DLA Aviation delivers readiness lethality to warfighter

  • Published
  • By Joseph Mather
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

The mission of Defense Logistics Agency Aviation at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is to ensure total part supportability to the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex sustainment processes.

One of 54 mission partners at Robins, DLA Aviation delivers readiness and lethality to the warfighter and supports the nation through quality, proactive global logistics.

Greg Noble, DLA Aviation Warner Robins deputy director, said the primary mission of DLA Aviation is to serve as the depot supply organization for nearly all the parts required by the WR-ALC.

“We provide aircraft and exchangeable parts to the ALC maintenance groups from DLA, Air Force, contractor, other services, and locally manufactured sources,” he said. “We accomplish this supply support by embedding personnel within each of the aircraft planned/scheduled depot level maintenance lines in the ALC back shops.”

Noble said the nearly 300-person team is integral to the success of the WR-ALC and part of the local community.

“DLA Aviation at Warner Robins performs this mission through the organization’s outstanding employees,” he said. “These personnel plan for, stock, store, and deliver material that are needed by the maintenance artisans.”

Sorot Boonkian, DLA Aviation Warner Robins Storage and Distribution chief, said supplies are stored in smaller shop service centers, or SSCs, located closer to the customer.

“DLA Aviation manages SSC warehouses, and those storage areas are replenished daily from the DLA Distribution Warner Robins, or DDWG, warehouses,” he said. “In addition, items not within the DLA Aviation storage areas are delivered by DDWG.”

Steve Soisson, DLA Aviation Materiel Management chief, said in fiscal year 2022, the WR-ALC ordered 135,535 parts through DLA Aviation at Robins.

“By forward stocking material in our shop service centers, we were able to fill 91,623 of those orders from forward stocking locations near the maintenance artisans,” he said. “By forward stocking material, we were able to put spare parts in the artisan’s hands in 31 minutes while exceeding DLA headquarter goals at 99.8%.”

Andrewy Cromartie, DLA Aviation Warner Robins Planning and Support chief, said they rely on the mission partners across the complex to forecast their supply needs.

“Our success depends 100% on our ability to effectively collaborate with our maintenance mission partners across the Complex, as well as with the 638th Supply Chain Management Group and the Air Force Life Cycle Management program offices, such as C-5, C17, C-130 and F-15,” he said. “We depend upon those partners for future parts forecasts 2 to 3 years prior to need-dates.

“As those requirements are processed through DLA and the Air Force Supply Chain wholesale supply systems, local stock levels are established, procurement actions are initiated, and we work with those wholesale systems to expedite the arrival of parts to meet customer need date,” Cromartie continued.

DLA Aviation at Warner Robins is an Industrial Support Activity of DLA Aviation in Richmond, Virginia.

“DLA Aviation at Warner Robins is responsible for retail supply support to the WR-ALC even though DLA Aviation, our parent command, and the whole of DLA provide parts, and other logistics support to all military services and government entities around the world,” he said. “DLA Aviation supports more than 13,500 joint aircraft, 450 intercontinental ballistic missiles and a host of other weapons systems. In addition to similar units in the Navy Fleet Readiness Centers, DLA Aviation detachments also exist at Oklahoma City ALC at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, and Ogden ALC at Hill AFB, Utah.”

Col. Brian Mayer, DLA Aviation Warner Robins commander, said “DLA Aviation is delighted to be a mission partner here at the base.”

“We are proud mission partners with the WR-ALC and the 78th Air Base Wing,” he said. “We execute our own DLA mission by delivering readiness and lethality to the warfighter always in support of our nation through quality and proactive global logistics. We are dynamic to and joined at the hip with our ALC partner in executing the Air Force mission: ‘fly, fight and win – airpower anytime, anywhere.’”