2025 DLA Supply Chain Alliance

Kenneth Watson
Acting Commander, DLA Land and Maritime
DLA Land & Maritime


Kenneth D. Watson, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Acting Commander of Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Land and Maritime in Columbus, Ohio. He oversees logistics operations across 30 global locations with more than 2,800 personnel, supporting Army, Marine Corps, and Navy operations. He manages nearly 2.6 million spare and repair parts, with FY2024 sales exceeding $4.8 billion. Previously, Mr. Watson served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Materiel Readiness, advising on the DoD’s $90 billion annual maintenance program, and overseeing readiness and maintenance policy for weapon systems and equipment. He also served as Deputy Director for Strategy, Capabilities, Policy, and Logistics at U.S. Transportation Command, and deployed to Afghanistan as Director of Sustainment, Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan. In earlier joint roles, he was Deputy Chief, Capabilities Division, Joint Staff J4, and deployed to Iraq under the Office of Security Cooperation – Iraq. Mr. Watson is a 2011 graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and completed the Defense Senior Leader Development Program (2010). On the Air Staff, he was Deputy to the Associate Director of Resource Integration, supporting long-range logistics and installation planning for the U.S. Air Force. Beginning his civil service career in 1989 as a Palace Acquire Intern at McClellan AFB, California, Mr. Watson has held diverse logistics roles including: F-117A logistics management; airborne electrical accessories management; acquisition and requirements analysis; and Chief, Strategic Planning Division at Tinker AFB. He also served overseas for three years as Deputy for Mission Support, 31st Mission Support Group, Aviano AB, Italy. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees and brings over three decades of logistics and sustainment leadership.

Sessions :