DLA participates in Global Thunder exercise

COLUMBUS, Ohio -

The Defense Logistics Agency tested its ability to continue operations in response to a sudden surge in logistical support during U.S. Strategic Command's Global Thunder exercise Oct. 18-24.

The exercise validates the nation's nuclear command, control, and operational procedures with a goal of enhancing nuclear readiness to ensure a safe, secure and effective strategic deterrent force.

While this wasn't the first time DLA has participated in this global event, this time was different, because of the larger scope and scale of DLA's participation in the exercise scenario, said Kevin Kachinski, DLA Logistics Operations' exercise director.

"As the nation's Logistics Combat Support Agency, we need to participate in these types of exercises to determine our ability to pivot from a peacetime to a wartime posture quickly and seamlessly," he said.

Participating organizations included all DLA Major Subordinate Commands, as well as DLA Headquarters, specifically the DLA Crisis Management and Crisis Action teams.

The exercise ties directly to the four imperatives found in the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan released earlier this month. The imperatives - People, Precision, Posture and Partnerships - focus on improving organizational culture, creating more responsive logistics solutions in support of military readiness, enhancing support to integrated deterrence, and leading logistics interoperability across the defense landscape.

The exercise's framework involved integrated nuclear deterrence and DLA's role was to support USSTRATCOM in global surge operations, Kachinski said.

"Any opportunity to train with a combatant command like USSTRATCOM is a plus for DLA, as it showcases our ability to support them and ultimately the warfighter," said Navy Capt. Sean Nuila, director of mission assurance for DLA Logistics Operations.

DLA's Crisis Action Team and Crisis Management Team activated in the exercise scenario.

As part of the Agency's Continuity of Operation Plan, the CAT, consisting of about 40 individuals from all business lines and leadership capabilities across the Agency, physically relocated from Fort Belvoir to an undisclosed alternate location to continue mission essential functions for the duration of the event.

The two teams practiced continuity of communication through maintaining continuous connectivity, accounting for personnel, executing alternate business processes, devolving command and control, deploying rapid deployment teams, and maintaining communications with supporting and supported organizations, customers and stakeholders.

"We have assembled a great team," Kachinski said. "I have to say that in my ten years of being at DLA, we've stepped into this with a very robust, diligent mindset to get a lot out of it."

The exercise demonstrated the CAT's ability to relocate and stand up operations at a remote location, as well as DLA leaders capabilities in pivoting to alternate business processes to maintain the continuity needed to ensure integrated nuclear deterrence continues despite a catastrophic event.

"You get to see yourself in a different light when you move to a different location, when you realize you do or do not have the capabilities to execute alternate business processes in times of extreme circumstances," Kachinski added.

Nuila echoed that sentiment.

"Exercises like Global Thunder with its wide scope and many moving parts give us a detailed site picture of where the operational gaps are in all the layers of the organization," he said. "It allows planners to see past the peacetime silos to get a real picture of how DLA's different organizations operate interdependently on a wartime footing."

"It makes us look inward at our own processes, and drill down to the last detail as it's in some of those details where we often find the largest breaking points," he added.

Testing DLA's ability to pivot from a peacetime to wartime posture quickly and efficiently is paramount, Kachinski said.

"We must start crawling, walking and running fairly quickly within these wartime functions," he said. "As we execute alternate business processes, our customers must be in tune to the way we shift, but at the end of the day, we owe them performance. So being smart about it is absolutely critical."

In addition to identifying gaps, team building was also an important takeaway from the exercise.

"As a team, we are learning a lot here," said Tod Mellman, deputy director of operations for DLA Installation Management. "It's about working with the other stakeholders in DLA, all the leadership teams, and the rest of the administrative directorates within the organization as well. And it's that teamwork that's critical to successfully navigating the ebbs and flows of crisis operations that are geographically spread out around the world."

Nuila agreed.

"What has been neat about this experience is the camaraderie that we are building here," he said. "We have representatives from across the enterprise and we are all learning from each other."

And that team building has produced tangible improvements the Agency can use moving forward, said Tyrone Jeter, Logistics Operations enterprise continuity manager.

Jeter, whose job is focused on the logistics of implementing continuity of operations plans, said the key takeaway for him is to make sure that DLA has a deliberate continuity piece from the leadership perspective as well as for the personnel identified as part of the emergency response group or CAT.

"I think in this exercise, personnel from many different areas and functions have come together and produced not only a way forward but real products for those who may come behind us," he said.

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