DLA's whole of government support bolsters national security, reduces costs

The Defense Logistics Agency's support extends beyond the traditional warfighter, says Jake Swantkowski, chief of DLA's Whole of Government Support Division. DLA provides a strategic advantage to the nation by supporting a wide array of federal agencies.

In a recent episode of the "DLA Dialogues: From Factory to Foxhole" podcast, Swantkowski talks about how his 15-person team acts as the customer-facing link between DLA and its partners across the government, creating what he calls a "win-win-win" scenario.

"While DLA is primarily focused on the military services, the ability to support interagency partners allows DLA's bulk buying power to really take shape and reduce costs," Swantkowski says.

The other wins are lower costs for partner agencies compared to if they procured logistics on their own, and enhanced homeland defense and national security for the American public, he says.

Relationship-building is the most critical component of his team's mission, Swantkowski adds. These established connections enable rapid logistics support during emergencies.

"When you need to make a 911 call for logistics support to DLA, you don't want it to be the first time that you call," he says.

He provides a recent example where the Coast Guard liaison officer received a call for emergency rations and water in an austere location that DLA doesn't normally support. Through that call, DLA was able to accomplish support quicker than if they had used routine measures.

Swantkowski says that through these efforts, the Whole of Government Support Division demonstrates how DLA's capabilities are a national asset, providing critical logistics support that strengthens security at home and abroad.

Episodes of "DLA Dialogues: From Factory to Foxhole" are available on the employee Campaign of Learning portal (a DLA common access card is required), the Campaign of Learning website, DVIDS and YouTube.