Workforce gains insight on DLA mission through series of immersive tours

COLUMBUS, Ohio -

A group of Defense Logistics Agency employees stood in awe of the man before them as he described in detail what a member of the Union Army experienced in the Civil War, using his weaponry and uniform buttons as a guide.

That was just the beginning, as Warren Mott, founder and president of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio, guided the group of about 20 employees from DLA Land and Maritime, DLA Information Operations and DLA Human Resources on a historical journey of America's military might, one era and one warfighter at a time.

Michelle Martell, a management and program analyst for the DLA Land and Maritime People Support and Culture Division, said the experience was so immersive that many in the group told her afterward they felt more connected to each military member Mott described through the intricate details he shared about each object he highlighted on the tour.

"This is exactly the type of experience we were looking for when we were designing the Warfighter Mission Tours program," said James McGarvey, a management and program analyst who serves as coordinator of the program for People Support and Culture.

The series of tours, which kicked off earlier this year, also included visits to the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, and the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Lockbourne, Ohio.

"The tours are aimed at giving employees a better understanding and connection of what a simple static part means to the warfighter - connecting them to the greater DLA mission of why we do what we do," he said.

The activity was created as a solution to a culture shift that was discovered from analyzing 2023 DLA Culture/Climate Survey data.

The survey, administered by Denison Consulting every 18 to 24 months, measures employee satisfaction and performance within DLA.

"When analyzing the results, we noticed many of our new employees have less of a connection to our military customers than in the past," Martell explained.

The survey showed 35% of new employees who responded have absolutely no connection with the military at all.

"We found they do not understand the armed forces and what that means," McGarvey said. "They are looking at their job here like any other job anywhere else."

To help solve this disconnect, McGarvey's team developed the mission-focused tour program where each trip aims to immerse participants in the warfighter's experience through the weapon systems they used or are currently using.

"That's the ideology behind it - to identify what can communicate the value of the warfighter and the mission - and present it in a realistic and understandable way," McGarvey said.

DLA Land and Maritime Deputy Commander Kenneth Watson backed the idea, emphasizing the crucial role these tours play in helping people acclimate to the Agency and the broader defense landscape.

"We need [new employees] to understand that it is more than just a part," he said. "It's a small thing that goes on another thing, which goes on another larger thing, which is connected to a really big thing that is one of our sole deterrents against America's worst day."

"This is why it's so important for them to learn about the mission we do, who we do it for and who is depending on us every day," Watson added.

McGarvey explained that extensive research and effort are invested in planning each tour.

"We evaluate each venue beforehand to see if it will help people better understand what we do and if it will connect them to our mission," he said. "For example, in our research into the exhibits at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, we found that most of the weapon systems on display in the Cold War and Southeast Asia galleries were supported by DLA."

And for that reason alone, it was enough to warrant hosting tours there. However, meeting retired Air Force Col. Frank Alfter, a docent who agreed to lead the groups, sealed the deal.

"I found out he was a retired Air Force colonel who worked lifecycle logistics on the F-22 Boeing project and knew a lot about DLA," McGarvey said. "It was the perfect fit."

Additionally, the team created a booklet of the various weapon systems DLA Land and Maritime supports at each venue, with interactive activities employees can complete while on the tour.

"It's just a nice package of being able to describe the mission to them in a tangible way," he said of the booklets.

McGarvey said the program has exceeded its goals, noting that participating employees have gained a deeper understanding of the overall DLA mission.

"Many tour participants have complimented us on the tours and are talking to their colleagues about what they learned," McGarvey said.

Remaining tours this year are to the National Museum of the Air Force on Oct. 22 and Motts Military Museum on Nov. 13.

McGarvey said he expects the program to expand next year and programming will run from April to October.

For more information about the tours, contact McGarvey at [email protected].

Watch a video of a tour at Motts Military Museum:

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