Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics visits USTRANSCOM

The Honorable Ellen M. Lord, the ninth Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, spoke to members of U.S. Transportation Command and its component commands Monday, Sept. 18, at USTRANSCOM, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

A 33-year industry veteran, Secretary Lord initially addressed in her 40-minute presentation Secretary of Defense Mattis’ three focus areas:  Lethality, working with our allies and reform. Concerning the latter, she commented on her own agency’s restructuring “Acquisition, Technology and Logistics has to reorganize by February 2018…We know we need to change, but it’s the how to change to get materials to the warfighter faster.  It’s about people, programs and processes.”

In concluding her discussion on evolving AT&L, Lord spoke of transforming sustainment to ensure readiness, which also includes better leveraging the capabilities of USTRANSCOM and the Defense Logistics Agency “If we can save money on sustainment, then we can put that amount to modernization.”

Secretary Lord remarked her trip to Scott to visit USTRANSCOM was her first since joining the DOD team last month. “USTRANSCOM was the first COCOM to invite me to visit, and it’s been a great learning experience for me…I plan to be back here on a routine basis.”

She is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for all matters pertaining to acquisition; research and engineering; developmental testing; contract administration; logistics and materiel readiness; installations and environment; operational energy; chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons; the acquisition workforce; and the defense industrial base.

Lord served as the 13th guest in USTRANSCOM's 30-4-30 Distinguished Speaker Series, an initiative to celebrate the command's 30th anniversary in October 2017.

Previous participants in the 30-4-30 series include the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, the commanders of U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Strategic Command, and U.S. Northern Command, as well as other senior civilian and military leaders.

USTRANSCOM provides full-spectrum mobility solutions to support the joint warfighter in times of peace and war. The command focuses on providing options to the commander-in-chief in two ways: delivering an immediate force through strategic airlift, tankers, and aeromedical evacuation; and delivering a decisive force when needed through strategic sealift and land distribution channels.

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