Price takes command of DLA Energy Pacific–Japan amid theater transition

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Leadership of the Defense Logistics Agency Energy Pacific (Japan) changed hands July 22 at this key U.S. hub in western Tokyo, underscoring the growing emphasis on resilient fuel networks that underpin operations across the Indo-Pacific.

Air Force Maj. Christopher Price assumed command from Air Force Lt. Col. Dominic Baker in a traditional ceremony presided over by DLA Energy Commander Navy Rear Adm. George Bresnihan. “Lt. Col. Baker, for the past two years you have shown exceptional leadership and have fundamentally reshaped and hardened our energy posture in the Pacific,” Bresnihan said. “As commander, you directed a diverse joint team of 147 personnel, overseeing 16 Defense Fuel Support Points spanning mainland Japan and Okinawa. Your strategic foresight, relentless drive and operational excellence have left a lasting legacy of combat readiness across this vital area of responsibility.”

Baker’s tenure included oversight of a $618 million military construction portfolio that advanced a $110 million pier expansion and brought online hardened fueling systems built to operate in contested environments. He also led a complex organizational realignment, temporarily consolidating DLA Energy operations in Japan and Okinawa under one structure before the enterprise reverted to two commands: DLA Energy Pacific (Japan) and Pacific South (Okinawa).

Before departing for his next assignment as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center in San Antonio, Baker pointed to alliance ties as the foundation for recent progress. “My parting words for the new commanders are to recognize the invaluable collaboration with our Japanese partners, both the Japan Self-Defense Forces and our local national employees,” Baker noted. “They are truly passionate individuals and force multipliers who allow us to strengthen both Japanese and U.S. national defense. Our alliances are what make us strong and Japan is one of the leading examples of that.”

Price arrives from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where he was Director of Operations for the Mission Support Directorate at the Air Force Petroleum Office. He takes over an organization responsible for inventory management, quality surveillance and theater distribution that moves billions of dollars’ worth of petroleum and cryogenic products each year in support of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Forces Japan and service components across the country.

“I’m looking forward to joining the organization, linking the region’s needs to DLA Energy and making sure U.S. and Japanese forces will be postured to defeat and deny any adversaries or rivals who may think of challenging us,” Price said. “My experience has taught me that we’re all human and we make mistakes. We all operate at different speeds and it’s my job to ensure we’re all on the same sheet of music.”

The transition comes as Washington and Tokyo deepen defense coordination, including expanded roles for alliance logistics and sustainment. Fuel infrastructure—bulk storage, piers and resilient distribution networks—has emerged as a critical enabler for deterrence and rapid response across vast distances and under potential missile threat. Yokota Air Base, home to U.S. Forces Japan headquarters, sits at the center of those efforts, with DLA Energy teams supporting joint and allied operations from Hokkaido to Okinawa.

DLA Energy, a major component of the Defense Logistics Agency, procures, stores and distributes fuel for the U.S. military worldwide. In Japan, its footprint spans 16 Defense Fuel Support Points and a mixed workforce of military, civilian and local-national personnel charged with keeping aircraft, ships and ground forces supplied in peacetime and crisis.

With Pacific logistics increasingly viewed as a strategic advantage, Price inherits a mission that reaches beyond day-to-day fuel delivery: hardening infrastructure, integrating with Japanese counterparts and ensuring the alliance can sustain operations if challenged.