the challenges is getting the Executive Committee to 

work on a plan to reach out to mid-level and upper management teams to help them understand what we are doing to enhance their mission and the lives of the employees 

they manage,” added McCauley. 

“The DLA workforce is as diverse as any Fortune 500 

company,” said Jones. “The challenge is to maintain resiliency and ensure uninterrupted support to the Warfi ghter 

around the globe. Our chapter’s focus is to create synergy 

in a positive forum mutually benefi cial to the DLA and the 

workforce.” 

According to McCauley, the organization has a proven 

track record of giving back and reaching out to youth 

through scholarships, adopt-a-school programs and more.

“Employees should take this opportunity to get coaching, 

mentoring and job enhancement training with a growing 

organization that was birthed at the McNamara Complex 

[and] that can take their career to the next level,” he said.

For more information, please contact Elijah Cornish, 

membership chair at elijah.cornish@dla.mil or Alandra 

Jones, BIG secretary, at alandra.jones@dla.mil. 

By Tanekwa Bournes

From left, Alandra Jones, secretary; Yolanda McCauley, vice 

president; Sonia Bizzell-Wynn, fundraising chair; Nicole 

Yun, member; and Rotanda Yarbrough, assistant treasurer, 

display food baskets donated by DLA’s BIG chapter to needy 

local families at Thanksgiving. Photo courtesy of Larry McBIG Chapter 

Established 
22 www.dla.mil/Energy

All it takes is a walk through the McNamara Headquarters 

Complex’s halls to see dedicated and valuable Defense 

Logistics Agency Energy employees with disabilities. 

DLA and DLA Energy have goals to hire individuals with 

targeted disabilities in numbers representing three percent 

and two percent of their workforce, respectively; and 

individuals with disabilities representing 14.3 percent and 

10.6 percent of their workforce, respectively. As of Aug. 31, 

DLA Energy was at .9 percent for hiring individuals with 

targeted disabilities and 10.6 percent for hiring individuals 

with disabilities.

Beverly Johnson, DLA Energy Equal Employment Opportunity Offi ce & Diversity complaints manager, said the 

numbers may look low, but they are really good and a big 

number within other agencies in the area. 

By Jonathan Stack

“I’m sure we could reach the number of individuals with 

targeted disabilities if people would disclose,” said Darrell Bogan, DLA Energy Equal Employment Opportunity 

Offi ce director. “A lot of people don’t. We see people’s 

reluctance to disclose that information.”

Employees are given the opportunity to disclose disabilities by fi lling out Standard Form 256, Self-Identifi cation 

of Disability, when onboarding the organization through 

Human Resources. 

Some of the targeted disabilities listed on Standard Form 

256 include deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, severe intellectual disability and distortion of limb and/or spine. Other disabilities listed on SF 256 include hearing impairment, diabetes, 

kidney dysfunction and speech impairment.

“By fi lling out the form, it helps the 

agency show that we are equally recruiting and retaining employees at all 

levels – with or without disabilities,” 

Johnson said. 

Johnson said DLA Energy has a large 

population of deaf employees compared to other agencies. 

“If there was only ... one deaf employee here, he or she may feel like 

they don’t have a coworker to go to,” 

she added. “It goes beyond working, 

but to the culture of the organization 

– having somebody to go to that can 

relate.”

The organization is creating a culture 

and an environment where all people 

feel welcomed and a part of the family, Bogan said. Employees can look 

around and see someone similar to them or just like them. 

“It helps to bolster what it is that we are as an organization,” he added. “People go and tell their friends about 

working for DLA Energy and it begins to tell the story of 

an agency of all-inclusiveness – where all people can come 

and work and be a valuable member of a team.” 

Congress required each federal agency to promote the 

Jarvis Beaver, DLA Energy business analyst and ASL 

instructor signs a sentence to students during one of the 

brown bag session group exercises as fellow instructor 

and Defense Threat Reduction Agency employee Helen Yu 

observes the students’ practice. Photo by Tanekwa Bournes

Hiring Disabled Employees
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 23

Mohamed Fawaz, left, and Christopher Kehoe, both of the DLA 

Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity Offi ce, run Oct. 

26 during the ‘Monster Dash’ 5K walk/run at Fort Belvoir, 

Virginia. Photo by Teodora Mocanu

hiring and retention of individuals with disabilities by enacting 

Section 501 of the Rehabilitation 

Act of 1973. Congress did this in 

two ways. First, to be a model 

employer of individuals with disabilities through use of meaningful 

affi rmative hiring, placement and 

advancement opportunities; and 

second, to ensure employment 

non-discrimination and reasonable 

accommodation.

Reasonable accommodation entails 

giving employees the needed assistance to do their daily work. 

Examples of reasonable accommodations include providing interpreters, readers or other personal 

assistance; modifying job duties; 

restructuring work sites; providing fl exible work schedules or work 

sites; and providing accessible technology or other workplace adaptive 

equipment.

“It’s anything to help them be fully functional in their 

duties,” Bogan said. “We’ve been receiving an increased 

number of requests for reasonable accommodations.”

An important consideration with reasonable accommodations is that management has to engage in the interactive 

process, he said. It doesn’t mean supervisors have to give 

employees everything they ask for, but need to compromise. 

“The key is to come up with a resolution to help that 

employee become fully functional in their job,” he added. 

“For example, if I have a disability and say I need a standing desk, management might not be able to do it at the 

time due to budget reasons. But management shouldn’t 

just say no. They should say, ‘We can’t do it right now due 

to budget reasons, but maybe next fi scal year – and in the 

interim we can come up with a temporary solution.’”

Johnson added that constant communication is important 

because it might take the organization a year before the 

employee may have that desk. 

“Communication has to be constant so the employee 

doesn’t feel they’ve been forgotten about,” she said. 

Employees can fi ll out a reasonable accommodation form 

to request needed accommodations. There is also a denial 

form so supervisors can explain why a request is denied. 

“A majority of the time the employee gets what they request,” Johnson said. “It might not be a $500 chair, but a 

chair that provides the same need.” 

One accommodation DLA off ers through the Reasonable Accommodation Program is Job Access With Speech 

software, known as JAWS. It is a screen-reading program 

employees with visual impairments can use if they aren’t 

able to use the mouse. JAWS reads information on a computer screen to the user, allowing them to access information from websites and web applications without relying 

on sight. 

“The more people that self-identify as having a disability, 

the more resources we’ll be able to obtain for the agency to 

take care of those individuals’ needs,” Johnson said.

Bogan added that there is no downfall or harm to employees’ careers when they self-identify as disabled.

 “If an employee believes there is some type of ramifi cation or discrimination as a result of disclosing disabilities, 

the employee goes and talks to the EEO offi ce, because 

we have a zero tolerance policy regarding discrimination 

against protective categories. Disabilities is one of those 

protective categories,” he said. “There should be nothing 

for employees to fear from disclosing their disabilities.”

Editor’s Note: For more information about disabilities 

including workplace accommodations and the Americans 

With Disabilities Act, please visit: http://askjan.org/.
Nestled on a hilltop in southwest Germany’s Rhineland 

Palatinate forest, sits Sembach Kaserne (kaserne is the 

German word for base or post), an unassuming former 

U.S. Air Force base turned over to the U.S. Army within 

the last decade as part of U.S. military realignments in 

Europe. 

Once a Cold War fi ghter and logistics base, Sembach today 

maintains its relevance as home to several units supporting missions in the Europe & Africa theater of operations. 

Entering the base, you would never think that within the 

old walls sits a small team of inventory managers keepON THE FRONT LINES OF AUDIT READINESS:

DLA Energy Europe & Africa’s 

Inventory Management Team

ing close watch on all fuel activities in Europe and Africa 

– DLA Energy Europe & Africa’s Inventory Management 

Team.

The team is comprised of Supervisory Resolution Specialist Tawnya Moreno and Resolution Specialists Keith 

Embree, Jessica Evans and Eddie (Tony) Glaster III. Their 

mission in DLA Energy: account for all capitalized products, every single transaction, every click and release of 

the handle at the refuel service points, in the European 

and African theaters. They are responsible for the defense 

fuel supply point management and successful accountDLA Energy Europe & Africa Resolution Specialist 

Eddie (Tony) Glaster III performs an inspection of a 

fuel tank at Thule Air Base, Greenland during a site 

assist visit. Photo courtesy of Eddie Glaster III

By Clancy Duncan, DLA Energy Europe & Africa

24 www.dla.mil/Energy
sales knowledge that 

makes him invaluable 

when troubleshooting issues with U.S. 

Air Forces in Europe 

bases,” said Moreno. 

She added that Embree has assisted in 

clearing nearly 11,000 

rejects for 20 Army 

and two Air Force 

locations in Germany, 

ensured a $2.2 million vendor payment 

by troubleshooting 

more than 90 incorrectly posted contract 

receipts and served as 

lead during a recent 

Inventory Accountability SAV. “As a 

trainer and expert in 

Fuels Manager Defense, 

[Embree’s] always helping fuels accountants 

learn processes to better perform their queries. His professionalism, hard work ethic and critical know-how are 

invaluable to the team,” added Kaiser.

Resolution Specialist Jessica (Jessie) Evans began working at DLA Energy through the Student Career Experience Program, completing a master certifi cate in business 

administration from Tulane University. She then spent 

two years in the Corporate Intern Program working for 

the Inventory & Requirements Division under Defense 

Fuel Support Point Management at DLA 

Energy Headquarters. Upon completion 

of the program she moved to her current 

position at DLA Energy Europe & Africa. Evans recently conducted site visits 

to her customers in Italy to prepare 

them for Audit Readiness audits. 

 According to Moreno, Evans led eff orts 

to capitalize Camp Del Din, Italy for the 

U.S. Army in September 2015 and was 

essential in professionally resolving a 

$1.6 million vendor payment dispute for Incirlik Air Base, 

Turkey. This critical supplier support ensured Incirlik Air 

Base remained topped off during the recently-failed coup 

attempt and power outages. Evans recently returned from 

customer site visits at Naval Support Activity Sigonella, 

Italy and NSA Souda Bay, Greece. “She’s extremely motivated, a quick study, and her DLA Energy Headquarters 

knowledge and experience has signifi cantly benefi ted the 

region,” Moreno said. 

Resolution Specialist Eddie (Tony) Glaster III has more 

ability of 144 

product accounts 

with 340 million 

U.S. gallons valued 

at $650 million; 

it’s not diffi cult to 

imagine that they 

stay busy. 

 “Due to the critical nature of the 

duties performed 

and the potential 

operational impact 

to the Warfi ghter 

if they are not 

performed correctly, screening 

and selection of 

applicants for the 

Inventory Management section 

is fairly intense,” said 

DLA Energy Europe 

& Africa Director of 

Operations, Daniel Schmidt. 

Moreno, a former Army Materiel Command employee 

and logistics intern, leads the section. She fi rst worked 

for DLA Energy in the Middle East, where she fi ne-tuned 

her knowledge of the Class III (B) supply chain. She 

joined DLA Energy Europe & Africa when her husband, a 

U.S. Army major, accepted a position in Europe in 2012. 

Schmidt described her as “a critical asset to the region during the successful rollout of Enterprise Business Systems 

in 2014” who is “intimately familiar with 

the region’s unique challenges.”

According to DLA Energy Europe & 

Africa Director of Customer Operations, 

Air Force Maj. Nathan Kaiser, Moreno 

recently reinstated (DLA Inventory 

Management Policy) P43-directed staff 

assistance visits throughout the region 

which, due to budget constraints in the 

last few years, had been discontinued. 

“These SAVs bring the face of DLA to 

the customer and facilitate critical person-to-person interaction among fuel facilities, inventory, responsible offi cers 

and fuels accountants,” Kaiser explained. 

Resolution Specialist Keith Embree joined the team in 

January 2015 from the Americas West offi ce, where he received a Superior Civilian Service award for his role in the 

Electronic Business Systems Rollout II transition as a supply planner. “With 10 years’ prior service experience as a 

U.S. Air Force petroleum, oils and lubricants troop, Keith 

brings the valued, on-the-ground, skin-of-the-aircraft 

DLA Energy Europe & Africa’s Inventory Management Team. From left, 

Resolution Specialist Eddie (Tony) Glaster III, Chief Resolution Specialist 

Tawnya Moreno, Resolution Specialist Jessica Evans and Resolution 

Specialist Keith Embree. Photo courtesy of DLA Energy Europe & Africa

“

Their mission in DLA 

Energy: account for all 

capitalized products, every 

single transaction, every 

click and release of the 

handle at the refuel service 

points, in the European 

and African theaters. “

Energy Source l WINTER 2017 25
than 30 years of U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, contractor and DLA civilian experience. A DLA-level 

award winner and former chief of the International Agreements branch, Glaster’s attention to 

detail, thoroughness and longevity keep the team 

anchored, according to Moreno. “His DLA experience makes him the right person to go to when 

looking for how to get things done,” said Kaiser. 

“Tony recently visited his U.S. Air Force customers in the United Kingdom in preparation for 

Audit Readiness program audits, as well as those 

in remote Thule, Greenland. He exemplifi es the 

traits of an eff ective resolution specialist and is 

relied upon for his business acumen and DLA 

Energy corporate knowledge,” said Moreno.

“Resolution specialists are truly unsung heroes 

because they work behind the scenes to ensure 

customers get what they need, and vendors get 

paid,” said DLA Energy Europe & Africa Chief of 

Supplier Operations McCoy Greer, who works 

closely with the Inventory Management section. 

“We have a Navy customer who continually calls 

to get guidance and help on matters related to accounting of Defense Working Capital Fund fuel, 

and she’s stated to me that she always gets the 

answers she needs,” said Greer.

DLA Energy Europe & Africa Regional Commander U.S. Army Col. E. Lee English said, “Due 

to the ever-changing nature of providing support 

Embree joins Ramstein Air Force Base fuel accountants in front of an R-11 fuel truck. The 

fuel accountants and responsible offi ce make sure all transactions are correctly and accurately 

input into the Fuels Manager Defense System. Photo by Senior Airman Robert Duran

Resolution Specialist Keith Embree checks to make sure the tops of 

underground tanks are secure at Sembach Kaserne. Photo by Tawnya 

Moreno

26 www.dla.mil/Energy
NEED PHOTOS, EED PHOTOS, 

CAPTIONS, GRAPHICS

in Eastern Europe and Africa, we often fi nd ourselves 

conducting operations that are out of the norm. The 

resolution specialist team does a great job cleaning up 

the battlefi eld from an accounting perspective; helping 

to ensure we meet DLA auditability goals.” 

Regardless of climate or weather, from the shores of 

the breezy banks of the Mediterranean Sea in Italy to 

the tarmac at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, the African 

deserts of Djibouti and the glaciers of Greenland, DLA 

Energy Europe & Africa resolution specialists are working together as a diverse, talented and dedicated team. 

They do this hand-in-hand with their customers every 

day to make sure that audit-ready fuel inventories are 

accounted for, maintained and available so Warfi ghters 

can operate and do what they do best in all operations – 

peacetime, humanitarian or contingency.

While in Djibouti, Africa, Resolution Specialist Jessica 

Evans performs a dip measure on a fuel tank, right, and 

manually gauges a fuel bladder with a local national, 

below. Photos by Eddie Glaster

Energy Source l WINTER 2017 27

DLA Energy Europe & Africa: 

By the Numbers

(Source: DLA Energy FY 2015 Fact Book) 55,800,000

Geographic area 

of responsibility, 

in square miles 

500

Distance in miles 

from U.S. Atlantic 

coast where AOR 

starts; extends to 

Russia’s Pacifi c 

coast

103

Nations covered 

by AOR in all of 

Europe & Africa, 

parts of Asia and 

North America 18

Time zones spanned

2/3

Area of Earth’s 

coastlines 

covered
28 www.dla.mil/Energy

A Defense Logistics Agency Energy customer account specialist deployed to Haiti in October as part of DLA’s Rapid 

Deployment Team to coordinate fuel deliveries for Hurricane Matthew relief eff orts. 

“I like to volunteer,” said Matt Moshier, who has worked 

at DLA Energy for seven years. “I signed up to be a part 

of the DLA Global Response Force team in August 2016 

because I enjoy working with the customer to solve real 

world problems in real time. This mission was particularly 

rewarding since we were put down here to support humanitarian assistance to the Haitian people after Hurricane Matthew.” 

The team is made up of organizations across the Department of Defense comprising specialties needed during a 

crisis. DLA’s Global Response Force team falls under the 

DLA Joint Logistics Operations Center, the focal point 

for operations and contingency responses. Two standing 

Rapid Deployment Teams, Gold and Black, are comprised 

of DLA specialties. 

“Our people are equipped, trained and ready to go in short 

notice,” said JLOC Division Deputy Chief Don Bruce. “An 

RDT team is comprised of 13 members with a military 

[O6-level offi cer] as the commander. The remaining team 

members, including primary level fi eld activity civilians, 

are functional experts representing supply chains, logistics 

services and communications.”

One of the two RDT teams is always in an alert status 

–they must be capable of deploying rapidly and they 

maintain alert status for six months in their one-year tour 

of duty. A DLA Energy employee is assigned to each RDT 

to provide Class III bulk fuels support.

“If one team deploys, the second team goes on alert,” 

Bruce explained.

As the sole DLA Energy volunteer to DLA’s RDT, Moshier 

was one of seven DLA personnel who deployed to Haiti. 

Moshier’ s job was to provide Class III petroleum, oils 

and lubricants support for U.S. military assets providing emergency food and equipment to relief camps and 

non-governmental organizations. DLA Energy contracted 

to provide 500 gallons of diesel fuel twice a day for Haiti’s 

fl ight line operations, helicopters and buses.

“Getting Matt on the ground really expanded our understanding of what the joint task force needed on the 

ground,” said DLA Energy Plans and Operations Chief Stephen Grace. “He was directly able to facilitate Warfi ghter 

support with an air card we provided.”

While in Haiti, Moshier also coordinated the delivery of 

aviation fuel and delivery of diesel fuel for generators and 

construction eff orts. Fuel was needed to operate forklifts 

to unload cargo and diesel needed to fuel buses and vans 

used by the Marines to facilitate movement of Department 

of Defense personnel around the airfi eld and to the hotels.

There were daily challenges.

“It was challenging getting fuel to our helicopters in a 

timely manner because we are at a commercial airport and 

they have competing interests in fi lling both the military 

and commercial need,” Moshier said. “I interfaced with the 

local Jet A fuel vendor to ensure the customer [got] fuel on 

time to support their mission. No helicopters fl ights were 

cancelled due to an inability to get fuel. There were cases 

of the fuel trucks showing up late, but that can be attributed to the hectic situation on the airfi eld and not enough 

fuel truck assets owned.”

It was important that all concerned parties were aware 

that no fuel transactions and deliveries could take place 

against the DLA AIR Card® without the DLA Energy representative, Moshier said.

As part of the DLA RDT, Moshier deployed to Haiti for 

10 days. The living conditions were challenging, but not 

primitive.

 “During the day, we are working out of the Port-Au-Prince 

airport,” Moshier communicated via email during the 

deployment. “Our offi ce setup is very expeditionary, but 

we’ve had a solid communication system the entire time. 

During the evening, we took a 30-minute bus ride to a 

hotel where we slept.”

One Face ne Face

The face of Defense Logistics Agency Energy ... he face of Defense Logistics Agency Energy ...

By Irene Smith
Energy Source l WINTER 2017 29

Fueling Energy’s Success)

 As a veteran to deployments, Moshier deployed twice to 

Kuwait for DLA Energy Middle East as a liaison offi cer. 

“I deployed the summer of 2014, for six months and returned for another three months from April to June 2016,” 

Moshier said. “I went out as the DLA Energy LNO-Kuwait 

and synced up with the Theater Sustainment Command 

and Combined Joint Task force to work with elements to 

help facilitate fuel for Kuwait and Iraq.”

“As a customer account specialist, I work with companies 

that have DoD contracts to assist them in establishing fuel 

contracts,” Moshier said. “I also work with the customer 

and vendor to coordinate deliveries of diesel [fuel].”

He said he really enjoys deploying. 

“I get a sense of personal satisfaction and it’s a change of 

scene from sitting at a desk all day,” he added. “There is a 

level of comradery I fi nd in contingency environments that 

makes it very rewarding.”

DLA Energy Customer Account Specialist Matt Moshier (center, facing right) discusses delivery of diesel fuel with a U.S. 

Marine from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit at the Port-Au-Prince, Haiti airport. Photo courtesy of Matt Moshier
30 www.dla.mil/Energy

On the heels of his last days working for Defense Logistics 

Agency Energy Aerospace Energy as a liaison offi cer intern, Army Lt. Col. Steven Simmons was recognized for his 

90 days of service with the Operation Warfi ghter Program.

Simmons received a certifi cate of appreciation and letter 

of appreciation signed by DLA Energy Commander Air 

Force Brig. Gen. Martin Chapin and a commander’s coin, 

presented on behalf of the commander by DLA Energy 

Supplier Operations Director Gabriella Earhardt during 

a ceremony held at DLA Energy Aerospace Energy, San 

Antonio, Texas, Nov. 15.

“Simmons came into our organization, hit the ground running and added value immediately by applying his knowledge and experience from his time in the military,” said 

Douglas Smith, DLA Energy Aerospace Energy director. 

“He had a positive infl uence on the offi ce and we appreciated the time, eff ort and support we received from him.”

Simmons received the recognition for his eff orts in executing the Aerospace Energy Supplier Operations Strategic 

Aerospace Energy 

Wounded Warrior ounded Warrior intern recognized ntern recognized for excellence or excellence 

Energy

STARS

Army Lt. Col. Steven Simmons is congratulated by DLA Energy Director of Supplier Operations Gabriella Earhardt Nov. 15 

during a ceremony at DLA Energy Aerospace Energy headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. Photos by Sibrena Nixon-Perez 

By Elizabeth Stoeckmann

Plan, Smith said. He was applauded as an excellent role 

model in his execution eff orts as he readily captured the 

mission, vision and goals for Aerospace Energy in an effi cient manner.

Based on the Operation Warfi ghter Program, Simmons 

worked four hours a day with Aerospace Energy.

“My days consisted of researching and communicating 

with other DLA Energy employees to provide near, midand long-range planning products,” Simmons said.

According to the program rules, service members decide if 

they want to work for an internship opportunity. They can 

interview with as many federal agencies as they want to 

fi nd a meaningful work assignment.

Simmons, assigned to Bravo Company, Warrior Transition Battalion, San Antonio Military Medical Center, Fort 

Sam Houston, Texas, said the intern opportunity helped 

him get back to problem solving, strategic thinking and 

relevant work.
Petroleum Conference Jan. 

From left, DLA Energy Deputy for Acquisition Kevin Ahern, Aerospace 

Energy Director Douglas Smith, Simmons and Earhardt pause for a 

photo during the ceremony. 

"The Operation Warfi ghter 

Internship program is a great 

opportunity to help a Wounded 

Warrior see their value to other 

organizations besides just the 

military. Military personnel (Air 

Force, Army, Marines, Navy and 

Coast Guard) come to the table with 

a wide range of experience and 

leadership that can still be relevant 

to the federal civilian and civilian 

workforce."

“I was indeed the lucky person to have had the opportunity 

to work with such an exemplary offi cer as Simmons,” said 

Janis Spear, Aerospace Energy Administrative Support 

Offi cer. “Never before have I seen someone outside the 

organization come in and start working as quickly as he 

did. He needed little to no instruction and fi gured most 

stuff out on his own.”

Simmons spoke to the organization’s liaison offi cers in 

various regions in order to build critical relationships and 

was willing to work with anyone who needed help, Spear 

added.

As this chapter closes for Simmons, he said he now awaits 

results from his medical board review to determine if he’s 

fi t for duty or not and that will determine if he can return 

to a unit or start the retirement process.

The Operation Warfi ghter Program is a Department of 

Defense temporary assignment and internship program 

providing wounded, ill and injured service mem bers with 

opportunities for meaningful activity outside of the hospital environment while they wait to return to active duty or 

transition to the civilian world. Service members’ salaries 

are paid for by their service branches while they work at 

DLA.

Growing Our Next Generation of Joint Petroleum Leaders

2017 Joint Petroleum Seminar

Jan. 23-25, 2017

Kabeiseman Room, McNamara Headquarters Complex

8725 John J. Kingman Rd., Fort Belvoir, Virginia 22060

For more information, 

please contact: Douglas 

R. Thomas Jr. - (703) 

767-5008 or DSN: 427-

5008; douglas.thomas@

dla.mil OR Kent A. 

Comstock - 301-659-

9870; kent.comstock.

ctr@dla.mil

- U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steven Simmons

DLA Energy Aerospace Energy

Wounded Warrior intern

Energy Source l WINTER 2017 31