The Defense Logistics Agency recently ended its US Embassy support mission in Iraq, more than two years after US military forces departed the nation at the end of 2011. DLA oversaw the demilitarization and disposal of US equipment and fuel stocks in addition to supplying food, dry goods, planning, and daily support to State Department personnel. “Those are skill sets we were able to provide that the State Department just didn’t have organically,” said Navy Capt. Jim Liberko, former head of DLA operations in Kuwait. “Because we were running the military bases, we already had the logistics pipeline established,” he added. The State Department signed an independent logistics and support contract last year, and DLA ceased support in Iraq in mid May, according to the agency. (DLA release)
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.