DLA Energy Middle East welcomes new commander, honors outgoing leader’s service

Army Lt. Col. Juan G. Martinez assumed command of Defense Logistics Agency Energy Middle East from Army Lt. Col. Eunseok “Sam” Yoo during a June 8 change of command ceremony at the KMC Onstage Theatre on Kleber Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Navy Rear Adm. George Bresnihan, the DLA Energy commander, presided over the event and commended the unit’s performance under Yoo amid a volatile security environment. “Sam led this team through an extremely challenging time,” Bresnihan said. “Despite the disruption and danger, he managed the fuel supply chain across the Middle East without a single mission failure, ensuring the joint force had the energy required to project power.”

Yoo’s one-year tenure saw a 52-person joint team manage a $3.42 billion portfolio and synchronize bulk fuel sustainment across 14 countries in support of operations including Spartan Shield and Inherent Resolve, as well as other contingencies. The unit facilitated delivery of more than 222.8 million gallons of fuel via ocean tankers and major pipeline pushes to dozens of strategic nodes.

Operating in a contested logistics environment, the organization maintained uninterrupted support to deployed forces despite more than 400 incoming missile threat warnings. Yoo executed a continuity-of-operations plan that evacuated more than 120 personnel and family members to safer locations with no degradation to the theater fuel network.

The unit also launched the first operational refueling capability in the Red Sea, secured a $2.1 million fuel support contract for the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and reconciled more than $20.4 million in aged debt with partner nations.

“Over the past year, this team has not just maintained the status quo—you have redefined the ‘art of the possible’ for sustainment in this theater,” Yoo said during the ceremony. “You synchronized highly complex supply chains under immense pressure, proving that no matter the scale, speed, or intensity of the conflict, DLA Energy Middle East will not fail.”

Bresnihan also welcomed Martinez, citing a career grounded in expeditionary logistics. “Juan understands what it takes to support the warfighter on the ground,” Bresnihan said. “He knows the strategic landscape, and he is ready to lead this incredible team.”

Martinez is a 28-year Army veteran who has deployed multiple times to the U.S. Central Command region and previously served as a fuel and water platoon leader during Operation Iraqi Freedom. “It is a tremendous privilege to join and lead DLA Energy Middle East supporting the (U.S. Central Command) joint force, allied forces, DLA and its partners while continuing the great work of Lt. Col. Yoo and the team delivering bulk products in any environment,” Martinez said.

Yoo will next serve in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Training at the Pentagon.

DLA Energy Middle East provides fuel and related energy support across the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to U.S. forces, allies and partners. The organization traces its lineage to World War II as the Office of Inspectors of Navy Petroleum Products Middle East, was designated the Defense Fuel Region — Middle East in 1993, and adopted its current name in 2010. Today it supports combatant command-directed operations through comprehensive fuel management in the region.