History of DLA


The origins of the Defense Logistics Agency date back to World War II when America’s military buildup required the rapid procurement of vast amounts of supplies. After the war, a commission headed by former President Herbert C. Hoover recommended the armed forces centralize logistics provision. Integration began in the mid-1950s when the Defense Department assigned individual services items to manage for the entire military. The Army became responsible for food, general supplies, construction supplies, and clothing; the Navy medical supplies, industrial supplies, and petroleum; and the Air Force airlift services. Integration continued in 1958 when the Defense Department formed the Armed Forces Supply Support Center. For the first time, the services bought, stored, and issued using common nomenclature.

This integration, though successful, did not provide the uniformity recommended by Hoover. Each single manager operated under the procedures of its parent service: customers used as many procedures as there were managers. Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara addressed this problem in 1961 by combining single-managers and the Armed Forces Supply Support Center into one agency. The Defense Supply Agency formed Oct. 1 and began operations Jan. 1, 1962.

DSA mobilized twice in its first five years. The Cuban Missile Crisis shocked the world in 1962. The agency supplied film to aircraft photographing nuclear weapons, assembled an invasion force that thankfully never had to launch, fueled vessels quarantining Cuba, and provided fallout shelter material for the entire country. Three years later, President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed an additional 44 battalions to Vietnam. The U.S. had been conducting an assistance mission in the country ever since French defeat in 1954. The agency responded to the increased need for its goods and services by hiring contract specialists, seamstresses, and warehouse workers.

Other growth pushed DSA past 62,000 employees. The agency acquired four depots so it could distribute assigned supplies, a mission assigned to it in its initial charter. When told to administer the contracts it wrote, DSA formed the Defense Contract Administration Service to ensure quality, funds use, and adherence to security protocols. At the same time, the Cold War demanded the U.S. keep sizable forces in the Pacific and Europe. Because these units needed subsistence, the agency started supplying mess halls in both locations and commissaries in Europe.

 

News

Major Subordinate Command Histories

Interested in the histories of some of DLA's major subordinate commands? Visit the following pages to learn more about specific parts of DLA, or choose one of the installation graphics to get a glimpse of their story.


JMU Awards

All nine of DLA's Joint Meritorious Unit Awards have been earned since the agency was designated a combat support agency. The first recognized performance during the Gulf War. Subsequent awards recognized either support to named operations, whole of government responses, or significant savings.

Use the tabs above to learn more about each of the agency's JMUAs.

Charters

The mission and functions of the agency are rooted to the following charters:

Previous DLA Directors and Vice/Deputy Directors

Many directors and vice/deputy directors have led the organization through the decades, each with their own impact on the agency. Explore the tabs above to learn more.

  • Hall of Fame: Explore more of the contributions from some of these previous leaders in the DLA Hall of Fame.
     
  • Leadership: Read more about DLA's current leadership.

 

Videos

DLA's proud history runs deep: Explore DLA's origins from its headquarters to its major subordinate commands.

Historian


Dr. Colin Jay Williams
Defense Logistics Agency Historian
VIEW BIO