DLA Orders Six-month Meat Supply to Aid Industry

From a Defense Logistics Agency News Release

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 28, 2012 – At the direction of the president, the Defense Logistics Agency is procuring a six-month meat supply for its Defense Department customers to provide relief to the drought-stricken agriculture industry.

The DLA Troop Support Subsistence supply chain is asking its top three prime vendors to purchase, store and distribute beef, pork, lamb, chicken and catfish items, said Tom Daley, deputy director. He estimated the purchases will amount to more than $100 million.

In 2011, DLA Troop Support Subsistence provided 95 million pounds of beef, 68 million pounds of pork, 500,000 pounds of lamb, 55 million pounds of chicken and 2 million pounds of catfish to the U.S. military services and other DOD agencies all over the world.

“Dining facility menus will not be affected by this purchase,” Daley said. “A soldier … in Afghanistan won’t notice anything different when eating a grilled cheeseburger or baked chicken. The warfighter will continue to receive healthy, wholesome and nutritious meals.”

DLA Troop Support Subsistence officials are negotiating with prime vendors on additional storage and distribution fees, estimated to be between $2.4 million and $3.3 million. As they do for all food products, the prime vendors will store the additional meat, which will be frozen to maximize shelf life.

Purchases will be based on forecast demand. The organization also is working with the suppliers to identify the specific meat items to purchase.

“We are focusing on high-demand items with long shelf life and items that will make an immediate impact on the industry,” Daley said.

DLA Troop Support Subsistence is working with the Joint Subsistence Policy Board to keep the military services informed as it finalizes purchase details. Officials also are working with the board, made up of service food advisors, to determine standardized meat pack sizes and other details.

One of five DLA Troop Support supply chains, Subsistence ensures that service members and other DOD customers around the world have high-quality, nutritious meals daily.

As a Defense Department combat support agency, DLA provides the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, other federal agencies, and joint and allied forces with a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services. The agency sources and provides nearly 100 percent of the consumable items America’s military forces need to operate -- from food, fuel and energy to uniforms, medical supplies, and construction and barrier equipment. DLA also supplies more than 80 percent of the military’s spare parts.

Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., DLA has about 27,000 employees worldwide and supports more than 2,210 weapon systems.