News

DLA services still taking it in, dishing it out after merger

  • Published
  • By Brian Shreve
  • Robins Public Affairs
The Robins DLA Disposition / Distribution Services houses a little bit of everything - somewhat of a military "picker's" one-stop paradise.

And now the Defense Logistics Agency looks for these organizations to become more efficient in its duties of getting rid of excess government property following the recent merger of Disposition and Distribution finalized May 3, according to Danny Snow, DLA Disposition Services area manager.

Formerly the work of Disposition - the receipt, stock and issue function has been turned over to Distribution, along with 15 of the former's employees, though they still work in the same facility.

Snow said the merger would save costs in equipment and staffing through attrition once the current employees retire.

"It made sense to merge them," said Snow. "You had warehouse employees who drive forklifts, load and unload trucks, and do input in both places, all the same skill sets."

Since the merger, Disposition Services consists solely of 22 office employees responsible for customer interface with all warehouse functions falling under Distribution.

But regardless of name, the organization's role of disposing of property purchased with government funds remains a thriving part of Robins.

The 35-acre compound includes a back lot containing about 100 military vehicles and other large property. It also includes a warehouse full of everything from aircraft parts to exercise machines, lawn-care equipment and miscellaneous thingamabobs that even the warehouse's examiners and identifiers have to ponder while sorting.

"Everything but live animals," said Snow, a 37-year veteran at DLA.

Robins handles about 140,000 line items a year, though a single item can consist of thousands of the same item, such as materials that have been rendered obsolete or a situation in which the government is overstocked with certain equipment.

The most received property - representing about 40 percent - is clothing, a majority of it coming from the Army as Robins is the central hub of Forts Benning, Stewart and several other military installations.

In most cases, the clothing is automatically destroyed for national security purposes.

Once it is received and inventoried, property is discarded by a set pattern, Snow said.

There is a 42-day screening cycle with materials given back to the military first based on need, then federal agencies and then the state - strictly in that order.

Whatever property is left is sold to the public via the Internet using an online-bidding system. Since 1998, DLA has used Global Liquidators, a private contractor that buys the property and then sells it to the public, with the government retaining 78 percent of the profits.