ST. LOUIS, MO – The bustling city of St. Louis welcomed over 2,000 logisticians from across the globe for the beginning of the 2024 Logistics Officer Association Symposium on March 26th. This week-long symposium, marking LOA’s 42nd anniversary, promises a diverse range of sessions tailored to address key issues in logistics and professional development.
“The engagement between the membership and our industry partners in the exhibit hall is off the charts,” said Jason Kalin, LOA President. “This symposium is picking up right where we left off a year ago, right here, and we couldn’t be more excited.”
#LOA2024 kicked off with a dynamic full-day of sessions, providing an opportunity for logisticians from military, government and industry, including our allies and partners, to learn about key topics, providing the foundation for the rest of the symposium. Among the highlights were sessions on cutting-edge logistics technologies, strategic supply chain management, and leadership development.
LOA University emerged as a cornerstone of the symposium, offering over 900 logisticians a platform to deepen their knowledge and skills on critical topics. “We’ve brought top notch educators to LOA with LinQuest, University of Tennessee, the United States Air Force Academy, and many others. We are thrilled at the attendance for this year’s event—exceeding capacity with standing room only in most of our sessions,” said Jerry Ottinger, Chief Learning Officer highlighting the significance. “People are hungry for deeper knowledge and want to understand where industry, academia and the Department of the Air Force are converging, and we are excited for them to take the lessons back to their units and apply it at the tactical level. We are already planning next year and guarantee it will bigger and even better.”
Bradley Leonard, U.S. Space Force Director of Installation, Logistics, and Product Support for Space Systems Command held a SpacePort of the Future Logistics Challenge at LOA 2024. The members discussed the personnel, training, and the future conversations of what rocket cargo and maintenance could look like. Reflecting on the day, Leonard said, “Logisticians took the challenge head on, which will lead to a successful SpacePort of the future.”
The LOA symposium will continue throughout the week and attendees can look forward to keynote speakers including the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command General Jacqueline Van Ovost, the Commander of Air Mobility Command General Mike Minihan, and other notable speakers from the Department of Defense, industry, and academia.