The director of the Defense Logistics Agency, Lt. Gen. Andrew Busch, visited Hill AFB on June 18, where he laid out the agency’s priorities during a town hall meeting with employees at the base theater. 

Busch is a former commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex and said he loved being able to come back to Hill and plans on settling here when his Air Force life is over. 

DLA has more than 24,000 employees in 48 states, and provides military services and items in a wide range of areas. Busch said the agency even supports non-DOD agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. AID, and the Department of State. 

“People in Washington know that we have a reputation for being very good at delivering logistics solutions,” Busch said. 

Because of the vast customer base in the whole of government, it can be challenging to keep everyone satisfied, drive down costs, and plan for the future, but Busch said these are essential focuses for the workforce. 

The strategic goals he laid out for DLA can help them get there. The general reviewed the five-point plan with the audience. 

Warfighter First 

Busch emphasized the importance of DLA in sustaining aged and growing weapons platforms, including prioritizing the nuclear mission, which the Hill AFB DLA workforce plays a big part in. 

People and Culture

A heavy focus will be placed on workforce resilience — not just emphasizing new programs, but being directly engaged with reaching people.

Strategic Engagement

The general said that performance-based logistics, industry partnerships and the Better Buying Power initiative are key in this effort. 

Financial Stewardship

Maintaining audit readiness will be fundamental in accomplishing this goal, Busch said. Transparency is important and DLA has spent millions to upgrade its IT capabilities to meet audit requirements. Better IT, planning, and the ability to be “nimble” will help prevent stock problems, the general said.

Process Excellence

Busch stressed a focus on continuous process improvement. Enterprise-level projects that are focused on customer-relevant outcomes will be brought about by a culture change, where every member of the workforce is a stakeholder.

The general also spent time answering questions, ranging from personnel issues to the defense budget and training.