From supply line to flight line: DLA Weapons Support celebrates 79 years of Air Force excellence

The Defense Logistics Agency’s Weapons Support workforce marked the U.S. Air Force’s 79th birthday Sept. 18 with ceremonies at the agency’s primary logistics hubs in Richmond, Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio, spotlighting nearly eight decades of airpower and the supply-chain mission that keeps aircraft ready to fly.

At Defense Supply Center Columbus, DLA Weapons Support Commander Navy Rear Adm. Julie M. Treanor opened the observance by underscoring how modern military effectiveness depends on joint integration across services. “As a Navy officer, I can tell you that no single branch wins modern conflicts alone – our victory depends on how seamlessly our capabilities operate together … we fight together, we sustain together and we win together as one joint team,” Treanor said.

She also pointed to the behind-the-scenes work that keeps aircraft and weapon systems mission-ready. “Here at DLA Weapons Support, our military and civilian workforce plays an essential role behind every sortie flown,” Treanor said. “Behind every fighter jet, bomber, tanker and transport aircraft is a complex, responsive global supply chain. Whether it is delivering critical structural parts, avionics components, engine sustainment or weapon systems readiness, our team works every single day to ensure that our Air Force warfighters never have to worry about the tools they need to complete the mission.”

The event’s keynote, Dr. Jason C. Engle, deputy director and senior historian for the Air Force Materiel Command’s Directorate of History and Heritage at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, traced how aviation logistics has evolved alongside combat doctrine—from World War II-era mass stockpiles and paper catalogs to today’s data-driven, demand-based sustainment. He linked the Air Force’s heritage to DLA’s daily mission, noting that even the most advanced aircraft cannot fly without the right part at the right time and emphasizing the AFMC–DLA partnership that keeps flight lines running. In modern aerospace logistics, he noted, the future is “not just about moving physical parts but moving data.”

Following the keynote, Air Force Col. Lee Akers, director of Specialized Management Operations at DLA Weapons Support, presented Engle with a commemorative memento on behalf of the command and closed by commending generations of Airmen who embody the service’s core values.

At Defense Supply Center Richmond, Air Force Col. Anthonelli White, who leads the Air and Space Forces directorate within DLA Weapons Support, highlighted the people who power the service. “The value of the Air Force is not just in its aircraft or the installations across the world, but in the 689,000 in uniform or serving as civilians for the Air Force,” White said. “As we celebrate the birthday, I want to make sure that we celebrate not only the institution but the people that give the institution the spirit – its ethos, the folks that both past and present, their stories. That’s what makes our heritage.” He also recognized Airmen deployed in harm’s way, as well as veterans and the families who support them.

Richmond’s celebration added a lighthearted touch with a paper-airplane “sortie” contest in which employees competed for precision landings and longest-distance flights. Both events concluded with the Air Force Song, a cake-cutting, and group photos honoring the shared mission of the military and civilian workforce.