Stanek selected Defense Commissary Agency Headquarters chief of staff
FORT LEE, Va. – The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) announces the selection of Army Col. Aaron M. Stanek, former commandant of the Army Logistics University (ALU), as the headquarters chief of staff effective Aug. 17.
Christopher Lyons, resale and government affairs advisor, has served as interim chief of staff since Teena Standard’s retirement Jan. 2.
“Col. Stanek’s extensive experience in Army logistics, coupled with his leadership experience in various Army commands, culminating as the ALU Commandant, make him a natural fit for helping us manage our headquarters as we deliver the commissary benefit to U.S. military service members and family members worldwide,” said Bill Moore, DeCA director and CEO. “We are confident he will help us stay focused as we pursue our vision to be THE grocery provider of choice for eligible patrons – delivering a vital benefit exclusively for the military community and their families.”
As headquarters chief of staff, Stanek will manage the daily operations and interrelations of the DeCA headquarters staff, serving as a principal business management advisor to the agency’s chief operating officer (COO) and the director/chief executive officer (CEO).
Stanek comes to DeCA after serving as the ALU commandant since August 2020. Before his ALU assignment he served as the Combined Arms Support Command’s (CASCOM) deputy chief of staff, G3/5/7 (Operations, Plans and Training).
Stanek is a career Army logistics officer who was commissioned in 1993 as a second lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps through the Army Reserve Officers Training Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Throughout his career he served in a variety of tactical and strategic leadership roles from company to brigade level command and the ALU Commandant, to include combat experience. His conventional Army, Army/Joint Special Operations and Joint Force logistic and training experience, including the Joint Staff (J4) at the Pentagon, characterize his 27-year Army career.
Stanek has earned a Master’s Degree in Logistics Management from the Florida Institute of Technology (2003), and a Master’s Degree in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University - National War College on Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. (2014).
“I am honored to be selected and continue my service as the DeCA chief of staff, and I’m committed to integrate and synchronize DeCA’s capabilities to deliver a vital benefit exclusively for the military community and their families worldwide,” Stanek said. “I look forward to working with everyone on the team.”
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About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.