LTG Mark Simerly, USA sat down with America Makes’ Kimberly Gibson at MILAM 2026 to discuss how the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is harnessing the power of advanced manufacturing to support defense logistics and supply chain operations.
As the Director of DLA, LTG Simerly is responsible for managing the end-to-end global defense supply chain for the U.S. military and allied nations, overseeing more than $45 billion in annual goods and services. He leads over 25,000 employees supporting all five military services, 40+ federal agencies, and partner nations.
DLA has a long and growing list of opportunities for partnerships with industry innovators, and part of LTG Simerly’s mission has been to help potential stakeholders better understand how to partner with DLA and overcome the significant institutional barriers holding the US back from furthering its readiness superiority. To this end, DLA is taking actions that are causing its constituents to harness 3D printing in order to achieve greater readiness.
LTG Simerly’s aim is for the Agency is to plant their flag as an “integrator” of AM technologies.
Enabling DLA to be an integrator, however, comes with barriers – one of which is the data environment. While DLA already has a repository of qualified parts and digital twins, expanding their catalog remains a top priority. Simerly emphasizes that further developing a secure, commonly accessible environment wherein data can be shared is foundational to DLA’s mission.
The good news is there are already two programs aiming to solve this problem – JAMA (Joint Additive Manufacturing Acceptability) and JAMMEX (Joint Additive Manufacturing Model Exchange). JAMA establishes common AM data sets, standardized risk criteria, and consistent qualification and certification processes for AM parts. The latter, developed in partnership with NCDMM and America Makes, is the DLA’s database for DoW-approved 3D models and designs. JAMMEX is a critical program supporting DLA’s goal of maximizing operational success and lethality in contested logistics environments; and as Gibson notes, “You can’t be lethal without logistics.”
Bolstering these repositories and better furnishing these programs are not a task any service can complete independently.
“This has to be an enterprise approach,” Simerly explains, “We’re never going to do it separate from industry.”
As such, developing closer relationships and integrations with industry (and academic) partners is one of LTG Simerly’s motivations for attending MILAM in the first place. After his keynote presentation, Simerly set aside considerable time to speak with current, future, and potential partners in the exhibit hall, underscoring his efforts to forge stronger relationships and integrations with the industry at large.
“We all agree that there is lots of unrealized potential in this area.” says LTG Simerly. “Nobody… is satisfied with the rate of progress we’re making – certainly true within DLA. I know it’s true with all my counterparts in the services and service leadership.”
Watch or listen to the full interview for more details on LTG Simerly’s vision for DLA.
For more interviews with senior AM leaders at MILAM, visit militaryam.com/tv
MILAM TV was recorded live, in partnership with America Makes, during the MILAM 2026 Summit on February 3-4 at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, FL.