DLA launches new Weapons Support Command with singular focus

The Defense Logistics Agency has consolidated two of its largest commands into a single organization, activating DLA Weapons Support on July 24 at Defense Supply Center Columbus, Ohio, in a bid to speed deliveries and strengthen supply chains across the U.S. military. The new command merges DLA Aviation with DLA Land and Maritime, creating one supply chain manager for more than 2.5 million spare and repair parts supporting over 4,200 weapon systems.

DLA officials say the integration is already producing gains. For the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in the Pacific, a critical part that once took over 20 days to arrive now takes just 11 hours. For the B-52 fleet, crippling parts shortages have dropped by 81% to a historic low. The agency also cited long-term contracts secured to support the Army’s growing infantry squad vehicle fleet.

“The joint logistics environment we operate in today demands unprecedented speed, precision and resilience,” said DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly during the activation ceremony. “This merger gives commanders a single, integrated partner. It gives industry a clearer demand signal, and it gives the warfighter a stronger, more agile logistics backbone.”

“Standing up DLA Weapons Support is a readiness investment,” Simerly said. “It is a commitment to meeting the demands of modern warfare, and a promise that we will continue to evolve, innovate and deliver for those who rely on us.”

Navy Rear Adm. Julie Treanor, previously the final commander of DLA Land and Maritime, now leads the new organization, which has more than 6,300 employees worldwide and major sites in Columbus, Ohio, and Richmond, Virginia. In her first address as commander, Treanor outlined three operational pillars: establishing gold-standard operations across the enterprise, eliminating duplication to remove bureaucratic friction, and expanding the use of automation and data analytics to accelerate outcomes.

“Whether a process originates in Columbus, Richmond, a shipyard or a depot-level reparable site, if it represents the best way to support the mission, it will become our unified standard,” Treanor explained. “If a process does not make us faster or more accurate for the warfighter, we’re leaving it in the past,” she said, emphasizing the command’s focus on agility. “A warfighter on the front line doesn’t care if a critical component is classified as an aviation part, a maritime valve or a land-vehicle sensor,” she explained. “They only care that it arrives on time, and that it works when their life depends on it. That is our singular purpose.”

The activation capped a year-long integration effort marked by two ceremonies. On July 23 in Richmond, DLA Aviation’s colors were cased as Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Launey relinquished command. “The true greatness of DLA Aviation is that you have never lost sight of the people behind those numbers,” Launey said. “You have always seen the pilots, the maintainers and the warfighters on the front lines, and you have served them with a dedication that is unwavering.” He added, “I have learned more and grown more as a leader and as a person during my tenure here than at any other time, and that is a direct result of your professionalism, your ingenuity, and your incredible spirit.”

The next day in Columbus, Simerly presided over the deactivation of DLA Land and Maritime and the unfurling of the DLA Weapons Support flag. Treanor framed the move as an evolution rooted in tradition. “To truly honor our history requires we do more than just remember it,” she said. “It requires we allow it to serve as the foundation for building an even brighter future.”

DLA Land and Maritime’s lineage as a hub for land and sea-based logistics dates to 1918. DLA Aviation’s origins trace to 1985, when the Defense General Supply Center—later Defense Supply Center Richmond—took on aviation structural parts. “Transformation is nothing new to DLA,” Simerly said. “This transition supports our priorities to set the globe, set the agency, and set supply chains. It’s a natural next step forward for an organization that is always looking forward, always adapting, and always finding new ways to better deliver.”