Army Materiel Command deputy commander returns to DLA Troop Support, spotlighting supply chain modernization

Army Materiel Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Gavin Lawrence returned to his former command in Philadelphia to keynote the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Academy and receive a comprehensive operational briefing from DLA Troop Support Commander Brig. Gen. Sean Kelly.

“It’s great to be back at DLA Troop Support and back home in Philly,” Lawrence said. “Walking these halls again brings back incredible memories of the immense dedication this workforce brings to the fight every single day.”

The three-day academy trains incoming personnel on the organization’s mission and operations. Addressing the new cohort, the former DLA Troop Support commander underscored how day-to-day procurement work ties directly to battlefield outcomes. “You all are joining an outstanding organization with a real-world impact,” Lawrence said. “Behind every one of those line items is a warfighter relying on you.”

After his remarks, Lawrence met with Kelly for a strategic update focused on modernization and the joint logistics enterprise. Their discussion emphasized how DLA Troop Support’s buying power underpins the Army’s ability to equip and sustain forces worldwide. “Together, AMC and DLA form a continuous, interdependent supply chain,” Lawrence said. “DLA Troop Support secures the foundation of readiness, allowing AMC to build and project readiness globally. AMC cannot generate combat power without the raw materials, repair parts and life-support items that DLA Troop Support acquires.”

Kelly outlined an aggressive push through September 2026 to boost support to warfighters across all supply chains, replacing legacy analog processes with data-driven decision-making, artificial intelligence tools and advanced analytics to increase visibility and speed. Lawrence said the approach mirrors AMC’s broader digital transformation. “AMC is on a digital journey of our own, and seeing the strides being made here to leverage artificial intelligence and modernize legacy systems aligns perfectly with where the entire logistics enterprise needs to be,” Lawrence said. “We must embrace these data-driven tools to maintain total visibility over our networks from end to end. If we aren’t innovating our workflows now, we will fall behind our near-peer adversaries.”

To reach its 2026 targets, Troop Support is conducting targeted supplier performance assessments, instituting independent cost-saving studies, and investing in key products and higher safety stock levels. Those steps aim to cut backorders using AI-driven insights and streamline workflows. “We have to pivot toward a mindset of predictive sustainment,” Lawrence said. “It isn’t just about managing numbers on a spreadsheet; it’s about making sure the tactical commander has the confidence to execute because the logistical foundation you provide is unbreakable despite fiscal constraints.”

Leaders cited recent results: the Medical supply chain increased performance metrics by 21% while multiplying cost savings by 400%, and the Clothing and Textiles team reduced overall backorders by 40%, including a drop in Army-specific items from 110,000 to 60,000. Officials also pointed to a multiple-award program for physical training gear that opens opportunities for newer suppliers without long-term lock-ins, and a critical contract award for webbing used in parachutes, tents and specialized clothing. “Army Materiel Command simply can’t do what we do without DLA Troop Support,” Lawrence said.

The briefing also covered regional initiatives and new technology. The Subsistence supply chain is standing up local suppliers to support an influx of personnel operating under U.S. Southern Command, while the Construction and Equipment supply chain showcased U.S. Southern Border Operational Support and demonstrated a “drone zone” marketplace for unmanned and counter-unmanned aerial systems. “Continuing to adapt to localized theater demands, whether through specialized drone procurement or agile regional subsistence networks, proves that this command remains postured to support the warfighter anytime and anywhere,” Lawrence concluded. “Setting these supply chains globally ensures that when the call comes, our joint forces will have exactly what they need to execute the mission and win.”