Weapons Support celebrates milestone PaCE graduation

RICHMOND, Va. - RICHMOND, Va. -- Employees across the Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support workforce gathered inside the Frank B. Lotts Conference Center at Defense Supply Center Richmond Oct. 7 to celebrate the 103 graduates of the Pathways to Excellence program, the agency's premier workforce development initiative.

The graduation represented a historic milestone for Weapons Support as the inaugural cohort completed its training under the command's new organizational structure, which embodies a unified, one-team approach dedicated to sustaining warfighters across the globe.

Unlike a typical internship, the PaCE program is an intensive two-year career development path aimed at transforming entry-level employees - commonly referred to as Pacers - into skilled professionals within their chosen fields. Pacers are fully integrated into the organizational mission through formalized classroom instruction, cross-training and hands-on application aligned to specific performance goals.

As participants independently master technical competencies and operational benchmarks, they advance on an established career ladder entering the program at the General Schedule 7 pay grade and ultimately ascending to the GS-11 journeyman level.

"The program strengthens Weapons Support's talent pipeline by providing a direct entry point for new professionals," said Natarsha Goode, program coordinator and a chief in the Procurement Training Division. "It also helps improve retention by offering a clear career path with developmental opportunities."

Cohorts routinely bring together individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, including recent college graduates, seasoned mid-career professionals, former military service members transitioning to civilian roles and military spouses.

"By progressing together as an interconnected cohort, participants build lasting peer networks and professional camaraderie, which agency data and workforce studies consistently cite as vital drivers of job satisfaction, high morale and long-term retention," Goode said.

Participants in the recent cohort represent multiple disciplines across the defense acquisition landscape, including contracting, general supply and quality assurance. Each acquisition discipline serves as a critical link in the supply chain that directly influences military readiness, operational lethality and service member survivability.

Achieving full journeyman qualification required participants to navigate a dynamic operating environment. Throughout their two-year instructional period, the command underwent a significant reorganization, officially integrating DLA Aviation and DLA Land and Maritime to establish Weapons Support.

Despite the restructuring and the integration of operational workflows across geographical centers, the cohort met and exceeded stringent individual and organizational performance metrics. Participants assisted with live contract solicitations, resolved emergent supply shortages and directly supported military service branches during critical deployment schedules.

According to Goode, the cohort's ability to thrive amid organizational evolution underscores why the program remains vital to long-term succession planning.

"As senior acquisition professionals approach retirement, Weapons Support relies on PaCE to cultivate a deep bench of versatile leaders possessing cross-functional knowledge across land, sea and air logistics channels," she said.

The ceremony concluded with a keynote address from Tanya Hill, Weapons Support deputy chief of staff, who outlined three enduring principles to guide the graduates as they step into their full-time operational assignments.

"The logistics landscape is transforming overnight through automation, super intelligence and contested global environments," she said. "Don't settle for 'this is how we've always done it.' Challenge assumptions, bring forward your fresh ideas and be the catalyst that drives innovation."