Farewell to "Provider Six"

Military Logistics Forum would like to wish a fond farewell to “Provider Six,” Lieutenant General Robert Dail.

Q: As you look back on your tenure as DLA director, can you recall some of the main memories you have in the challenges you faced and the goals you set?

A: I essentially think that there were three things that were working at the same time that caused great change and served as catalysts for change in the last couple of years. The first is the global war on terror. We’re fighting inside countries in different operating bases, and we’ve had to shift from an interior lines logistics construct to an exterior lines. The second one is the business enterprise effort and the creation of our Enterprise Business System. And today we’re on the verge of being able to revolutionize the way we assign workload in the department—in this agency—because of EBS. The third area is base realignment and closure—BRAC. When I got here, we had 2005 language from the Congress that said DLA was going to take over supply, storage and distribution functions and depot level reparable procurement for the Department of Defense. BRAC will drop the wall between wholesale and retail and the wall between DLA and the services that has existed forever in the Department of Defense. And in the industrial side of the military, we are making wholesale-retail become one end-to-end supply chain.

Today, DLA is recognized as the one entity in the Department of Defense that executes supply chain management, and we’re doing it in a very professional way.

Q: During your tenure as DLA director, what were some of your chief accomplishments and/or endeavors that you enjoyed/undertook?

A: In the last two years, we’ve been able to take the agency’s capabilities; the competencies of our people—our great, unique, unmatched and unparalleled work force; the systems that we have to arm them—our enterprise business systems; and the passion and the culture to provide support, and extend all of this power all the way forward, even to the frontlines of the war on terror. Our people out in the supply centers across the globe, our distribution points, our forward regional work force that’s out there—they all have this passion to extend our enterprise, to link supply and demand. And we do it because of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that are out there. They don’t know your name, but they have great confidence that something called DLA, its business units and its subordinates are going to do their best to make sure these warriors do not have to worry, so they can focus on their duties. That is something all of us at DLA can be very, very proud of.

Q: With your departure as DLA director, how have you seen the agency change during your tenure, and what are your hopes for the future of DLA?

A: The senior leaders of our government, the senior leaders of the department and the senior leaders of the services clearly respect and admire the performance and the professionalism of DLA, and I think these last couple years have helped solidify that reputation. The future of DLA is extremely bright.

DLA is uniquely qualified and positioned in the Department of Defense as a powerful force multiplier. This is a direct result of all that we have accomplished in a very short amount of time, with a phenomenal amount of dedication and teamwork. We’ve implemented BRAC, taken a national view of inventory, and extended this tremendously great enterprise that we’re all part of. DLA will continue this success and continue to operate and think enterprise and continue to push forward.

It’s been my great privilege and honor to serve as the director of this agency. The perfect capstone of a tremendously rewarding 33-year career. As we stay the course with the hard work and with the efforts we are undertaking to “extend the enterprise,” I firmly expect to see even greater continued success for the agency.

All the best! ♦