PHILADELPHIA –
The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support welcomed a new commander, Army Col. Landis Maddox, June 15 during a change of command ceremony in Philadelphia.
Maddox, a Texas native, comes to Philadelphia from his previous assignment as the commander of Joint Munitions Command in Rock Island, Illinois.
In the following interview, Maddox sat down with the DLA Troop Support Public Affairs team to talk about his leadership philosophy, goals and expectations of himself and the organization.
Public Affairs: You are coming from Rock Island as the commander of the Joint Munitions Command, what were your first thoughts when you heard you were coming to DLA Troop Support here in Philadelphia?
Maddox: For every Army logistician, DLA Troop Support is kind of like the number one command you hope for if you aspire to be a one star [general]. I was humbled by the news and elated for the opportunity to come to Philadelphia. But more importantly, it is an opportunity to understand the supply chains. JMC is the munitions supply chain for the Army and Troop Support manages four supply chains for the warfighter and our whole of government partners. To be a part of an organization that has such an impressive history, as well as the people, and its lineage. You can look out at the board of previous commanders and what they have done, it is exciting to be able to be a part of that.
You’ve been here for about a month now; how do you like it so far?
I love it. I’m learning a lot of new acronyms. DLA is a very different world. The joint flavor, even though I’ve been a joint officer before, is very different here. I still feel like I’m drinking from a firehose trying to understand DLA culture and, more importantly, Troop Support culture in terms of people. I firmly believe it’s not about what you do, it’s about the people. If we have a good understanding with the people we work with, we can get the job done. So that’s kind of where my focus is at.
Going back in time for a minute, can you tell us a little about your upbringing and why you joined the military?
Sure. Me and my older brother were raised by our mom in a single parent household. We got into a lot of fights with each other and played a lot of sports. I played football, basketball, and track. During high school I became really good at football and our team was really good, so I was getting recruited by a lot of colleges. At that time, like a lot of high schoolers in Texas, I was planning on going to the University of Texas or Texas A&M. I was also being recruited by Colorado [University], and I was looking at Miami [University]. I was [also] getting recruited by all the service academies.
One day I was talking with my uncle, who was a father figure to me, and West Point came up. He said something to me that stuck. He said, if you want to change the direction of your lineage and make changes for your future generations, go to West Point, that’s where you’ll get that opportunity. I was also able to start on the team as a freshman. So, I didn’t come from a military family, but I’ve gown to love it. It’s become my passion, and hopefully that passion comes out everyday while I’m engaging people.
I believe you played football at West Point with one of our previous commanders Brig. Gen. Gavin Lawrence. Who was better on the field?
Ha! That’s a good one. He was a different person at that time. He was an offensive lineman and weighed like 286 pounds. He’s a lean mean fighting machine now, but he was a really good lineman. I played defense so we hardly ever saw each other on the field. I’m sure he would say that he was the better player, so I’m going to say that I was. But it was a team effort.
Can you describe your leadership style?
My leadership is built on trust. I’m not a micromanager. I’m going to trust you. I like to have fun. I like to be engaged. I’m an extreme extrovert, so I like to talk to people. And hopefully we can talk about anything. I would say I like to lead from the front, but I want to understand what you’re doing, so I can be value added to the organization. It’s a team concept, and you’ll hear that a lot from me.
Speaking of team, what do you expect from team Troop Support?
I expect us to be great teammates, across the board. On a team, everyone has a position. I expect you to play your position to the best of your abilities. That’s it. You don’t have to be a Brett Favre if you aren’t a Brett Favre, but I want you to be the best you, and give 100% effort and I think we will be ok.
Work/life balance question, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to spend time with family. I like to read and play pool. And all aspects of competitive sports.
Is there anything you would like to add that we didn’t touch on?
I would like to say, for the record, I’m a Houstonian by trade and I root for all the Houston teams. However, I realize that I‘m in Philly. So, I’m going to be an Eagles fan. Houston doesn’t play the Eagles this season, so I’m going to also be an Eagles fan. I’m looking forward to going to some games, not only the Eagles but the Sixers and Flyers, and I’m looking forward to getting to know the area and the rest of team Troop Support.