Meet an NCO: Air Force Tech Sgt Deron Cooke

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Deron Cooke is helping connect military operational needs with the Defense Logistics Agency’s global supply chain as part of the Air Force Career Broadening program, according to a Q&A published by DLA’s Loglines magazine.

Cooke described his assignment at DLA Troop Support as a materiel management enlisted career broadener. “I’m a materiel management enlisted career broadener at DLA Troop Support,” he said. Assigned in April 2025 on a three-year controlled tour, he is the first broadener there slated to rotate through all four supply chains. “At DLA Troop Support, I’m the first broadener who will rotate through all four supply chains. I’ll be able to see the operational coordination, acquisition support, supply chain visibility, and all the other initiatives that DLA Troop Support performs.”

Cooke enlisted in March 2019, entered through Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and completed materiel management technical training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

He recounted a recent effort supporting an Air Force unit in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility that needed clothing sustainment. Because Class II items are typically not pre-positioned and were moving slowly through traditional distribution channels, he joined DLA Troop Support leaders to coordinate with U.S. Transportation Command, third-party logistics providers, and commercial carriers. The team identified alternate routing around bottlenecks and delivered the items to warfighters on time.

Cooke said his approach as a noncommissioned officer centers on people. “The most important thing is taking care of people,” he said, adding that building relationships and communicating how DLA’s work impacts troops can strengthen morale and mission focus.

Linking his role to homeland defense, Cooke said the agency is moving from a reactive, just-in-time posture toward a more proactive model that places planning closer to the point of need so support is in place before it’s requested. “It’s about being in the room where decisions are made, because we’re seeing more and more that logistics is what wins fights.”

Cooke said the assignment has deepened his understanding of the civilian workforce that underpins military readiness. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent the Air Force within DLA Troop Support,” he said.

The interview appears in the June 2026 issue of Loglines magazine.