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DLA Energy Europe and Africa
DESC Europe (DESC-EU)

In 2010, as part of the We Are DLA initiative, the Defense Energy Support Center was renamed DLA Energy. It effectively retained its previous mission. The regional entities of the DESC were similarly renamed. DESC Europe (DESC-EU) also gained responsibility for the African area of responsibility and was renamed DLA Energy Europe and Africa.

Although DESC's motto was "We Fuel the Forces," those forces were not always limited to the US Military Services. Defense Energy Support Center Europe (DESC-EU), located in Wiesbaden, Germany, was the theater item manager for bulk fuel distribution and storage in Europe. The forces supported by DESC-EU included NATO, former Soviet Bloc nations and most forces operating in the former Yugoslavia. DESC-E also supported other friendly nations' organizations, including those operating under the auspices of the United Nations. The office conducted operations within an area roughly bordered by the west coast of Europe, the Ukraine on the east, to the southern most tip of Africa. DESC-EU consists of 2 divisions, Operations and Support, and 3 energy offices located in Central Europe, the United Kingdom and the Mediterranean.

The Operations Division of DESC-EU was subdivided into 3 teams, allowing it to better support its customers. The Logistics Management Team handled the day-to-day inventory and distribution management activities. These activities included monitoring of theater inventory levels, coordinating transportation requirements and DFAMS/FAS, and monitoring contracts. The Logistics Plans Team handled fuel planning requirements. These duties included coordination of international agreements, theater fuel exchange and Replacement in Kind agreements, and review of theater Operational Plans and Contingency Plans to ensure sufficient fuel stocks were available to meet CINC requirements. The Logistics Support Team managed all activities relating to contingency operations, command and control, mobility, and security/force protection. These activities encompassed monitoring of day-to-day contingency support, preparation for future contingencies (Africa site surveys, into-plane locations and provision of fuel additives), and maintaining a contingency database for fuel support throughout the US European Command.

The Support Division of DESC-EU was composed of Administration and Budget for internal support, as well as Facilities, Quality and Contracting sections that provide direct support to the customers.

The facilities section initiated, reviewed, prioritized and submited for funding major repair and upgrade projects at Defense Fuel Support Points (DFSPs). The section maintained administrative oversight of those projects by tracking project status and through site visits and validating the use of funds. Additionally, the section assisted in contingency operations by providing assessments of proposed support sites, limited on-site technical support, and oversight of the operation of DESC-EU-owned equipment.

Quality support included the quality surveillance mission throughout the theater, including the Petroleum Laboratory in Kaiserslautern, Germany. In conjunction with the quality surveillance representatives assigned to both the quality staff and the energy offices, this section provided technical expertise to the European Command components, the DESC-Europe commander, and the commercial petroleum industry. With the help of the US Army's 49th Quartermaster Group and the Contingency Control Center at DESC, the quality section was able to both support increased QS missions in the Balkans and to provide quality assurance assistance to the DCMC-T mission there.

The Contracting Office provided forward procurement support to DESC by awarding contingency contracts, issuing small purchases, administering DESC contracts in theater and performing other related functions. In the past, DESC-E contracting issued contracts in support of US State Department and Defense Threat Reduction Agency requirements in the former Soviet Union, as well as peacekeeping requirements for multinational personnel deployed on behalf of the Balkans mission. DESC's ability to award local contracts is critical to providing the support needed to customers within DESC-EU's area of responsibility.

The employees of Defense Energy Support Center Miesau manage fuel supply, distribution, storage facilities, heating fuels and daily operational requirements within Central Europe. Twenty-five employees, located at headquarters at Miesau Army Depot, Germany, and the Mannheim-Rheinau coal yard, were responsible for 25 central European countries, including Finland and the former Yugoslavia. Within the DESC Miesau area of responsibility there were 9 Defense Fuel Support Points (DFSPs) and 2 pipeline systems, the Northern European Pipeline System (NEPS) and the Central European Pipeline System (CEPS). DESC-Miesau managed more than 100 million gallons of fuel stored and issued from the two pipelines annually.

Defense Energy Support Center Camp Darby ensured the proper accountability over its bulk fuel inventory with a capacity exceeding 6 million barrels, managed the budgets for host nation-operated NATO depots, and assisted with the administration of commercial storage contracts, while maintaining strict adherence to all quality surveillance requirements. DESC Camp Darby's area of responsibility included Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey, with offices located in Rota (Spain), Camp Darby (Italy), Naval Air Station Sigonella (Italy), and Incirlik Air Base (Turkey).

With headquarters located near Pisa, Italy, DESC Camp Darby was responsible for 4 NATO depots in Italy and Greece, 2 contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) facilities, NATO's Northern Italian Pipeline System (NIPS) and the Augusta-Sigonella pipeline. As the Contracting Officer's Representative for the NIPS contract, DESC Camp Darby ensured sustained fuel support to Aviano Air Base, headquarters of the Sixteenth Air Force. DESC Camp Darby liaisons with the Italian and Greek Ministries of Defense to formulate and review annual budgets for its NATO depots.

DESC Rota, with its office at Naval Station Rota in Spain, manages DLA-owned fuel stored throughout the Spanish Pipeline System (SPS). DESC Incirlik, located at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, was responsible for oversight of DLA-owned fuel stored throughout the Turkish NATO Pipeline System (TNPS), Yumurtalik Pipeline, and 5 Turkish COCO facilities.

The Defense Energy Support Center London acted as the Area Petroleum Management Office for the United Kingdom and Norway. DESC London's mission was to provide customers comprehensive energy support in the most cost-effective and economical manner possible. DESC London was responsible for tanker and refinery resupply, inland transportation services, quality surveillance, inventory management, and funding for pipeline and storage facilities within the United Kingdom and Norway. DESC London had a team of 8 professionals located at the MOD Complex in Eastcote, near London, where they managed DESC interests in the UK Government Pipelines and Storages System (GPSS), 3 Scottish NATO depots and 11 locations in Norway. The GPSS provided the USAF with aviation fuel at its main operating bases in the UK.

In 2000, the US European Command (USEUCOM) Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics approved the final Africa Intermediate Staging Base (ISB) message and forwarded their requirements to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) J4 for approval and implementation. This initiative culminated a 2-year effort by DESC and USEUCOM to refine capabilities and war fighter requirements with the goal of improving fuel support to US Forces operating throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Upon final JCS J4 approval, DESC would work the African requirements to develop the best means of meeting USEUCOM's requirements throughout the continent.

Defense Energy Support Center Miesau was located about 80 miles from DESC-Europe's headquarters in Germany. This field office provided fuel to customers in Germany, Bosnia-Hergovina, Croatia and Hungary and oversees the Mannheim/Rheinau coal yard, the Department of Defense's only coal storage facility. Subsequently known as DESC Central Europe, DESC Miesau took its new name and a new location at Pulaski Barracks, near Kaiserslautern, Germany, in July 2000. DESC Central Europe oversaw 26 personnel, 18 of whom were non-US civilians (17 German; one French). The office's Central European area of responsibility consisted mainly of providing fuel to customers in Germany and supporting Stabilization Force (SFOR) operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Hungary, although Denmark, France and Benelux (a union of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) also fell within its scope. Defense Fuel Support Points were located at Speyer, Grafenwöhr, Hohenfels, Wiesbaden, Ramstein Air Base, Rhein-Main Air Base, Spangdahlem Air Base and Chievres Air Base (Belgium). While DESC Central Europe support points were equipped to receive, distribute, store and test fuel, they also included DESC's only coal yard.