ENERGY SOURCE

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Front cover by: Jonathan Stack

Back cover by: Jonathan Stack

Commander

Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark McLeod

Chief of Staff

Army Col. Peter Crean

Public Affairs Offi cer

Irene Smith

Editor

Jonathan Stack

Writing Staff

Terry Shawn

Susan Lowe

Christopher Goulait

Layout/Design

Jonathan Stack

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

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The copy of Energy Source you are now reading he copy of Energy Source you are now reading 

marks my first as commander of DLA Energy ... I arks my first as commander of DLA Energy ... I 

am EXCITED to join your team, and can’t think of a m EXCITED to join your team, and can’t think of a 

better way to mark the transition than what Irene, etter way to mark the transition than what Irene, 

Jonathan and the writing team (Terry, Susan and onathan and the writing team (Terry, Susan and 

Christopher) have put together this month. hristopher) have put together this month.

First, we pay respect with a Final Salute to Air Force irst, we pay respect with a Final Salute to Air Force 

Brig. Gen. G.I. Tuck, who we owe a debt of gratitude rig. Gen. G.I. Tuck, who we owe a debt of gratitude 

to for successfully leading our global enterprise o for successfully leading our global enterprise 

to new heights of customer support. The course o new heights of customer support. The course 

he set carries us forward as we continue to build e set carries us forward as we continue to build 

the partnerships, arrangements and agreements he partnerships, arrangements and agreements 

necessary to distribute, manage and make audit ecessary to distribute, manage and make audit 

ready about 100 million barrels of fuel a year, and eady about 100 million barrels of fuel a year, and 

more than 50 million more in on-hand inventory ore than 50 million more in on-hand inventory 

annually. nnually. 

Our many partnerships, diverse in scope and ur many partnerships, diverse in scope and 

purpose, are the second focal point of this edition. urpose, are the second focal point of this edition. 

You’ll see them range from agreements with federal ou’ll see them range from agreements with federal 

agencies like the Federal Emergency Management gencies like the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency and the Department of Energy, to our gency and the Department of Energy, to our 

work with combatant commands, the Office of the ork with combatant commands, the Office of the 

Secretary of Defense and an array of international ecretary of Defense and an array of international 

partners. For example, in U.S. European Command, artners. For example, in U.S. European Command, 

we’re looking at all our existing agreements to e’re looking at all our existing agreements to 

ensure seemless operations in the event of a nsure seemless operations in the event of a 

Brig. Gen. Mark McLeod, USAF

Defense Logistics Agency Energy

contingency. At the Port ontingency. At the Port 

of Salalah in Oman, we’re f Salalah in Oman, we’re 

part of a multi-million art of a multi-million 

commercial investment to ommercial investment to 

build Navy capability and uild Navy capability and 

resiliency. These are just a esiliency. These are just a 

few of the many examples ew of the many examples 

where our partnerships and here our partnerships and 

collaborative efforts, from ollaborative efforts, from 

peer-to-peer to the highest eer-to-peer to the highest 

levels of international evels of international 

relations, ensure the elations, ensure the 

success of DLA and our uccess of DLA and our 

customers. ustomers.

Thanks G.I., and thanks also to all the dedicated hanks G.I., and thanks also to all the dedicated 

professionals who’ve made things happen over the rofessionals who’ve made things happen over the 

past two years. You have set the stage for DLA ast two years. You have set the stage for DLA 

Energy to develop the next generation of energy nergy to develop the next generation of energy 

support for the Department of Defense. As I look upport for the Department of Defense. As I look 

forward to the next 12 months, we’re poised to: orward to the next 12 months, we’re poised to:

• Cross the assertion barrier of audit readiness Cross the assertion barrier of audit readiness

• Reduce U.S. Pacific Command warfighter risk Reduce U.S. Pacific Command warfighter risk 

by rebalancing capacity, increasing commercial y rebalancing capacity, increasing commercial 

resiliency, and bolstering strategic reserves esiliency, and bolstering strategic reserves

• Significantly lower costs and environmental Significantly lower costs and environmental 

vulnerability by rightsizing obsolete infrastructure ulnerability by rightsizing obsolete infrastructure 

and investing in key remaining facilities nd investing in key remaining facilities

What a great time to join an elite logistics team! I hat a great time to join an elite logistics team! I 

look forward to everything we’ll accomplish together ook forward to everything we’ll accomplish together 

for our nation. or our nation.
Energy Source l July 2014 3

A Farewell Salute

Energy

We Are DLA

22 Space Fuel

 4 A Farewell Salute

 8 Fueling Afghanistan

12 Commander’s Priorities

18 Pacifi c Shift

28 Getting Healthy

31 One Face

A Farewell Salute

Space Fuel

Getting Healthy

4

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The Defense Department’s Healthy 

Base Initiative, which marked its 

one-year anniversary May 15, has 

made its mark across the Defense 

Logistics Agency. 

Although the Defense Logistics 

Agency spends billions of dollars on fuel, many don’t know the 

agency also procures fuel that 

takes technology literally out of 

this world.

Former DLA Energy Commander 

Air Force Brig. Gen. Giovanni 

Tuck sits down with the Energy 

Source editor and refl ects on his 

experience at the agency and his 

way forward. 

Pacific Shift 18

As America’s combat logistics 

support agency, DLA Energy has 

adjusted its mission accordingly 

to effectively provide support to 

warfi ghters and its customers in 

the Pacifi c region.

CONTENTS ONTENTS
4 www.energy.dla.mil

A Farewell Salute Farewell Salute

The fi nal interview with

former DLA Energy Commander

Air Force Brig. Gen. Giovanni Tuck

ES: How would you sum up your command at 

DLA Energy?

TUCK: I would sum it up by saying we have 1,200 of 

the most amazing, dedicated and committed workforce 

that I have ever been a part of in 27 years of doing this. 

I’ve been around military operations all my life. I’ve 

had a chance to command organizations that have had 

many civilians in them. I was thrust into an organization that is 90-95 percent civilians and watched and 

learned what we do each and every day to enable the 

warfi ghter to be effective. You all put your clothes on 

just as an airman, soldier, sailor and Marine would put 

their’s on. This has been an amazing tour, and I really 

don’t want to leave. I would like to stay a third year because there’s so much great stuff we are doing. I know 

it’s time and the new commander coming in will do 

just great. My two years here have been a phenomenal 

experience both from learning and leading perspectives. 

ES: What are some milestones DLA Energy has 

achieved while you’ve been in command?

TUCK: That’s an amazing question and I say that 

because when I got here we were in the middle of 

Big Ideas – saving $10 billion in fi ve years. So, I was 

already thrust into what that initiative was like, but 

then we started to take a look at our own priorities 

in line with what our director was looking at when it 

comes to warfi ghter support, stewardship and workforce development. So we said we have an organization 

that manages one of nine supply chains for DLA and 

in the management of that supply chain, the things we 

had been able to put out there for our own initiatives 

– all things total energy, commercial maintenance and 

old infrastructure – these kind of things don’t happen 

without working with our services and working within 

our organization to make all that come alive. 

Not only did we support regional requirements, but we 

were able to look into the future and make this organization as effective and effi cient as we could, which 

is part of our mission. I think for the two years I’ve 

been here, we’ve been able to move big dials versus 

By Jonathan Stack
Energy Source l July 2014 5

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Graphic by Jonathan Stack
6 www.energy.dla.mil

just moving things on the margin, and in doing so 

we’ve been able to make a difference and meaningful 

impact to the people who require our services, and 

that’s basically all things energy. 

ES: What were some challenges you faced 

while in command, and how did you overcome them?

TUCK: Some of the challenges in command you face 

are personnel retiring or people coming back to jobs 

they vacated and have return rights to – it’s diffi cult 

to backfi ll talent. The biggest challenges we’ve had 

are fi nding the right people to be willing to move into 

jobs of responsibility that they are comfortable doing. 

That challenge really became an opportunity for our 

organization. I really thought it was amazing how we 

did that. Not to get into too many numbers, but we 

had nine moves in January, 14 moves in June, and 

those 23 moves, coupled with what we’re going to 

do with our quality assurance workforce, makes this 

place an exciting place to be. People are going to have 

the chance to go out into the fi eld and they’ll also be 

able to come to the headquarters for experience. So 

when you’re looking for senior leaders ... we have 

a stable bench to pull from. You’re not just kind of 

wondering who is around that you can put in the job; 

you have a deliberate strategy to pull it off. 

Another challenge, was 

not so much the notion 

we ought to take a look 

at old infrastructure and 

get out to study it, but 

the fact that the messaging came out as “DLA 

wants to close everything, 

because these facilities 

might not be required anymore.” The challenge has been 

strategic messaging. Again, with that challenge comes opportunity, because when you’re trying to get more people 

onboard it’s important they realize we could save a little bit 

by leveraging commercial practices and not reduce the operational outcome – that was very important to us, but that 

was another hurdle we had to, and still have to, overcome. 

ES: What have you learned while you were commander of DLA Energy that you’re taking to your 

new position?

TUCK: My position that I go to may not have anything to 

do with supply chain management, but what I will take out 

of this job is the logistician career fi eld is alive and well. I 

will be able to beat that drum about what we do in terms 

of end-to-end distribution, supply chain management and 

sustainment of operations within whatever circles I am 

in, because of the caliber of work that gets done here that 

takes risk away from the services. 
Energy Source l July 2014 7

We do all of these things with a working capital fund by procuring fuel so 

the services don’t have to fi ght that 

battle. We take so much pressure off of 

the services with our working capital 

fund. That’s the drum beat that I will 

take to my next job. You all may or may 

not know there’s an organization out 

there that can do things like a Hurricane Sandy if you just give them the 

opportunity to shine. I think people 

will slowly realize what great things 

happen at DLA Energy, and the benefi t of me going to 

my next job is that I’ll be able to tell that story.

ES: What are you going to miss about DLA Energy?

TUCK: I’m going to miss all the people here. Every time 

you hear about somebody going away, it’s that you love 

the mission, but you miss the people. No different in 

my role as I leave here. I’ll really miss the culture of this 

place – it is a real “git-r-done” community. If the people 

need to stay late because they have one more transaction 

to do, they do it. The entire environment of the organization is about customer service and it is about providing 

the best services when it comes to fuels and non-petroleum based products as well – it has been phenomenal. 

ES: What is something that you’d like to say to 

the employees and let them know prior to your 

departure?

TUCK: Thank you for taking an Air Force pilot and 

turning him into a fuelie. Although I only have two 

years at it, I am smarter and a better offi cer for it. It has 

been an amazing ride, and I look forward to staying in 

touch with a lot of you as my career continues. This has 

been one of the highlights of my career for sure. 

ES: What is your vision for the way forward at 

DLA Energy?

TUCK: I hope that the work we have done continues. 

We are on a two to fi ve year glide path and getting a 

lot of good work done with Energy Convergence, Audit 

Readiness, “Big Ideas,” commercial infrastructure, contingency contracts and disaster preparedness. I think 

if we continue our collective focus on these priorities 

we will certainly become better on the other side – no 

doubt about it. 

I think the commander coming in has a great opportunity to take this organization to newer heights. 

ES: What advice would you give your successor?

TUCK: For the fi rst 30 days you’re in the job freeze, the 

stick – let the organization show you what it can do. 

The best advice I can give is to get to know these great 

DLA Energy folks, understand that landscape that 

you’ve been thrust into and build relationships with 

your services and foreign governments you’ll deal with 

and you’ll do just fi ne at this job. 
8 www.energy.dla.mil

The region is landlocked and supply chains are 

long. Winter weather impacts distribution, 

avalanches block key mountain passes and roads 

can be washed away in spring fl oods. And, when the 

weather is nice, fuel convoys are ambushed and trucks 

are destroyed. 

These challenges are some of what DLA Energy faces 

when supplying fuel to Afghanistan, said former DLA 

Energy Middle East Commander Army Col. William 

Rush. Along with the standard logistics of transporting 

fuel, the physical geography and the wartime operating 

environment of the country become two of the biggest 

unique diffi culties to overcome.

Getting fuel into Afghanistan requires bringing it in one 

of two ways – via the Northern Distribution Network or 

through Pakistan, with each route requiring different 

transportation measures.

“The NDN relies on rail tank cars to deliver fuel from 

refi neries in the Commonwealth of Independent States 

through the Hairaton, Afghanistan, border crossing,” 

said Air Force Maj. Adam Minnich, commander of DLA 

Energy Middle East’s Supplier Operations, who oversees 

support in Afghanistan. “The fuel is then moved to locations throughout the country via tank truck where it is 

stored and used by U.S. forces.”

“Fuel is also supplied via Pakistan, imported and delivered from ocean-going vessels from the Port of Karachi, 

or from local Pakistani refi neries,” he continued. “It is 

loaded into tanker trucks and driven across the Afghanistan border at Torkham. 

Once the fuel is in Afghanistan, it is delivered to either 

reserve storage areas or to individual bases for consumption.

The route isn’t the only distinctive aspect of fuel support 

in the country. 

The fuel itself is also specialized to meet the needs of the 

warfi ghter, explained DLA Energy Middle East Chief of 

Customer Operations Army Maj. Gary Whittacre.

“Afghanistan is unique in that much of the fuel is 

sourced from Central Asia,” Whittacre said.

The fuel procured adheres to the Russian state standard, 

known as GOST standards. It is Russian Aviation Turbine Fuel, also known as TS-1, Whittacre said. 

TS-1 is a kerosene-base fuel with a slightly lower fl ash 

point and a lower freeze point compared to Jet A-1 fuel, 

and is considered to be equivalent to Jet A-1, he continued. It is approved by most aircraft manufacturers and 

has been approved by the Air Force Petroleum Agency 

for use in U.S. Air Force aircraft. It is also approved by 

the Army Petroleum Center for use in Army aviation assets and ground vehicles. 

All TS-1 jet fuel is additized by including certain chemical compounds to meet JP8 specifi cations before being 

delivered to the customer. Jet A-1 jet fuel is also procured when it is available.

“U.S. forces in Afghanistan adhere to the single battlefi eld fuel concept, which reduces the need for diesel and 

motor gasoline, although these fuels are still used sparingly in ground vehicles and generators where needed,” 

Whittacre said.

Quality surveillance and quality assurance are other 

aspects of the DLA Energy fuel support mission in 

Afghanistan. Even empty fuel trucks are inspected 

before being certifi ed to load fuel for delivery.

Fuel destined for Afghanistan is tested at the procurement refi neries and re-tested at most of the terminals 

and transportation locations between the procurement 

site and the contractor’s intermediate terminal or loading sites, Whittacre explained. Under DLA Energy’s 

suppliers’ contracts, the fuel is “A Specifi cation” tested 

by certifi ed labs at their facilities or other commercial 

laboratory facilities in the area. 

“Once the fuel is loaded from the direct delivery or 

defense fuel support point terminals and shipped to the 

forward operating bases, the fuel is tested at the loading 

Fueling Af ueling Afg

By Christopher Goulait
Energy Source l July 2014 9

ghanistan hanistan

An airman prepares fuel for testing, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Defense Logistics Agency Energy Middle East supports fuel procured 

for Afghanistan. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Marleah Miller

areas and once it reaches the FOBs,” he said. “We periodically have the labs on the FOBs perform correlation 

testing to verify sample results are in compliance with 

the commercial labs. There is also an area lab in Qatar 

that can perform correlation samples.”

While the fuel is proven for the environment in terms 

of climate, the drawdown of forces in Afghanistan is 

changing that environment in other ways the DLA 

Energy team has to anticipate.

Rush said his DLA Energy Middle East team is required 

to maintain a certain amount of supply of fuel in Afghanistan stored at the FOBs, Bagram Air Base, DFSPs 

and in the contractor reserves. 

Suppliers are paid to segregate and hold fuel for the 

agency, he added. This helps ensure there is enough fuel 

to weather any potential supply chain disruptions.

“As force levels decline, consumption decreases,” he 

said. “We order less fuel and consume the reserve stocks 

we have on hand to draw down to the new required 

levels.” 
10 www.energy.dla.mil

There’s more than one reason the 

agency is able to take the drawdown 

and the other logistical challenges of 

fuel support in Afghanistan in stride, 

Rush explained.

“Most of the challenges associated 

with supplying fuel in Afghanistan can 

be overcome with prior planning and 

preparation,” he said. “A knowledgeable staff with experience from previous 

years can anticipate most interruptions, 

such as extended local Afghan holidays 

or harsh winter weather that closes supply routes. Through anticipation, they 

can plan for adequate fuel to be on hand 

for the warfi ghter.” 

“We also use our lessons learned from 

drawing down fuel support in Iraq in 

2011,” he added.

He also cited adequate storage maintained both north and south of the 

Salang Pass as a way to mitigate risk in 

the distribution network. Risk is further 

reduced by having more than one supplier capable of delivering fuel to each 

supported site, as well as having multiple transportation providers capable 

of delivering fuel from the DFSP. 

“Flexibility and redundancy are keys to 

our success,” Rush said.

One side of these planning and preparation efforts comes from the DLA Energy 

Middle East team, Rush said. Working 

in-theater, the group of more than 50 

civilian and military members, most 

of whom are positioned in Bahrain, 

control many of the day-to-day aspects 

of the fuel support.

The core team is joined by attached personnel who serve as liaison offi cers and 

contracting offi cer representatives in 

Afghanistan who serve as boots on the 

ground links between DLA Energy and 

their customers and suppliers on sixmonth volunteer tours in Afghanistan.

The contracts for all of this support, 

however, begin their life half a world 

A Marine conducts refueling operations on Forward Operating Base 

Delaram, Helmand province, Afghanistan. DLA Energy awards and 

manages the contracts for fuels used in Afghanistan. Photo by Marine Staff 

Sgt. Ezekiel R. Kitandwe
Energy Source l July 2014 11

An Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft receives fuel from a 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 

Stratotanker over Afghanistan. Fuels used in Afghanistan are supported by the DLA Energy Middle East team. Photo by Air 

Force Staff Sgt. Stephany Richards

away and are awarded and managed at DLA Energy’s 

headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. After originating in Virginia, there are several activities initiated, 

monitored and supervised by DLA Energy Middle East 

personnel located in Bahrain, Afghanistan and Tampa, 

Florida, to ensure contract performance in Afghanistan.

Rush explained how each of the offi ces and their role 

in the region helps to keep fuel fl owing in a wartime 

environment.

“Supplier Operations and Customer Operations offi ces 

at DLA Energy Middle East located in Bahrain serves 

as a liaison between DLA Energy headquarters and the 

major suppliers; along with interfacing daily with the 

end-users and the suppliers to ensure all fuel deliveries 

are occurring in accordance with the contract,” he said.

The DLA Energy Middle East Quality offi ce also plays a 

major role in ensuring all fuel delivered meets specifi cations and standards as outlined in the contracts, Rush 

said. Those quality teams, along with contracting offi cer 

representatives in the region serve a vital role as the 

eyes and ears on the ground for the contracting offi -

cers back in the U.S. These are exceptional individuals 

extremely skilled in their craft, Rush added.

“We also have liaison offi cers and planners embedded 

at the United States Central Command headquarters 

in Tampa,” he said. “We have another liaison offi cer in 

the Netherlands who is our link to NATO operating in 

Afghanistan. Through them, we are able to have eyes 

and ears inside the combatant commander’s planning 

teams, which gives us great insight into what’s coming 

next.”

An organization is only as good as the people whom 

comprise it, Rush said. The dedicated teams managing 

DLA Energy’s fuel support to Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world have years of experience and have 

proven themselves time and time again. 

“Working together across numerous time zones and 

in unpredictable combat and political environments 

can present a whole host of challenges, but we have 

the benefi t of an exceptionally qualifi ed and dedicated 

workforce; these folks simply rock,” he said.

“We take great pride in our anonymity,” he continued. 

“If the warfi ghter never has to worry about fuel, they 

tend not to know who we are. Their expectation that the 

fuel will always be there is the greatest compliment they 

could ever pay us.”
12 www.energy.dla.mil

Prioritizing the rioritizing the M

Before he relinquished command, former Defense 

Logistics Agency Commander Air Force Brig. Gen. 

Giovanni Tuck signed a memorandum May 29 that 

outlined the 2014 DLA Energy Priorities as ways to 

keep the workforce focused on ensuring DLA Energy 

reaches its strategic goals, by focusing on eight specifi c 

areas of emphasis.

“These priorities touch everyone in [DLA] Energy and 

your unfl inching support is vital to its success,” Tuck 

said in his message to employees. “There isn’t a day that 

goes by we aren’t working on these priorities. ... This 

memorandum provides the policy guidance on what is 

important to DLA Energy as we face uncertain budgets, 

the drawdown in Afghanistan, shift to the Pacifi c and 

face humanitarian and contingency operations – at 

home and around the globe.”

The priorities focus on Audit Readiness, Energy 

Convergence, “Big Ideas” cost savings initiatives, 

Department of Defense infrastructure, commercial 

maintenance, working toward a total energy portfolio, 

providing disaster support and increasing engagements 

with small business.

The list of eight priorities is meant to maintain much of 

DLA Energy’s momentum to date, and add a few new 

pursuits that just make sense in today’s world, Tuck 

explained in the memo.

Subject matter experts working on each priority described each focus area in greater depth.

Audit Readiness

The aim of Audit Readiness is to become fully auditable, said Claudia Waters, chief of the Auditability offi ce 

in DLA Energy’s Strategic Plans and Initiatives directorate. 

More specifi cally, the Audit Readiness initiative is 

meant to align DLA Energy with the overall DLA Enterprise systems and business processes to meet the 

Comptroller for the Offi ce of the Under Secretary of 

Defense’s Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness 

guidelines for achieving audit readiness by September 

2015, Waters said. 

The FIAR guidance defi nes the DoD goals, priorities, 

strategy and methodology to becoming audit ready.

“The DoD, as a whole, has never successfully undergone 

an independent audit,” Waters said. “In 2010, Congress 

passed a bill mandating the DoD be fully auditable 

by 2017 and, in 2012, [DLA Director Navy Vice Adm. 

Mark] Harnitchek accelerated the DLA timeline to 

2015.”

“It gives the American taxpayers a sense of trust that 

DLA is committed to being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us,” she said. “Being audit ready 

is one of the DLA director’s ‘Big Ideas,’ and maximizing funding and having better control over assets has a 

major effect on mission success.”

While DLA Energy has a designated Audit Readiness 

team, the entire workforce’s participation is required to 

get the job done and get it done right, Waters said.

Teams across the agency have already put in work to get 

DLA Energy audit ready, especially with the fi nal stages 

of the Energy Convergence program moving business 

processes to the DLA Enterprise Business Systems platform, Waters said. Parallel efforts to document and test 

key processes and controls comprising the end-to-end 

Plan to Stock business cycle are underway as well.

“This move will align DLA Energy with the enterprise 

and provide assurance that we are all on the same path 

to audit readiness,” she said.

Completing the Energy Convergence process and reaching more Plan to Stock and Acquire to Retire milestones 

are still steps needed to become audit ready, Waters 

said. Other areas include further documentation and 

testing of key processes and controls over end-to-end 

processes related to Order to Cash and Procure to Pay 

practices to meet the 2015 timeline.

Energy Convergence

While Energy Convergence plays a role in Audit Readiness, this priority goes further than an audit.

The Energy Convergence program consolidates DLA 

operational and fi nancial support into a single enterprise architecture for information technology, which 

reduces the overall cost of information technology 

By Christopher Goulait
Energy Source l July 2014 13

eMission Mission

operations and provides DLA Energy with the ability 

to leverage IT support improvements throughout 

the agency, said Lori Bovee, chief of the Integration, 

Sustainment & Policy division of DLA Energy Business Process Support.

“To support DLA Energy, modules specifi c to management of petroleum commodities were added to 

the SAP-centric Enterprise Business Systems architecture and confi gured to accommodate specifi c 

acquisition and inventory management operations 

conducted by DLA Energy,” Bovee said. “Migration 

to state-of-the-art SAP management tools within EBS 

expanded our opportunities for improved process 

oversight and operational economies that ensue.”

The Business Process Support and Procurement 

Process Support directorates are the primary teams 

working on Energy Convergence, but experts from 

across the organization, its regions, DLA headquarters and the DLA supply chains contribute to the 

efforts, Bovee said. 

“But it also takes every member of DLA Energy being 

actively engaged in learning how the system works,” 

she said. “It takes people to accomplish the mission – 

EBS is simply the enabling business system.”

Those people took Energy Convergence from blueprinting in 2005 to software development and confi guration, then to the initial 2011 deployment for the 

DLA Energy Aerospace Energy business unit. 

“Since then, the aerospace and petroleum acquisition 

programs, associated inventories and inventory support and sales operations (with the exception of some 

card programs) have been migrated to EBS from our 

legacy IT systems,” Bovee said.

“A fi nal increment supporting customer sales made 

through DLA Energy’s remaining card programs will 

be rolled out later this calendar year, and the Energy 

Convergence program will end in December 2014,” 

she said. “We will then be fully in sustainment in 

EBS.”

Big Ideas

The premise of the Big Ideas priority is that DLA 

Energy faces the same fi scal and strategic challenges 
14 www.energy.dla.mil

that the rest of the DoD faces, and must 

transform the energy supply chain in order to 

dramatically drive down costs while signifi -

cantly improving support to the customer, 

said Caitlin O’Leary, chief of the Management 

Initiatives division of DLA Energy’s Strategic 

Plans and Initiatives directorate.

DLA Energy’s Big Ideas initiative is part of 

the overall DLA director’s program to reduce 

DLA’s materiel and operating costs by $13.1 

billion from fi scal 2014 through fi scal 2019. 

“Toward that overall goal, DLA Energy’s materiel and operating reduction target is $3.4 

billion,” O’Leary said. “The benefi t is reduction in costs for the warfi ghter and taxpayers 

while signifi cantly improving support to our 

customer.”

The Strategic Programs and Initiatives directorate manages this program for DLA Energy, 

however, it is a total DLA Energy team effort, 

O’Leary said. Subject matter expertise and 

management responsibility is spread over 

many levels of supervisors, directors and 

senior DLA Energy leadership.

To accomplish this priority, DLA Energy identifi ed more than 30 Big Idea savings projects, 

with savings coming from several categories. 

The category of operations savings includes 

terminal operations and environmental services negotiated savings, consulting contract 

reductions and equipment reduction, O’Leary 

said. For materiel savings, some of the signifi -

cant contributors are procurement systems 

and process improvement, along with strategic sourcing. Savings for both operations and 

materiel have been steadily increasing since 

fi scal 2012.

“Total DLA Energy savings so far for fi scal 

2012, fi scal 2013 and year-to-date fi scal 2014 

is $1.6 billion,” she said. “Not bad.”

The more than 30 Big Ideas cost savings 

initiatives will continue to be worked on to 

generate savings through fi scal year 2019.

Total Energy Portfolio

“DLA Energy is committed to leading the way 

to strengthening the nation’s energy resilienA soldier loads hoses back onto a tanker after a quality assurance inspection during the Quartermaster Liquid Logistics Exercise at Fort A.P. Hill, 

Virginia. DLA Energy, the service control points and the Army Corps of 

Engineers have partnered to provide the services of maintenance companies 

to make small, non-engineering repairs, like replacing fuel hoses, faster on 

installations. Photo by Army Sgt. David Turner
Energy Source l July 2014 15

cy,” O’Leary said. “In a fi scally constrained environment, 

reducing department-wide redundancies and establishing an integrated energy strategy is critical. Implementation of a holistic total energy portfolio approach will 

provide effi ciencies that will be more cost effective and 

will allow the services to focus on their core mission 

while we continue to strengthen ours.”

Developing a total energy portfolio involves an integrated approach to managing the DoD’s energy requirements and innovative energy acquisition strategies, she 

said. 

Several opportunities would be addressed through a total energy portfolio, she added. First, it would serve as a 

way of improving the effi ciency and effectiveness of the 

DoD energy supply chain. The portfolio would be integrating DLA Energy, in a major way, with DoD’s emerging energy activities, as well as balance the anticipated 

decrease in petroleum consumption with new alternative fuels and renewable energy opportunities. 

“DLA Energy aims to optimize its ‘energy portfolio’ by 

offering additional energy products and services related to not only the traditional customer base, but to 

new DoD opportunities involving installation energy,” 

O’Leary said.

The program is a top-down initiative led by teams in the 

Customer Operations and Supplier Operations directorates, and championed by the DLA Energy commander 

and his staff. DLA Energy’s Management Initiatives 

offi ce provides program management support and direction, and as the program matures, additional business 

units will be pulled into the program as required.

The total energy portfolio is one of DLA Energy’s newer 

initiatives, and is still in development, O’Leary said. The 

organization is still discussing the concept and benefi ts 

to stakeholders while the initial framework is being assembled.

“The total energy portfolio will be an ongoing effort that 

will require an evolving and systematic approach to 

energy management across the DoD,” O’Leary said.

“Much work remains in order to satisfy this total energy 

portfolio priority” she said. “But that’s OK. In combination with the DLA director’s Big Ideas, more effective joint supply governances and continued focus on 

effi cient and effective management of the energy supply 

chain, DLA Energy is well postured to provide the DoD 

with a total, integrated energy solution in the most effective and economical manner possible.”

DoD Infrastructure

Maintenance and upkeep of DoD infrastructure is a 

critical DLA Energy mission, said Dan Jennings, deputy 

director for DLA Energy’s Defense Fuel Support Point 

Management.

“Much of our infrastructure was built in the World War 

II or Cold War era, and it’s aging,” he said. 

DLA Energy is identifying aging infrastructure and looking at either removing or rehabilitating it.

“We’re also trying to decrease the amount of inventory 

we have, since inventory costs money,” Jennings said. 

“If you’re decreasing inventory, it also makes sense to 

decrease infrastructure along with it.”

The Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization division of DFSP Management funds the maintenance of 

DoD infrastructure, and is coupled with efforts from 

DLA Installation Support for Energy.

“If it’s government-owned or if it stores DLA-owned 

fuel, then we’re responsible for funding the maintenance 

for that facility,” Jennings said. “We do $450 million in 

funding of maintenance programs annually.”

The Facilities Management and Inventory Management 

Divisions within the DFSP Management business unit 

are conducting systemic supply chain analysis of both 

base level and intermediate DFSPs in support of this 

priority.

Facilities Management is looking at the base level supply 

chain to see what can be done to improve customer support while reducing costs, Jennings said. They work to 

optimize base level support around the world, improving, modernizing, commercializing and/or consolidating 

facilities in order to reduce cost and improve customer 

support.

“We’re studying 27 National Guard and reserve airfi elds 

that are co-located with commercial airports to see if the 

commercial facility can support the military’s needs and 

allow the military facility to close,” Jennings said.

The Inventory Management Division is conducting a 

similar analysis of intermediate DFSPs and is currently 

assessing 23 large DFSPs to determine whether they can 

be closed or reduced. We have closed, or are in the process of closing, fi ve locations already, and we’re looking 

at several more in the near future, Jennings said.

Maintaining and improving DoD infrastructure is one 
16 www.energy.dla.mil

priority that won’t have a completion date, Jennings 

said.

Commercial Maintenance

Infrastructure is also at the center of commercial maintenance, aimed at increasing the velocity of infrastructure repairs.

“How can we maintain our infrastructure more like a 

commercial company?” said Frank Rechner, deputy 

director of Supplier Operations. 

“The underlying premise is a commercial entity would 

not leave a tank out of service for an extended period 

of time,” he said. “So the question becomes how do 

we affect tank repairs in order to bring them back into 

service faster? How do we do small, non-engineering 

repairs quicker and still have the same level of government oversight so that we know we’re getting what we’re 

paying for?”

The initiative is tied to the recurring maintenance and 

minor repair program.

DLA Energy, the service control points and the Army 

Corps of Engineers have partnered to provide the 

services of maintenance companies to support each 

installation, Rechner said. Companies send out a team 

every quarter to inspect the defense fuel support point, 

perform routine maintenance and identify defi ciencies 

that require follow on maintenance. Additionally, all are 

on call 24/7 to handle emergencies and any other issues 

between visits.

“We’re seeing a lot of small dollar value, non-engineering repairs like gas station pumps, nozzle, hoses, valves 

and such get fi nished very quickly,” Rechner said. “The 

response time went from hundreds of days down to less 

than 30. For emergencies, it wasn’t 30 or 40 days anymore, it was less than seven.” 

For example, a critical tank was inspected, cleaned and 

returned to service within 24 hours, he said.

The recurring maintenance program has been rolled out 

worldwide, Rechner said. It started in Europe, rolled 

through the continental U.S., and is now being implemented in the Pacifi c. 

Disaster Support

In the event of a disaster, planning well, applying lessons 

learned and implementing mitigation measures can help 

ensure continuity of operations and reduce the impact 

of a disaster on the supply chain, said Cindy Smith, chief 

of the Executive Agent offi ce in DLA Energy’s Strategic 

Plans and Initiatives directorate.

“We aim to ensure that DLA Energy is prepared to 

provide disaster support and maintain uninterrupted 

operations during a disaster or defense support of civil 

authorities,” Smith said.

Expanding the use of contingency contracts from solely 

the Southeast U.S. to all of the locations across the U.S. 

the Federal Emergency Management Agency supports 

has been one big step in achieving this priority, Smith 

said. DLA Energy has also participated in tabletop drills 

and the Quartermaster Liquid Logistics Exercise, as well 

as worked with the Department of Energy to establish 

gasoline reserves in the Northeast U.S. to ready itself to 

support disaster relief operations.

Many members of DLA Energy are impacted by disaster 

relief planning. Leading the way on those preparations 

are several offi ces from DLA Energy’s Business Process 

Support, Customer Operations and Supplier Operations 

directorates.

Upcoming work includes the development of the agency’s own internal processes by establishing standard 

operating procedures, along with the deployment of a 

bulk petroleum common operating picture and a contingency fuel application, Smith said. However, some work 

will be ongoing.

“Disaster preparedness will always be a continuous 

effort, and DLA Energy continues to cement relation-
Energy Source l July 2014 17

ships and clarify roles and responsibilities with various 

agencies such as Department of Energy and FEMA,” she 

added.

Small Business

With an agency that makes billions of dollars of industry 

purchases, DLA Energy’s Small Business offi ce makes it 

its priority to provide the most opportunities for small 

businesses to take part in the agency’s acquisitions said 

Greg Thevenin, DLA Energy Small Business offi ce associate director.

“The U.S. government recognized early on that in order 

for our country to sustain maximum prosperity and 

growth, there needed to be a concerted effort to enhance 

small business participation in enterprise,” Thevenin 

said. “Most importantly, the economic stability of the 

country relies on this undertaking.”

Thevenin said 57 percent of the country’s workforce is 

employed by small businesses, which also pay 44 percent of the U.S. payroll and are responsible for 60 to 80 

percent of all new jobs. 

DLA Energy reaches out to those small businesses, 

which include categories such as veteran-owned small 

business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, historically underutilized business zone small business, small disadvantaged business and women-owned 

small business.

“Through training, we are strengthening DLA Energy’s 

accountability to small businesses,” Thevenin said. 

“Senior leaders at DLA Energy have challenged stakeholders to increase the use of small business contractors 

wherever possible.”

The agency also enhanced outreach efforts, like advertising and featuring DLA Energy in trade magazines and 

publications geared toward small business, as well as 

through social media, he said.

The Small Business offi ce manages these and future 

efforts, but it’s also the responsibility of all DLA Energy 

employees, especially those stakeholders in DLA Energy’s acquisition fi elds, he said.

“Our toughest challenge at DLA Energy is the limited 

and ever-shrinking number of small refi neries in the 

country,” Thevenin said. 

They are working closely with the U.S Small Business 

Administration and the Offi ce of Management and 

Budget to update the size standard for refi ning, he said. 

Since 2001, the industry has become more concentrated, 

as many of the small to moderate size concerns have 

merged or been purchased by larger refi ners.

Soldiers prepare to depart from the National Guard armory in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, to New Jersey to provide fuel to 

critical resources affected by Hurricane Sandy. DLA Energy expanded contingency contracts from solely the Southeast U.S. 

to all of the locations across the U.S. the Federal Emergency Management Agency supports in order to provide disaster support and maintain uninterrupted operations. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Ted Nichols
18 www.energy.dla.mil

Pacific Shift c Shift

Former Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter 

said the Department of Defense, in order to 

bolster its established military commitments 

in the region, has begun to shift its “intellectual and 

physical weight” to the Asia-Pacific area. 

Carter made the remarks when participating in an 

international panel at the third Jakarta International 

Defense Dialogue in Indonesia in March 2013.

“The rebalance will continue, and in fact gain momentum, for two reasons. First, U.S. interests here 

are enduring and so also will be its political and 

economic presence,” Carter told the JIDD audience 

of nearly 1,500 defense, government and security officials from around the world. 

As part of America’s combat logistics support agency, Defense Logistics Agency Energy has adjusted its 

mission to effectively and efficiently provide support to warfighters and its customers in the Pacific 

region.

“Rebalancing assets in the Pacific means positioning 

supplies of fuel in the correct locations in the area of 

responsibility to support warfighter requirements, 

and also having a plan to move assets from other 

locations as necessary to meet those requirements as 

conditions change,” said DLA Energy Pacific Commander Navy Capt. Christopher Bower.

As part of that mission, the DLA Energy’s Pacific 

rebalance strategy involves the use of commercial 

fuel storage facilities in support of U.S. Pacific Command.

There may be a physical relocation of fuel, as in the 

case of the new contractor-owned, contractor operated facility in the Philippines, or having a mechanism 

to exchange fuel stocks on the open market to meet 

requirements, Bower said.

The emphasis on positioning and managing fuel 

stocks came from DoD Instruction No. 3110.06 dated 

June 23, 2008, which states, “Within authorized 

funding, the DoD Components shall acquire and 

maintain, in peacetime, war materiel inventories sufBy Terry Shawn
Energy Source l July 2014 19

ficient to attain and sustain operational objectives, 

as prescribed in the Secretary of Defense Guidance 

to Develop the Force and Joint Strategic Capabilities 

Plan scenarios for committed forces. War reserve 

inventories shall include peacetime operating stocks, 

training stocks, as well as [war reserve materiel] 

where appropriate.” 

The instruction goes on to state, “To reduce reaction 

time and to sustain forces, war reserve inventory 

stocks shall be sized, acquired, managed, and positioned to maximize flexibility, while minimizing the 

DoD investment in inventories.”

To determine a way to execute the instruction, DLA 

Energy, U.S. Transportation Command, PACOM, 

military service components and the Air Force’s 

Space Applications Program office participated in a 

2009 study assessing PACOM’s operations. 

Based on the study’s results, a Type III business case 

analysis was conducted to optimize PACOM bulk 

petroleum support along with a recommendation 

that DLA Energy seek commercial alternatives in an 

effort to rebalance war reserve petroleum stocks in 

the region. 

A Type III business case analysis is required when 

the proposed initiative involves a projected cost 

exceeding a specified dollar threshold, in this case $1 

million, and/or has a significant impact on Department of Defense operations, thus requiring a detailed analysis.

Since then, DLA Energy has contracted for a total of 

2.7 million gallons of commercial storage in Guam, 

Singapore and the Philippines.

The National Defense Transportation Agency and 

TRANSCOM commanders co-sponsored a meeting 

to discuss reset and rebalancing efforts and surface 

transportation and logistics distribution in October 

2013.

“When the guidance came out in 2008, [DLA Energy] 

embraced it, got the stakeholders to concur and 

sent out an implementation plan,” said DLA Energy 

Customer Operations Deputy Director Linda Barnett. 

“Now we are seeing the fruits of our command’s 

efforts for the work we did between 2010 and 2013.”

In keeping with the rebalancing strategy to use commercial facilities, DLA Energy currently has four 

commercial bulk fuel storage facilities under contract in support of PACOM:

– Defense Fuel Support Point Guam, with 1.2 million 

barrels of jet fuel storage and a distribution capability by pier and pipeline facilities

A Marine Corps KC-130 prepares to transport evacuees from Tacloban Air Base to the Manila area in support of Operation 

Damayan. The repositioning of Department of Defense fuel stocks in the Pacifi c will better enable DLA Energy to provide 

support to humanitarian and disaster relief operations in the region. Photo by Navy Petty Offi cer 3rd Class Ricardo R. Guzman 
20 www.energy.dla.mil

– DFSP Philippines, storing a total of 1.1 million barrels of Navy grade military diesel and jet fuel product 

with distribution capability by pier facilities 

– DFSP Singapore, storing 460,000 barrels of Navy 

grade military diesel product with distribution capability by pier facilities 

– DFSP Hachinohe, Japan, with storage of 57,000 

barrels of jet fuel with distribution capability by pier 

and pipeline facilities

The DFSPs support not only operations plan/contingency plan requirements, but also contingency and 

peacetime operating requirements, Bower said. 

“The new facility in the Philippines is a good example 

of that,” Bower said. “Combined Task Force-73 has 

sent multiple combat logistics force ships into Subic I 

already, as has Military Sealift Command. The ability 

to refuel these replenishment ships in the Philippines 

means they can service many more customers in the 

area of operation as they now don’t have to go all the 

way to Japan or Singapore to load their bunker cargoes, and so can meet operating forces at sea much 

more regularly.” 

“If we can refuel them at sea, then they don’t have to 

pull into port themselves and can stay on station doing the mission they are assigned for a much longer 

period – it becomes a force multiplier as we need 

fewer warships to perform a specific mission. Those 

DFSPs are also well positioned to support real world 

contingencies such as Operation Damayan and others,” he added. 

Operation Damayan was a humanitarian assistance 

and disaster relief operation set up in the Republic 

of the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan, called 

Typhoon Yolanda by Filipinos, which caused catastrophic destruction in the central Philippines in 

November 2013. The U.S. military and other agencies 

worked together to aid and assist survivors. 

Humanitarian and disaster response will continue to 

be part of the mission in the Pacific.

“The Indo-Asia-Pacific region is the world’s most 

disaster-prone with 80 percent of all natural disaster 

occurrences. It contends with more super-typhoons, 

cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, and floods than 

any other region,” PACOM Commander Navy Adm. 

Samuel J. Locklear, III, testified before Congress in 

March. 

“This past year, a super typhoon hit the Philippines, 

severe flooding and a major earthquake occured 

in New Zealand, devastating flooding in India and 

Nepal, another earthquake in the Sichuan Province 

of China, and flooding and drought in the Marshall 

Islands. During Operation Damayan in the Philippines, we joined the Multi-National Coordination 

Center as an enabler to relief efforts coordinated by 

the Government of the Philippines, a testament to 

the importance of capability building initiatives and 

theater security cooperation,” Locklear said.

“DLA Energy Pacific played a part in supporting 

virtually every one of those disaster relief efforts, and 

there is no reason to believe we will not continue to 

do so in the future,” Bower said.

To improve operational capabilities in response to 

various scenarios in the Pacific, DLA Energy has participated in many table top exercises to demonstrate 

and stress the fuel supply and distribution capabilities of PACOM.

“DLA Energy has done amazing things to posture 

themselves for success in contingency operations,” 

said Air Force Col. Todd Cheney, DLA Energy Customer Operations director, who previously served 

as the DoD Joint Staff deputy chief of the Supply 

division and chief of the Joint Petroleum division. 

“The DLA Energy team will continue to work with the 

combatant commands, services and interagency partners to hone our capabilities to meet a full spectrum 

of contingencies.” 

Moving forward, a number of initiatives have been 

undertaken to facilitate, streamline and define the 

process of rebalancing DoD assets as it relates to 

missions, exercises and training. 

– For bulk petroleum and lubricants issues, the Joint 

Staff led a Joint Petroleum Working Group to address the requirements of the combatant commands. 

– To address DLA Energy infrastructure issues, a 

military construction installation planning review 

board meets to explore those changes and improvements. 

– In an effort to identify critical nodes or arcs in 

distribution and ensure limited resources are being 

directed to the proper locations, a Joint Staff global 

petroleum distribution planning process is in place. 

– A carrier strike group study was conducted on 

global petroleum distribution criticality, an analyti-
Energy Source l July 2014 21

cal methodology weighing the risk and benefit of where to 

stock position assets, to give the department the best utilization of limited resources in accordance of DoD Initiative 

3110.06.

Just as with all the military services, DLA Energy is charged 

with fulfilling the Air Force and the Navy’s fuel and energy 

requirements, and in the Pacific, those warfighter support 

requirements are increasing. 

“Working with our customers to determine what their requirements are will allow us to develop multiple support options. 

While our customers would like us to store all their requirements in the AOR, we don’t currently have enough storage to 

do so,” Bower said. “That means we will need to look at other 

strategies, such as swing stocks and pulling product forward 

from other locations, to meet customer demand.” 

“[DLA Energy] has to work with the Joint Staff to apportion 

what fuel we do have on a worldwide basis, and that means 

that we will likely have to look at options other than storage in 

the AOR to meet our customers’ requirements,” Bower said.

“We have opened a new facility in the Philippines, and have 

moved fuel forward to Alaska from Washington. We are looking at other opportunities elsewhere in the AOR for additional 

storage. DLA Energy continues to consider commercial opportunities in support of PACOM where appropriate,” Bower 

said.

The PACOM AOR covers more of the globe than any of the 

other geographic combatant commands. The sheer size of the 

region and forces involved presents challenges.

“In the PACOM AOR, we have 36 nations, 51 percent of the 

earth’s surface and 50 percent of world’s population,” said the 

DLA Energy Pacific commander. “In addition, we also have 

the world’s six largest armies and three largest economies 

with significant amounts of natural resources, both known 

and yet untapped, which is cause for significant tensions in 

the region.”

To support the two operation plans and two contingency plans 

in this AOR, they hold 773 million gallons of prepositioned 

war reserve stock in 68 DFSPs and facilities with a storage 

capacity of 1.1 billion gallons in 736 storage tanks, in locations 

from Hawaii, Alaska, Korea, Japan, Guam, Singapore and the 

Philippines, as well as many other locations, he added.

“Our mission is to ensure we can provide the warfighter’s 

requirements to support operations plans and contingency 

operations as well as day-to-day peacetime requirements,” 

Bower said. “Having the fuel forward positioned and using 

available contracting mechanisms will help us meet those 

requirements.”

A seaman takes a sample of JP5 jet fuel to 

check for sediment and condensation aboard an 

aircraft carrier in preparation for the Rim of 

the Pacifi c exercise, the world’s largest maritime 

exercise. To effectively and effi ciently support the 

fuel requirements of RIMPAC, DLA Energy is 

strategically rebalancing fuel stocks throughout 

the region. Photo by Navy Petty Offi cer 2nd Class 

Robert Winn
Although the Defense Logistics 

Agency spends billions of 

dollars on fuel to support the 

military’s land, sea and air missions, 

many don’t know the agency also 

procures fuel that takes technology 

literally out of this world.

The DLA Energy Aerospace Energy 

offi ce provides the Defense Department and other federal government 

customers, as well as commercial 

and academic space-related customers, with logistics support for 

aerospace fuels, chemicals, gases, 

cryogenic liquids and propellants. 

This includes fuels and chemicals 

that customers need to not only 

propel objects to space, but also to 

help objects maneuver in orbit, said 

Doug Smith, chief of the Aerospace 

Energy Supplier Operations division 

in DLA Energy.

“We provide fuel products for any 

mission that the National Reconnaissance Offi ce, the Air Force, 

NASA and others launch,” he said. 

“Although [DLA] doesn’t produce 

[the fuels], we buy them from suppliers who manufacture the product. We then provide government 

contracts that position the fuel at the 

time that it’s needed. Our customer 

division provides the logistics, and 

in some cases even the transportation, to get it to customers on time.”

DLA Energy assumed the aerospace 

fuels program from the Air Force in 

Space Fuel

Two soldiers assigned to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard input plotted points into a Defense Advanced GPS Receiver during 

a land navigation course. With the rising demand for new satellite technology for GPS, telecommunications, television and weather, 

commercial space launch companies have also started procuring their aerospace products from the DLA Energy Aerospace Energy offi ce. 

Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Coltin Heller

By Amanda Neuman, DLA PAO

22 www.energy.dla.mil
2001. Since then, the U.S.’s need for technology has 

created an enormous demand for satellite launches, 

said Ken Grams, chief of the Aerospace Energy 

Customer Operations division in DLA Energy.

“Right now, commercial space launch is huge, 

especially for satellites that are going up with 

new technology like GPS, telecommunications, 

television and weather,” he said. “It’s up to us 

to handle the logistics of getting the propellants 

and pressurizing agents to the launch site so our 

customers can concentrate on other issues for 

ensuring a successful launch.”

Out of the more than 480 customer organizations 

the offi ce supports, its largest customer, the Air 

Force, has two commercial rockets that launch 

U.S. military satellites: United Launch Alliance’s 

Delta IV and Atlas V rockets, said Charlene Smoot, 

a customer account specialist in the DLA Energy 

Aerospace Energy business unit in San Antonio.

“They’re both rockets used primarily for military 

and government satellite launches and also to 

launch NASA’s interspace vehicles, things that go 

to the moon or Mars,” she said. “We support both 

of them, and in addition, we are also authorized 

to support commercial rockets, which makes us 

rather unusual.”

There are 29 types of aerospace products, including compressed gases, propellants and non-propellant cryogens, and each product has a specifi c 

purpose, Smoot said.

“You learn a lot about the periodic table working 

here,” she said. “Certain products, like propellants, are used a lot in satellites to help them stay 

in orbit. Rockets also use propellants, but in different stages, so they burn multiple fuels. Other 

products, like xenon, are best used for interspace 

propulsion when there’s no gravity. Then you 

have the ground support pressurants we provide. 

Those are gasses that are used at the launch pad 

to push the fuels and oxidizers into the rockets, 

to clean and purge lines, and to cool.”

One group of propellants, called hypergolic propellants, are commonly used for rocket boosters, 

engines and space vehicles due to their ability to 

spontaneously ignite upon contact, Smoot said.

“When two of these fuels are sprayed next to 

each other, they mix and create a fl ame, which 

United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket is moved to the launch pad in 

preparation for a wet dress rehearsal at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, 

Florida. During the rehearsal, the rocket was fully loaded with propellants, 

including liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 fuel procured from the 

DLA Energy Aerospace Energy offi ce. Photo by Kim Shifl ett

ng 

er, 

ce. 

Energy Source l July 2014 23
24 www.energy.dla.mil

then creates thrust,” she said. “So you can have a fi re 

without an ignition source.”

Cryogenic liquid propellants must be stored at extremely 

low temperatures to stay in liquid form. In some rocket 

engines, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen are combined for use in main boosts and liftoff for rockets, 

Smoot said. 

“When you go into space, you need to take oxygen with you 

in order for some fuels to burn,” she said. “Liquid oxygen 

is often used because it creates a faster, hotter burn, which 

then creates a better thrust to get a rocket off the Earth.”

Since all aerospace energy products are considered 

hazardous materials, safety is always a top priority. Due 

to this, most inventory isn’t held at DLA Energy facilities 

until right before a launch, said Andy Avila, chief of the 

Customer Relationship Branch in DLA Energy Aerospace Energy.

This self-portrait of NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity combines dozens of exposures taken 

by the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager after drilling into a rock target. The rover was 

launched in November 2011 on a United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket with fuel 

procured from the DLA Energy Aerospace Energy offi ce. Photo courtesy of NASA/

JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems
Energy Source l April 2014 25

“We don’t hold inventory just to hold inventory,” he said. 

“Once DLA contracting gives us a copy of the signed contract, we know who the customer is, what the requirements are going to be, and where the delivery and pickup 

points are going to be. And we coordinate around that. 

For us, getting ahead of the customer’s requirements is 

always a challenge with the ever-changing budgets.”

Once the requirements are in place and a launch is near, 

Avila’s team coordinates secure transportation via highway to a customer’s drop-off site using a team of DLA 

hazardous material transportation specialists.

“We make all the arrangements to have the product and 

the containers that hold it moved,” he said. “Whether it’s 

in a tanker, a van load, a fl atbed or via specialized equip-
ment, we make sure everything, including the Army’s 

Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command regulations, are followed, and we leave nothing 

to guesswork. It’s all very precise and pre-planned. It 

has to be. We have something moving around every 

day all over the world.”

The team also keeps track of the containers that DLA 

owns.

“For products like helium, we also own the containers,” he said. “So even when they’re offl oaded, they’re 

DLA property. We have in excess of 10 different types 

of containers that we manage and account for, and we 

have a fl eet of [DLA-owned] tube trailers, cylinders, 

etc., which deliver compressed gases, fuels and the bulk 

[propellants].”

Space launches are a risky proposition, so before any 

aerospace energy product leaves a DLA Energy facility, it’s 

thoroughly tested to ensure quality control and assurance, 

Smoot said.

“When you’re doing a big launch, you don’t want to 

introduce risk, so another thing we do is manage the 

quality of the fuels that we deliver,” she said. “Every 

container loaded with fuel is tested. And often times, 

our customers, especially our commercial customers, 

will test it again before they load it. And at all of our 16 

[defense fuel support points], it’s tested regularly, because you absolutely have to get it right the fi rst time. 

Making sure that the product is on spec, not contaminated, and it’s the right grade and the right amount is a 

huge thing for us and our customers.”

In addition to providing small quantities of aerospace 

energy products for customers’ research and development 

use, the DLA Energy Aerospace Energy offi ce also tries to 

work with customers during the development of aerospace products and technology, Avila said.

“We try to get involved as early as possible in the research 

and development process,” he said. “When they’re developing the engine, it’s at the same time that they’re developing the fuel for that engine. Once they have a project, we 

work with the customer to make sure that we get the exact 

blend of whatever product they’re going to need. We go 

out, put it on contract and get a producer to specifi cally 

produce that blend. Once that blend is tested as a viable 

option for the space launch industry, we can develop it 

into a bulk-type requirement, so by the time [a customer] 

needs it, we have it.”

With both customers and the agency looking at cheaper 

ways to get into space, partnering during the research 

and development phase is essential, Smoot said.

“It’s a very delicate dance to develop something new 

that’s better and then fi nd someone that will actually 

use it,” she said. “Since we don’t develop the fuel, we 

often work with the DoD and NASA researchers in the 

fi eld. Lately, we’ve been working with the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA for a new grade of [rocket 

fuel]. Now we have a new grade of that, and we’re looking at some potential newer grades that will give even 

better boost and better performance. So we really have 

to stay on top of who’s launching what.”

With $64.5 million in total sales for fi scal 2013, the offi ce 

gies

indu

“We

ther

as e

tim

Com

the 

Th

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26 www.energy.dla.mil
fi ce is looking to cut costs by adjusting acquisition strategies and working to align its processes more closely with 

industry, Avila said.

“We’re always cognizant of taxpayer dollars, because 

there’s a budget crunch overall,” he said. “So we try to be 

as effi cient and effective as we can be, and at the same 

time still meet customer requirements.” 

Commercially run space exploration capsules are on 

the horizon with companies like SpaceX and the Orbital 

Sciences Corporation. When they become reality, DLA 

Energy Aerospace Energy will work closely with industry 

to support those missions too, Avila said. 

“A lot that we do relies on the space industry,” he said. 

“What direction are they going in? What else needs to 

go up in space? In the future, we may go from liquids to 

gels; we may go from gels to solids. Which one is going 

to get [people] to Mars? I don’t know. But whatever it is, 

we’re going to be along, right next to industry, to get them 

there.” 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-15 weather satellite, designed to image the Western U.S. and Pacifi c every 15-30 

minutes, took its fi rst infrared image over the Pacifi c. The GOES-15 satellite was launched from a United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV rocket 

using fuel procured from the DLA Energy Aerospace Energy offi ce. Courtesy photo from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Energy Source l July 2014 27
28 www.energy.dla.mil

The Defense Department’s 

Healthy Base Initiative, which 

marked its one-year anniversary May 15, has made its mark 

across the Defense Logistics Agency 

by helping employees maintain a 

healthy and active lifestyle.

HBI is part of DoD’s “Operation 

Live Well” campaign and President 

Barack Obama’s National Prevention 

Strategy. The program aims to fi ght 

against rising statistics on obesity 

and tobacco use among military 

service members and civilian employees. 

DLA Headquarters at Fort Belvoir, 

Virginia, was one of 14 sites selected 

for the HBI pilot program, said 

Bethany Sweatman, a management 

analyst in the DLA Installation Support Business Offi ce at Fort Belvoir 

and one of the HBI team coordinators. 

DLA Installation Support and DLA 

Logistics Operations worked together 

to implement several initiatives to 

help employees make healthy choices, 

including a stair-climbing competition, weekly farmers market and a bike 

share program.

“We were primarily looking at active 

living and healthy eating as our two 

big emphases,” she said. “A lot of 

that was about providing the right 

environment to encourage people to 

engage in those health behaviors by 

making it convenient for them. By 

increasing their access to fresh fruits 

and vegetables and making it available right in front of them, people 

are more likely to go out and take 

advantage of it.”

In December 2012, DLA Director 

Navy Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek 

authorized up to three hours per week 

Gettin

Competitions, like this one, allow Defense Logistics Agency employees to compete 

individually or as teams during Healthy Base Initiative-run events. Photo by Dana 

Thornbury

By Amanda Neuman, DLA PAO
Energy Source l July 2014 29

for employees to engage in fi tness 

and wellness activities, an action that 

coincided perfectly with the launch 

of the HBI pilot just a few months 

later, Sweatman said.

“While not an HBI-introduced initiative, the fi tness policy fi t really well 

and supported everything that we 

were doing,” she said. “It brought 

more people into our fi tness center, so 

we expanded the number of options 

that people could have to be active or 

recreational. It’s not just about having 

a dedicated workout time; it’s about 

having an overall active lifestyle.”

Other changes were soon implemented in the McNamara Headquarters Complex cafeteria, 

Sweatman said. Sodexo, the contractor that manages the cafeteria, 

launched its Mindful Nutritional 

Menu program.

“[It’s] a set of nutritional guidelines, 

and as part of that, we brought a 

food expert from Cornell University in to look at the overall layout 

of our cafeteria,” she said. “Now 

some of the fi rst things that you see 

when you come in are healthier food 

options, like sushi. And our ‘Go for 

Green’ initiative, a food labeling system, has made it easy for people to 

quickly identify what items are the 

healthy options in the cafeteria.”

Although the HBI pilot program 

was centered on DLA Headquarters, 

the popularity of the its programs 

quickly spread throughout DLA’s 

primary-level fi eld activities, Sweatman said. 

She said that the early success at 

DLA Headquarters prompted Harnitchek to ask the PLFAs to look for 

ways they could mirror that success.

“Having the [fi eld activities] incorporate the HBI programs wasn’t something that we originally planned for,” 

she said. “But as we got into it, we 

kind of got a halo effect that spread 

out to the other sites as a result, and 

most of them started echoing the 

things that we were doing. The importance of having leadership in support 

of HBI was really one of the key factors in why DLA was included as one 

of the pilot sites to begin with. Overall, I’ve seen a lot of cultural changes 

that indicate that people are starting 

to think more health consciously so 

it’s nice to see how it’s been embraced 

in the fi eld.”

DLA’s PLFAs used DLA Headquarters’ participation in HBI to make 

healthy living easier for their employees in a variety of ways.

At DLA Disposition Services’ Battle 

Creek headquarters in Michigan, 

ing Healthy g Healthy

DLA Director Navy Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek (left) and Grace Calayag, an instructor at the fi tness center, try out the bikes 

available to employees through the McNamara Headquarters Complex bikeshare program, part of the Healthy Base Initiative. 

Photo by Teodora Mocanu
30 www.energy.dla.mil

the HBI has helped foster a close 

partnership with the area’s downtown community, said Brandon 

Doherty, chief of Morale, Welfare 

and Recreation in DLA Installation Support in Battle Creek. It 

even earned the installation a top 

nomination in the “Best of Wellness” competition for the county, 

he said.

“At our facility, we encourage everyone to participate in our weekly 

farmers walk to our downtown 

area,” he said. “There, they have a 

farmers market and small events 

where outside vendors sell things. 

The walk is almost a mile one-way, 

and we consistently have a really 

good turnout. In conjunction, we 

also do a lot of ‘Lunch and Learn’ 

[seminars] on food education and 

cooking. We learned that had been 

a barrier for some people, so we 

try to give them a full-spectrum 

education. Not only are they able 

to utilize the farmers market, but 

then they also have the opportunity to know how to prepare healthy 

foods.”

In the past year, the Battle Creek 

facility’s fi tness center saw a 20 

percent increase in enrollment, 

and now almost half of the installation’s personnel use the center’s 

recreational activities each month, 

Doherty said.

“Besides the programs that we do 

throughout the entire year, like our 

‘Couch to 5K’ program, we also offer 

a lot of outdoor activities, like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing,” 

he said. “And we’re looking at different ways of exercising, too. We have 

an indoor team triathlon as well as 

a geocaching-type event planned 

for over the summer. We’re also 

working with all of our new hires to 

give them personal instruction on 

the fi tness and health opportunities 

we offer. For us, our primary focus is 

just getting people engaged.”

Weekly farmers markets, like the one at Defense Logistics Agency Aviation in Richmond, 

Virginia, help agency employees like Joseph Newsome, quality assurance specialist, buy 

fresh fruits and vegetables during their lunch break. Photo by Jackie Girard
Mission: ission: 

The mission 

of Defense 

Logistics Agency 

Energy Pacifi c is 

to execute DLA 

Energy’s mission 

as the integrated 

fuels manager for 

the Department of Defense within the 

U.S. Pacifi c Command 

area of responsibility. 

We execute DLA Energy’s 

integrated materiel management 

and logistics of bulk petroleum products 

by directing resupply of DLA-owned petroleum 

and providing facility maintenance support for all defense fuel support points 

within the PACOM AOR and provide total supply chain management of bulk fuel 

and energy in the Pacifi c AOR. We advise PACOM leaders on bulk petroleum 

distribution issues and complement the mission of the Joint Petroleum Offi ce 

by ensuring the best value solutions for energy support to the warfi ghter. We 

operate DFSP Okinawa which receives, stores and issues all bulk petroleum 

products for the island of Okinawa, Japan.

Highlights: ighlights: One of the biggest highlights so far has been being awarded the Small Team Award during the DLA 46th Annual Employee Recognition Program for 

our assumption of the Okinawa bulk fuel mission from the U.S. Army 505th 

Quartermaster Battalion last March. 

Challenges: hallenges: I prefer to think of them as opportunities ... and my top three are 

personnel turnover, realignment of forces in the region/pivot to the Pacifi c, and 

tank maintenance/Centrally Managed Program issues and how they impact our 

customers.

Something for the workforce to know: omething for the workforce to know: The Pacifi c region is the largest combatant region in the world, and we span 15 time zones from Alaska to Diego Garcia and everything in between. The Pacifi c region is a very complex region that comprises 36 nations, 51 percent of the earth’s surface, 50 percent of the world’s 

population, contains the seven largest armies and three largest economies in 

the world, we have 69 DFSPs/plants, over 650 bulk storage tanks with a storage 

capacity in excess of 1.1 billion gallons. We also support multiple operation plans 

and contingency plans with an amazing team of professionals.

Navy Capt. Chris Bower

DLA Energy Pacific LA Energy Pacific 

Commander ommander

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii earl Harbor, Hawaii

Energy Source l July 2014 31

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DLA Energy

2013 Factbook 013 Factbook

Available now at

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