DLA Troop Support bolsters homeland defense mission

The Defense Logistics Agency’s Troop Support unit says it has surged procurement and distribution to sustain an expanding U.S. military and federal law enforcement posture across the Western Hemisphere, including along the southern border and at new training and staging sites in Central America.

“The speed and magnitude at which we’ve had to project logistical power to the western hemisphere is a testament to the dedication of the DLA Troop Support workforce,” said Christopher Mosher, DLA Troop Support deputy commander. “Our ability to sustain the WHC is the direct result of our buyers, contracting officers and logisticians working tirelessly behind the scenes. They are the engine of this homeland defense mission, ensuring our warfighters have every piece of equipment, every meal and every barrier required to protect our nation.”

The organization, which manages subsistence, construction and equipment, medical, and clothing and textiles supply chains, outlined rapid buys, contract expansions and targeted gear deliveries intended to support forces operating under U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command. According to the agency, its construction and equipment team procured barrier materials at a record pace for Joint Task Force Southern Border, nine task force locations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In January and February 2025 alone, the team purchased 100,000 rolls of concertina wire, 6,000 rolls of barbed wire and roughly 290,000 metal fence posts, then pre-positioned the inventory at DLA Distribution sites to speed access for engineering units and CBP. The team also forecasted and began sourcing additional needs such as buoy signage, counter-unmanned aircraft systems equipment, sandbags and expeditionary barrier systems.

“You can’t overstate the agility of our C&E workforce,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Denny Bernacki, C&E director. “When the Joint Task Force needed a record amount of barrier materials to secure the border, our buyers, planners and contracting officers didn’t blink. Our team recognized that staging hundreds of thousands of fence posts and wire rolls would eliminate logistical bottlenecks for the engineering units. The professionals in this division are constantly forecasting the next requirement, ensuring that our forces have the physical assets to restore deterrence and prioritize peace through strength.”

To sustain personnel at austere sites, the subsistence team said it is using multiple contracting mechanisms, from operational rations to blanket purchase agreements. In Panama, an existing fresh-produce contract was expanded to include bottled water, and a similar produce contract is being accelerated in Honduras. As the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama comes online, DLA Troop Support has recommended adding a lightweight, shelf-stable performance ration pack to augment standard field meals. The agency said those specialized nutrition items require a six-month contracting process and a 60-day production window to reach units on time.

“Our contracting officers know that delivering responsive and adaptive support is a critical operational requirement when forces are deployed in demanding locations,” U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Griffin, Subsistence director said. “The professionals in the Subsistence division take incredible pride in overcoming regional supply hurdles to deliver high-quality, specialized nourishment directly to the troops.”

Clothing and textiles officials said they continue to field large volumes of uniform items while placing targeted orders for expeditionary gear tailored to current missions. DLA Troop Support reported delivering 8.2 million uniform items each year across nine Recruit Training Command sites nationwide, alongside 381 mission-specific orders that included heavy-duty tents for remote staging and specialized gloves for troops handling razor wire.

“You can’t ask a service member to handle miles of razor-sharp C-wire without the right protection, and our C&T team made sure they didn’t have to,” said Steven Merch, deputy director of C&T. “Instead of relying solely on standard inventories, our personnel adapted instantly to the unique tactical hazards on the ground. That agility guarantees our forces have the customized safeguards required to execute their mission with absolute confidence.”

DLA also highlighted financial oversight and technology upgrades underpinning its logistics push, noting an unmodified audit opinion on its management of strategic funds and ongoing investments in a digital twin for order management, artificial intelligence at scale and workforce data training.

“The dedication of the men and women at DLA Troop Support is what keeps this deployment moving,” said Mosher. “Our logistics specialists work to push vital commodities directly to the tactical edge. It is their tireless, behind-the-scenes effort that ensures our troops can sustain operations in some of the most difficult environments in North, Central and South America, along with neighboring waters.”

“At the end of the day, our mission is to guarantee that no service member ever looks over their shoulder and wonders if their logistics train is going to arrive,” Mosher said. “The men and women of DLA Troop Support are always ready, always resilient and always focused on the warfighter, ensuring the DOW has everything it needs to protect the territorial integrity of the United States.”