DFSP Okinawa hosts first J20 petroleum quality assurance course

Defense Logistics Agency Energy moved its J20 Petroleum Quality Assurance Course into an operational setting this spring, holding the three-week training at Defense Fuel Support Point Okinawa from April 6-24. It was the first time the program has been conducted at an active DLA fuel facility.

The J20 course, designed for Quality Assurance Representatives across the services, is normally run at the agency’s Petroleum, Water and Energy Department in Fort Lee, Virginia. For this session, 25 students trained in Okinawa, combining classroom work with field exercises alongside ongoing fuel operations.

Richard Vicenty, DLA Energy’s Quality Training Program Manager and lead instructor, said the venue opened the door to new practical exercises and a closer look at how the agency operates in the Indo-Pacific. “I feel like there was a lot of value for us to be able to do the course on our own playground, and witness how DLA is conducting operations in another region,” added Vicenty. “We were able to leverage the location by developing a new type of gaging [petroleum measurement] exercise right there on actual DFSP ground.”

Vicenty, who has led the program for two years, said he has worked to infuse industry-based standardization and other updates drawn from field experience, crediting the Indo-Pacific team with making the Okinawa iteration possible.

DLA Energy typically offers the J20 course twice a year and opens enrollment to all military branches. Completion is required for quality assurance specialists as part of the agency’s Quality Technical Certification Program.

In Okinawa, students rotated through laboratory operations, fuel storage areas and aircraft refueling activities. They also boarded a vessel during a live fuel discharge, which instructors described as a signature moment. “The biggest takeaway from this entire course, in my opinion, was our ability to actually board a vessel that was slated to conduct a discharge operation,” Vicenty added. “While on board students were able to observe sampling and discharge operations, tour the control room and speak to ship personnel.”

Executing the course in an active facility demanded extensive logistics. Michael Meacham, quality manager for DLA Energy Indo-Pacific, said arranging lodging and transportation for the cohort and synchronizing with fuel operations were among the biggest hurdles. “We were able to conduct the training in an active laboratory, tank farm, and marine receiving facility,” Meacham said. “This required close coordination with DLA Energy Okinawa operations personnel to ensure our training didn’t impact real-world operations.”

For participants, the setting helped connect theory to mission execution. “The one thing that really stuck out to me was we got to board a vessel scheduled for a discharge operation,” Draper said. “I was able to witness sampling, gaging operations, in addition to other QAR activities.” She said the experience added practical context to classroom material. “It really reinforced things that I’ll be dealing with as a QAR in the future,” Draper said. “It highlighted the importance of flexibility and how local operations directly impact the broader DLA mission.”

Vicenty said the course is structured to build a base of knowledge for future quality assurance professionals and military partners supporting global fuel operations. “We don’t expect folks to walk away from our course to be complete subject matter experts,” Vicenty said. “But we want to lay a strong foundational understanding of quality operations, understanding quality assurance, quality surveillance, a good background in contracting and a very solid understanding of responsibility in terms of conducting research and investigations.”