Courtesy Photo | Navy Vice Adm. Alan Thompson, left, outgoing director of the Defense Logistics Agency,...... read more read more
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FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- Navy Vice Adm. Mark D. Harnitchek assumed responsibility of the Defense Logistics Agency from outgoing director Navy Vice Adm. Alan Thompson in a ceremony, Nov. 18, at the McNamara Headquarters Complex.
Thompson, who took the helm of DLA in November 2008, is retiring from military service.
Harnitchek comes to DLA from U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., where he was deputy commander. Upon assuming responsibility for DLA, Harnitchek said he is excited for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead and looks forward to being part of the agency.
“As we gather here today, men and women of DLA are executing operations all around the globe, and DLA has earned a tremendous reputation for getting the job done,” he said. “I can now count myself among the very fortunate to serve with you: professionals who don’t just talk about world-class support, but folks who deliver it every day.”
Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, who presided at the ceremony, endorsed Harnitchek as the right leader for DLA, citing the admiral’s experience supporting troops throughout his career.
“Admiral Harnitchek knows something about how to support our troops and how crucial that support is to those on the front lines,” Carter said. “He’s not only served as deputy commander of TRANSCOM and as vice director of logistics on the Joint Staff, but has also served on two submarines, three surface ships and the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. In all these posts, he served with distinction. We expect his tenure at DLA to be no different.”
Carter noted that Harnitchek is coming on board at a crucial time for DLA and the Defense Department overall. DoD is on the cusp on two great currents: the need to adjust the department to meet the new challenges of the future after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end and the nation’s need to put its fiscal house in order, he said. The budget turndown needs to be managed carefully, he said, but at the same time the department must let go of old and familiar ways of operating and embrace future challenges.
“DLA will be at the forefront of both of these transitions: the strategic pivot we are about to undertake and the budget measures we must put in place,” Carter said.
Harnitchek recognized the great responsibility he faces in leading DLA through these new challenges, but he noted the tremendous legacy Thompson built on while director and pledged to pursue the same momentum during his tenure.
“DLA is one of our finest groups of enthusiastic, innovative and dedicated go-getters who will always deliver,” Harnitchek said, addressing the DLA team. “So as we navigate through the challenges and opportunities ahead, my challenge to you is simple: Get it done.”
Harnitchek praised Thompson as “the genuine article and complete package: citizen, gentleman and warrior who exemplifies our core values of honor, courage and commitment.” He also cited the many examples of DLA’s successes over the past three years, including support to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, humanitarian relief efforts and maintaining world-class support to troops preparing to deploy.
Thompson’s time at DLA capped a 35-year military career that began when he was commissioned through the Naval ROTC program at UCLA in 1976. During his career, he served in a variety of key leadership positions afloat and ashore. During his tenure at DLA, Thompson led the agency through its continued support of operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, including troop surges into Iraq and Afghanistan and the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq. He also spearheaded the We Are DLA initiative, which renamed DLA’s field sites to create a single-agency environment among customers and the agency’s global workforce, and led the agency through the successful implementation of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure legislation.
Carter also praised Thompson’s accomplishments during his time at DLA. The Iraq drawdown and the influx of thousands of troops into Afghanistan placed extraordinary demands on the defense logistics system, he noted, but the surge was so successful that many throughout the department now refer to it as the “logistics miracle.” Thompson also increased the use of the Northern Distribution Network, helped keep Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles on the road and helped keep the U.S. mission on track in the war on terror.
DLA’s accomplishments under Thompson’s tenure, however, have extended far beyond Iraq and Afghanistan, Carter said, noting that in the past three years, DLA completed BRAC on time, opened a new joint operations center, responded to numerous humanitarian disasters, negotiated lower prices for material and aggressively cut operating costs.
“We all know that Admiral Thompson has had a huge impact here at DLA and throughout his distinguished career in the U.S. Navy,” Carter said.
The change of responsibility ceremony also served as Thompson’s retirement ceremony. Upon leaving DLA and finishing his military career, Thompson expressed gratitude to his many colleagues, leaders and employees throughout the years. He called serving as director of DLA “a capstone experience.”
Thompson reflected on his proudest moments during his time at the agency, which include the agency receiving the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, which was presented at the ceremony, and his travels around the globe to meet DLA team members and stake holders.
“The absolutely universal commitment to the mission and focus on the customer has just really been striking,” Thompson said, recalling the massive reaction he received to an email sent earlier this year asking for civilian volunteers for deployments. Within five days, he said, more than 1,000 employees had volunteered.
Because of its superior workforce and dedicated leadership, DLA is ready to take on the challenges of the future, Thompson said.
He also expressed support for Harnitchek as the new director, saying he is confident the admiral will take DLA to the next level.
“Frankly, I feel very good about turning over the agency today,” Thompson said. “I think it is well-postured for that future. It truly is a national asset, a vital enabler to readiness of our armed forces and manned by the finest military and civilian team that I’ve ever worked with.”
A native of Philadelphia, Harnitchek received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University in 1977 and was commissioned through the Navy ROTC program. In 1987, he received a master's degree in management from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.
He has served in a variety of sea tours including two submarines, the USS Will Rogers and USS Buffalo; two ships, the USS Holland and USS Proteus; and the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. His shore tours include Submarine Group 7 at Yokosuka, Japan; the Navy Ships Parts Control Center at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.; and the Chief of Naval Operations Staff.
Harnitchek’s previous flag assignments include commander of Naval Inventory Control Point; vice director for logistics at the Joint Staff; director of strategy, policy, programs and logistics at USTRANSCOM, and director of U. S. Central Command’s Deployment and Distribution Operations Center in operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2011 15:51 |
| Story ID: | 80439 |
| Location: | FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 506 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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