On November 19, 2024, more than 200 senior Navy supply officers gathered at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia for the annual Navy Supply Corps Senior Leadership Symposium.

The four-day symposium offered active duty and reserve senior leaders the opportunity to connect with one another and promote a culture of improvement through the symposium’s dynamic speakers who tackled topics on warfighting, supply community management, leadership, and health and wellness.

There was a very conscious effort this year to talk about best practices around holistic mental health and well-being,” said Capt. Tyler Branham, Navy Reserve chief staff officer at Navy Reserve Fleet Logistics Center San Diego. “In order to lead effectively, we have to show up as our best selves. So, that requires taking care of ourselves if we’re going to take care of our Sailors; we have to be in the right place mentally and physically to take care of them.”

Over 50 reserve supply officers from around the country joined their active-duty counterparts to further integrate and focus on building better, more capable leaders,
solve problems and work as a combined force.

“The integration at SCSLS builds trust among our supply corps leadership, which is critical to the success of integrated operations across the fleet and around the globe,” said Rear Adm. Jackie McClelland, deputy commander of Naval Supply Systems Command. “This inclusive approach further enhances our operational readiness and creates a more cohesive and effective force— meeting one of Chief of Naval Operations priorities of putting more players on the field.”

The relationship between the active duty and reserve community is critical when it comes to supplying readiness to warfighters in the fleet. SCSLS is just one forum in the
Supply Corps where Reserve Sailors have an opportunity to work with their active-duty counterparts to identify and solve problems, provide feedback and continue an open dialogue to ensure expectations are met and that Reserve Sailors are prepared for the mission, ready to fight and win decisively.

“Our relationship with active duty is so important,” said Cmdr. Nikki Kirtsey, executive officer for Fleet Forces Navy Reserve. “We want to be able to be there for them; we want to train with them. We want to bring our skillset to them; and hearing their feedback and what they need from us and the things that we have done well for them motivates you and your Sailors to hear not only the things they need to do, but the things they’ve done well so far.”

With a focus on seamless integration into the force, each Navy Reserve Supply Officer brings their own specialized skillset and background to their position. Opportunities like SCSLS increase reserve participation, foster seamless integration and enhance warfighting readiness so the Reserve force can retain the ability to stay ready on day one and quickly mobilize when called upon.

Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to
conduct and enable supply chain, Sailor family care activities with our mission partners to generate readiness and sustain naval forces worldwide to prevent and decisively win wars.