New DLA director talks leadership philosophy and ‘building on the basics’ at town hall
When the Defense Logistics Agency was founded in 1961, it had two missions: to provide effective logistics support, and to provide that support at the lowest possible cost. Those two objectives have mostly remained the same despite 65 years of changing operations, said DLA’s new director, Air Force Lt. Gen. David Sanford.
Returning to those foundational missions and building on the basics are part of his leadership philosophy and guiding principles, which he elaborated on during an agencywide town hall Oct. 20 at the McNamara Headquarters Complex.
“How do you provide that capability that the warfighter needs to the best of your ability with the resourcing that you have? How do you maximize that resourcing so it’s the most cost effective that you can be?” Sanford asked. “This will be what we’re focused on over the next couple of years.”
Priorities, leadership philosophy and guiding principles
DLA’s transformation imperatives of people, precision, posture and partnerships are not changing, but Sanford discussed his additional priorities including audit integrity, cost-conscious sustainment, performance-driven accountability, enhanced demand insight, and collaborative enterprise.
He also discussed his leadership philosophy of respect and empathy, safety and security, performance and speed, and trust and accountability.
Safety and security means providing a workplace where employees feel comfortable and not threatened, he said.
“It’s all about the team, and if you’re disrupting the team negatively, DLA is not the place for you.We have to be focused on sustaining the joint force,” Sanford said.
Meeting customers’ needs with high performance and speed is another part of his philosophy, he said.
“At the end of the day, the joint force measures us on the capability that they ask for,” Sanford said. “We are at the intersection of those five services, and we provide them capability.”
Like a private consumer waiting for an online order to get to their door as fast as possible, warfighters are paying DLA to quickly provide them with capability, he said.
“The challenge is always analyzing our entire chain, and each of you are a part of that,” Sanford said. “Where you sit in the chain is (also) analyzing that part to make it be more effective or more efficient, and ultimately faster, while super charging our industrial base.”
Trust and accountability also tie into improving performance and speed, he added.
“We can’t just overlook it. We have to find where the gaps are. We’ve got to find where the challenges are,” Sanford said. “Just because you’re being held accountable doesn’t mean it’s a negative thing or something’s wrong. It just means we’ve got to do better for the warfighters to go forward.”
His first principle, unity of effort, means the workforce is aligned, understands priorities, and freely communicates up and down the chain, he said.
Empowered teams include people being empowered at every level, he said.
“I would challenge all our supervisors, no matter what level you are, to figure out how you’re going to unlock the innovation or energy that’s on your teams,” Sanford said. “That starts with empowerment so they can break out and lead us to where we need to go.”
Measurable outcomes tie into performance and speed, and affordable combat support includes auditability and accountability. These elements all call back to the agency’s founding mission statements and will help inform operations going forward.
Affordability means understanding costs and the levels of service that providers need, Sandford said.
“It’s a two-way street,” Sanford said. “It’s not just that they pay us; we have to perform to the level they expect.”
Auditability is something the agency has always done, but it will be emphasized more in the future, he continued.
The way ahead
DLA’s transformation efforts are guided by using data in an effective and efficient way, and they will be driven by automation and technology advancement, Sanford said.
Data fabric, which connects scattered data into a single, virtual layer, will be key for automation, he said.
He said the data fabric will be shared throughout the agency, and a suite of commercial software will provide the tools to extrapolate the data to manage supply chains or other processes or analyses. Employees then will be empowered to make decisions at a faster rate.
“Now you’re going to have the data, you’re going to have the tools, and supervisors up and down the chain are going to have to be comfortable with empowering their employees to be able to act on that data,” Sanford said.
He said data-based decisions will improve with time, and he’s comfortable taking responsibility for these decisions as the agency shifts from being risk averse to more risk tolerant.
These changes will not come at the cost of jobs, he added.
“Just because the data fabric is underpinning our transformation and our success … it doesn’t mean anybody’s job is impacted,” he said. “Just because we’re going to have some automation doesn’t mean we’re looking to let anybody go. We’re looking to make you more effective.”
Sanford said situations and conflicts around the world remind him that DLA should adopt the mantra, “You’ve got to be able to fight tonight.”
“You don’t know when you’re going to be moved into action, and so that requires us as sustainers to make sure that we’re trying to provide that capability where it needs to be to minimize the transportation, and do it all an affordable cost,” he said. “It’s a challenge, but the important thing is we have to work through it as a team.”
DLA’s strategy is also guided by the DOW priorities to revive warrior ethos, rebuild the military and reestablish deterrence.
“As long as you work for the Department of War, you are a warrior in your own right,” he said. “Being a warrior doesn’t mean you have to deploy or be on call 24/7. It means that you’re providing the capability and doing your part to be able to provide those folks who have to go forward to do their job. In my mind, that makes you a warrior as well.”
DLA Vice Director Brad Bunn and DLA Senior Enlisted Leader Army Command Sgt. Maj. Petra Casarez joined Sanford to answer questions about participating in joint exercises, using digital tools, maintaining institutional knowledge in the face of employees retiring.
Prior to being named DLA’s 22nd director, Sanford was the director of DLA Logistics Operations and was the commander of the agency’s Joint Regional Combat Support. He previously served as the commander of Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, and DLA Aviation before its incorporation into DLA Weapons Support.
“DLA is family, and it’s good to be home and to be working with y’all,” he said.
Employee recognition
Several individuals and teams received recognition for recent awards.
Team and Unit Awards:
- DLA Research and Development Team (DLA Information Operations), DOW Manufacturing Technology Program 70th Anniversary Service Recognition Award
- Artificial Intelligence Integration Team (DLA Finance), Office of the Undersecretary of War (Comptroller) 2026 Financial Management Award — Salute to Excellence in Government Service for Exceptional Innovation
- Defense Supply Center Columbus (DLA Weapons Support Columbus), Commander in Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence
Individual Awards
- Daniele Kurze, DLA Office of Small Business Programs, DOW Small Business Vanguard Award Revolutionary Leadership Award
- Brandon Miller, DLA Finance, Office of the Undersecretary of War (Comptroller) 2026 Financial Management Award — Salute to Excellence in Government Service for Exceptional Innovation
- Mike LeBreton, DLA Information Operations, Recognized by the Office of the Secretary of War Principal Deputy Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer —DLA War Machine Data Sprint
- Jason Morgan, DLA General Counsel, Department of Justice Eastern District of Virginia Annual Public Service Award
- Seth Cohen, DLA General Counsel, Department of Justice Eastern District of Virginia Annual Public Service Award
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