At the nexus of readiness: Gen. Caine visits DLA's largest distribution hub

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, July 14 to observe firsthand how the command supports warfighter readiness and is modernizing its operations.

Caine toured the 1.7 million square foot Eastern Distribution Center following his morning address at the 2026 Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, held at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle. The visit highlighted DLA Distribution's ongoing efforts to update its infrastructure and deploy advanced warehouse management technology.

"What we do in the Department, we do better than anybody else in the world, but frankly, it comes down to logistics and supply," Caine said during his on-site visit to the Department of War's largest distribution center. "Our ability to go wherever the United States needs us to go is relying upon this and other world-wide DLA Distribution centers."

Caine expressed deep appreciation for the civilian and military workforce operating the facility, noting the sacrifices required to sustain global operations.

"Thank you on behalf of not just myself but the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Caine said. "Thank you on behalf of the services, and thanks to your families too. I know in the face of Operation Epic Fury, there's a lot of long days, a lot of overtime, and a whole lot of sacrifices. So just know how much we see and appreciate what you do every single day, selflessly serving here in Pennsylvania, but getting after it every single day."

Earlier in the day at the innovation summit, Caine spoke to defense leaders about the strategic importance of the New Cumberland-based facility, pointing to its geographic position and its culture of adaptation.

"There's an example just down the river on the south side of the river, the New Cumberland DLA facility in Susquehanna," Caine noted during the summit. "This distribution center sits at the nexus of what we need to do to be able to supply the joint force, and I have definitely learned in the time that I've been in this job that old adage that professionals really do logistics. It is one of the great areas of exclusivity that the United States of America has."

He praised the workforce for adopting commercial-sector methodologies and modern management tools to improve speed and accuracy.

"We can go do things at the time and place of our choosing because of facilities and teams like those here at DLA in Pennsylvania," Caine said. "These folks are innovating all the time, working with the private sector and utilizing commercial technologies to innovate on the spot."

Caine added that the workforce functions as "founders and entrepreneurs at their core."

"They are problem solvers at their core, and it's places like this spread all around the joint force, enabling us to go do the things that our commander in chief and you will ask us to do that requires an innovative spirit that is amazing and an exclusive thing that the United States has more than anybody else."

Brad Bunn, vice director, DLA, Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Cotman, commanding general, Joe Faris, acting deputy commander, DLA Distribution, and Army Col. Christopher Urynowicz, commander, DLA Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, hosted the chairman and emphasized that the visit allowed the command to showcase how its core priorities align with the needs of the joint force.

"Welcoming General Caine to our largest distribution center provided an opportunity to demonstrate how DLA Distribution provides readiness to the joint force through our global storage and distribution network every day," Cotman said. "We were able to show him how our workforce translates strategic requirements into actual, on-the-ground support for the warfighter."

Leadership also briefed the chairman on their extensive software modernization campaign and its future infrastructure plans.

"Our team has proven its innovative spirit by successfully fielding a new SAP-based warehouse management system to 23 of our 24 global locations," Cotman said. "These modernization efforts are setting the stage for the next phase of defense logistics, which includes leveraging new technology to create a state-of-the-art order fulfillment center here for the Department of War, completely transforming how we package and project power."

During the visit Caine presented coins to three DLA Distribution employees, Jason Shields, acting director, Network Integration, Greg Hahn, EDC division chief, and Sarina Thomas, deputy branch chief.