American Forces Press Service (March 3, 2006): European Command, Logistics Agency sign agreement.

WASHINGTON -- A new agreement between U.S. European Command and the Defense Logistics Agency spells out the level of service that EUCOM expects and that DLA agrees to provide in support of the theater mission.

Officials here said this is the first "performance-based agreement" between DLA, at Fort Belvoir, Va., and a combatant command.

Air Force Gen. Charles Wald, U.S. European Command deputy commander, and Navy Vice Adm. Keith Lippert, Defense Logistics Agency director, signed the agreement here yesterday. George Johnston, the DLA plans officer assigned to EUCOM, described the new agreement as a "pay-for-performance" system that spells out what each party expects and agrees to.

This agreement replaces an April 2001 memorandum of agreement between the two organizations and stems from a 2003 Defense Department requirement that component sources of supply, such as DLA, assume full responsibility for satisfying warfighter requirements by working directly with the warfighters. Previously, DLA has only signed such agreements directly with the military services while maintaining other agreements with combatant commands. This accord forms a template that other combatant commands can use with DLA, Johnston said. EUCOM's component commands will negotiate agreements through their Service headquarters.

"By having this agreement directly with EUCOM, DLA will be able to provide better-defined logistics support plans that provide a stronger strategic and operational partnership between EUCOM warfighters and DLA," Lip-pert said. "We will hold periodic meetings with EUCOM to assess how well DLA is meeting their requirements and will jointly establish metrics for that purpose."

This agreement spells out specific activities that DLA will provide within the EUCOM theater, such as maintaining a Defense Distribution Center, Defense Energy Support Center-Europe, Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, and the Document Automation and Production Service-Europe, among other field activities. It also specifies how DLA will assign liaisons and planners to work with EUCOM.

"We in the Defense Logistics Agency understand that new ideas are needed to meet EUCOM's expeditionary nature of operations and desire to engage more to the east and south," Lippert said. "We are fully aware that DLA must become more expeditionary. To that end, DLA has a team of experts in the areas of waste disposal, food, fuel, medical, and other supplies ready to deploy anywhere in this theater to assist with any contingency."

Cook is assigned to U.S. European Command.

Maj. Pamela A.Q. Cook, USAF