DLA Assists Ebola Relief Efforts in West Africa

From a Defense Logistics Agency News Release

FORT BELVOIR, Va., Oct. 8, 2014 - Several Defense Logistics Agency distribution sites around the world have been supporting the packaging and movement of critical supplies to the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility as part of the Department of Defense mission to support the U.S. government's overall response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

Pallets of mosquito netting and wooden crates are loaded for shipment to West Africa at Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania's Eastern Distribution Center. Defense Logistics Agency photo by Sherre Mitten-Bell  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

In close coordination with the humanitarian assistance staff from Africom, sustainment operations staff from U.S. Army Africa and commercial transportation partners, DLA Distribution Europe, located in Germersheim, Germany, processed 1,400 cots for air movement to Liberia's capital, Monrovia, officials said.

Working to contain, end Ebola outbreak

Monrovia is where U.S. Africa Command is supporting a comprehensive U.S. government effort led by the U.S. Agency for International Development to support the World Health Organization and other international partners to help the governments of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone respond to and contain the outbreak of the Ebola virus.

DLA Distribution Europe has also prepared over 100 pallets of Meals, Ready to Eat, as well as approximately 150 pallets of bottled water, for movement to Liberia and Senegal.

Additionally, the organization's mapping division is fulfilling a requisition for maps of these locations in varying quantities, as requested by the DLA Europe and Africa regional commands.

DLA overseas, stateside support

To the south, DLA Distribution in Sigonella, Italy, has shipped 800 cots to Monrovia, and 60 cans of insect repellent to U.S. Army Africa troops.

Support from DLA distribution sites in the United States includes over 200 tents to Monrovia from DLA Distribution Barstow, California, while DLA Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, has prepared 20 tents and approximately 550 cots and mosquito netting for shipping.

As a Department of Defense 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 85 percent of the military's spare parts.

Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, DLA has about 25,000 employees worldwide and supports more than 2,440 weapon systems.