‘One team, one mission’: DLA Distribution commanding general charts course for modernization, readiness during town hall

Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Cotman, commanding general, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, held a town hall at the organization's headquarters in New Cumberland, Dec. 9.

Although DLA Distribution's top leader has conducted smaller engagements with employees since taking command in July, this was the first time Cotman addressed the entire organization through a virtual and in-person meeting.

Cotman celebrated a year of significant achievements while laying out a strategic vision for fiscal year 2026 focused on modernization, readiness and workforce development.

"What you do, nobody else within the Department of War can do," Cotman said. "That's making sure that our warfighters have what they need, and I want to say thank you for your continued support."

Cotman detailed how DLA Distribution made significant strides in global readiness by supporting Combatant Commands and enhancing its strategic posture in key regions like Japan and Europe. These successes were driven by a deep investment in workforce development and a commitment to precision, demonstrated by the flawless execution of critical inventories and the management of billions in assets for every service branch. Strong partnerships with the U.S. Army and Navy planners were a cornerstone of this success, improving transparency and overall readiness.

"The only way we can be successful is if we have solid partnerships," Cotman said. "Because of you, we have an exceptional reputation when it comes to our partnerships because we communicate and collaborate to make sure we're moving forward in the right way, together."

Cotman highlighted that the command completed 75% of their fiscal year 2025 Annual Operating Plan objectives and noted that multi-year initiatives such as Artificial Intelligence Agents and network modernization will roll into the Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Operating Plan.

"When you see these successes, it means we are moving forward and becoming better," Cotman said. "Part of this is leveraging data so that we can make timely, speedy, relevant decisions for our teammates within DLA Distribution and increase our ability to support our warfighters."

Looking ahead to fiscal year 2026, Cotman shared his intent of building a "Readiness-Configured Network" by focusing on five core objectives aligned with agency-wide priorities. This strategy involves creating a smaller, faster network, improving performance with data visualization, and positioning global capabilities to support contested logistics. Key priorities include achieving audit readiness and ensuring financial discipline, all while educating and developing the workforce for a modern, AI-influenced environment. Ultimately, these efforts are designed to forge a more agile and efficient organization prepared for future challenges.

"As a living organization, whether individually or as a whole, we have to see how we can continue to improve," Cotman said. "We must maintain the trust that's already placed in DLA Distribution when it comes to our warfighters, and the only way we maintain that trust is though our performance showing them that they can depend on us. One team, one mission, a resilient network. Always ready to deliver."

During the meeting, Cotman lauded the entire command's efforts with the ongoing Warehouse Management System implementation. By the end of this year, DLA Distribution is postured to complete 20 total WMS deployments, supported by 875 temporary duty deployments totaling 28,000 days.

"This system is going to do so much for DLA Distribution and the Department of War as we continue to implement and experience the benefits that come with WMS being the backbone of our systems at our distribution centers," Cotman said. "It's a team effort when we're implementing WMS. Everyone comes together and pushes toward the same goal to make sure we're getting it implemented and stabilized for day-to-day operations."

Cotman also noted the accomplishments of several teammates, including several that had recently been recognized with DLA-level awards. Cullen Powers as the DLA Acquisition Support Professional of the Year, Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Andrew Nieves as the DLA Joint Reserve Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year and Army Staff Sgt. Zachary Davies as the DLA Junior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year.

"We're going to continue to make sure we're robust in our award submissions to ensure we're recognizing our great professionals that are doing great things," Cotman said.

Special tribute was paid to two distinguished leaders who retired earlier this year or will retire and the end of the month. Victor Montefour, director, Installation Management for Distribution, was lauded for his expert guidance over a $172 million annual program portfolio and his career-long impact on the agency's infrastructure, from industrial engineering to facility planning. Brad Bellis was recognized for an exceptional 44-year career that began in the Navy and culminated in his role as Director of Enterprise Operations at DLA Distribution headquarters, where he played a vital role in national response efforts for Ebola and COVID-19.

These individuals are part of a larger cohort of 313 valued members who retired this past year, representing a staggering 7,631 years of combined federal service.

"Their years of service have helped build DLA Distribution into the world-class organization it is today," Cotman said. "They leave behind a legacy of excellence."

During the question-and-answer session, Joe Faris, acting deputy commander, DLA Distribution, provided an update on the ongoing Defense-wide Comprehensive Review. He explained that the review is focused on two main areas -- transitioning missions that are not operating within their own systems back to their respective services and optimizing the agency's network of distribution centers.

"The Comprehensive Review has given us a great window to not only look at the entire network, but also to marry that up with a look at DLA stock positioning," Faris said. "We found a resiliency challenge in the network, and we are working to address this to ensure that if there is a disruption at one of our centers, we can continue to provide seamless support to the warfighter."

The town hall concluded with a look at a photo collage of team members from across the globe.

"This slide is just a representation of everything that's going on within DLA Distribution, all the great things we're doing, all across the globe," Cotman said. "Every one of you is important to our mission and the great things we do at DLA Distribution."