MAJOR GENERAL MARY L. SAUNDERS Maj. Gen. Mary L. Saunders is Vice Director, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va. The agency provides to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other federal agencies, a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services in peacetime and war. These services include logistics information; materiel management; procurement; warehousing and distribution of spare parts, food, clothing, medical supplies and fuel; reutilization of surplus military materiel; and document automation and production. Approximately 23,300 civilian and military personnel perform this worldwide mission.General Saunders was born in Nacogdoches, Texas, and grew up in Houston. She began her military career through the Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. She was commissioned a second lieutenant and entered active duty in 1971. The general has held various assignments in transportation and logistics plans, in the squadron, wing, numbered air force, headquarters and joint arenas.Prior to assuming her current position, General Saunders worked as Commander of the DLA's Defense Supply Center Columbus in Ohio, and later, as the Director of Supply with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.EDUCATION1970 Bachelor of Science degree in social work, Texas Woman's University, Denton1973 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.1978 Master of Arts degree in guidance and counseling, Rider College, Lawrenceville, N.J.1993 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.1997 National Security Leadership Course, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.1999 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.ASSIGNMENTS1. May 1971 - August 1971, student, Basic Transportation School, 3750th Technical School Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas2. August 1971 - November 1971, protocol officer, 437th Aerial Port Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.3. November 1971 - February 1973, traffic duty officer, 437th Aerial Port Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.4. February 1973 - June 1973, traffic duty officer, 610th Military Airlift Support Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan5. June 1973 - November 1973, student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.6. November 1973 - January 1976, air terminal operations officer, later, assistant air freight officer, 610th Military Airlift Support Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan7. January 1976 - July 1979, Deputy Commander and Commander, Military Air Traffic Coordinating Office, Military Traffic Management Command, McGuire AFB, N.J.8. July 1979 - April 1982, transportation staff officer, Headquarters 10th Air Force, Bergstrom AFB, Texas9. April 1982 - May 1983, Chief of Transportation, 6168th Combat Support Squadron, Taegu AB, South Korea10. May 1983 - November 1984, Deputy Director for Transportation, 5th Air Force, Yokota AB, Japan11. November 1984 - July 1986, Commander, 475th Transportation Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan12. July 1986 - September 1988, transportation staff officer, Joint Deployment Agency, MacDill AFB, Fla.13. September 1988 - October 1990, transportation staff officer, J5, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.14. October 1990 - August 1992, Chief, Contingency Plans Division, J5, U.S. Southern Command, Quarry Heights, Panama15. August 1992 - July 1993, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.16. July 1993 - August 1996, Chief of Logistics Plans, Headquarters Air Force Reserve, Robins AFB, Ga.17. August 1996 -August 1998, Director of Transportation, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.18. August 1998 - September 2001, Commander, Defense Supply Center Columbus, DLA, Columbus, Ohio19. September 2001 - July 2002, Director of Supply, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.20. July 2002 - present, Vice Director, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONSDistinguished Service MedalDefense Superior Service MedalLegion of Merit with oak leaf clusterDefense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf clusterMeritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clustersJoint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf clusterAir Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf clusterJoint Service Achievement MedalAir Force Achievement MedalJoint Meritorious Unit Award with three oak leaf clustersAir Force Outstanding Unit AwardNational Defense Service Medal with two bronze starsGlobal War On Terrorism Service MedalKorea Defense Service MedalRepublic of Korea Presidential Unit CitationPROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONSAir Force AssociationAmerican Association of University WomenLogistics Officer AssociationNational Association for Female ExecutivesNational Defense Transportation AssociationEFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONSecond Lieutenant May 21, 1971First Lieutenant Nov. 21, 1972Captain May 21, 1975Major March 1, 1983Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 1987Colonel Nov. 1, 1992Brigadier General Aug. 1, 1997Major General May 24, 2001(Current as of September 2005)