Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy (May 29, 2026)— Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Distribution Sigonella held a change of command ceremony aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, May 29, 2026.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Cotman, DLA Distribution commander, presided over the ceremony, which brought together Sailors, civilians, family members, and colleagues from across the defense logistics community.
During the ceremony, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Renae Renken formally relinquished command to Cmdr. Aaron Smith who assumed responsibility for leading DLA Distribution Sigonella, Italy (DDSI), and its mission to drive and sustain warfighter readiness by delivering global support as the nation's Logistics Combat Support Agency.
“They [DDSI] championed modernization efforts, took major steps toward energy independence and operational resilience,” said Cotman. “Today is also a time to recognize all of you - the DLA Sigonella team. I see your unwavering commitment to the joint force and what you’ve accomplished with Commander Renken leading a successful team.”
For Renken, the ceremony marked the culmination of a career that spanned two decades and included two operational tours: sales, disbursing and assistant supply officer aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93); deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Maritime Security, hazmat and stores as aviation supply officer aboard amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1). She was also selected as the first supply officer U.S. Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System Romania.
With the assumption of command, Smith expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to lead DLA Sigonella and build upon the strong foundation established. Smith reinforced DDSI’s commitment to DLA’s transformation imperatives of People, Precision, Posture and Partnerships, which are strengthened by leadership values captured through dedication, duty, stewardship, innovation and growth, or DDSIG.
Dedication is demonstrated through mission success, ensuring safety and driving continuous improvement. Duty requires serving with honor, acting with unwavering integrity and prioritizing customer requirements. Stewardship involves safeguarding public resources with transparency and maintaining constant audit readiness. Innovation involves harnessing emerging technologies and driving future modernization. Finally, growth necessitates advancing workforce capabilities through rigorous training, education and professional development.
Renken also emphasized the importance of DLA as it provides support to the joint warfighter and the value of readiness that the team brings in the Mediterranean.
“The team here at DLA is the best team,” said Renken. “We support the Hub of the Med. You will not find a [better] group of individuals that supports the joint warfighter than DLA Sigonella.