Defense Logistics Agency
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is a DOD agency responsible for acquisitions.
Composition
The DSCA is overseen by the undersecretary of Acquisition and Sustainment.
The agency is led by a director and deputy director.
The staff of the agency are organized into divisions, such as DLA Disposition Services.
History
The agency has several predecessors across administrations; defense acquisitions was a recurring problem throughout World War 2, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. These included NSRB, Munitions Board, Defense Supply Management Agency, and ODM. Gradually the responsibilities for acquisitions devolved back to the military services and decentralized.
McNamara established the Defense Supply Agency (DSA) in 1961 to re-centralize operations. The responsibilities of managing government contracts were also centralized into this agency.
In 1977, the agency was renamed to the Defense Logistics Agency.
In 1988, custody over strategic material stockpiles was transferred to the agency from the GSA.
Within the agency, a Defense Contract Management Command (DCMC) was founded in 1990 to further centralize contract management. In 2020 this was split into an independent agency, the DCMA.
Programs
The Defense National Stockpile Center manages the stockpiles and depots of strategic materials.
Within DLA Disposition Services, the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) oversees the 1308 Program, which sells excess materials (e.g., military-grade weapons) to non-military organizations (e.g., police departments). This program has taken its names from the relevant sections of the authorizing acts; section 1208 of the National Defense Authorization Act in 1990, and now section 1308 of the National Defense Authorization Act in 1997.