The Defense Logistics Agency’s number two lawyer was inducted into the Senior Executive Service during a ceremony held at the McNamara Headquarters Complex Oct. 9.
Jim Coyne took over as DLA’s deputy general counsel in July.
“I rely on Jim and the rest of the agency’s lawyers for much more than legal advice. I rely on them to be great thinkers, critical thinkers on any subject,” said DLA Director Navy Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek, who officiated the ceremony. “Whether it’s logistics, physics, information technology or personnel, you want to have as many great minds as you can focused on the problem, and I can tell you without fail the advice I get from our DLA lawyers is always right. I place great trust and credence in our legal staff. I depend on them unequivocally and trust them implicitly.”
Coyne served nearly 28 years in the Army before retiring as a colonel in 2008 and becoming the first deputy general counsel for U.S. Africa Command. Prior to being appointed as DLA’s deputy general counsel, Coyne served as the agency’s first chief counsel for international law and overseas operations.
During the ceremony, Harnitchek recounted Coyne’s role in drafting an international agreement with the government of Kyrgyzstan to support fuel requirements for the Transit Center at Manas, a U.S. transportation and logistics hub located near the country’s capital. The agreement allowed the Kyrgyz government to designate a local entity to provide U.S. fuel requirements while letting DLA Energy contract with commercial suppliers for requirements that entity could not provide.
“Jim had to figure out and keep in mind the strategic outcomes, because when you’re conducting business overseas, you not only have to get it legally right, but you have to get it strategically right,” Harnitchek said. “That agreement did a lot more than just put fuel in airplanes. Strategically, it strengthened our relationship with the Kyrgyz government and our ability to have the base at Manas on firmer ground.”
As deputy general counsel, Coyne supports DLA General Counsel Fred Pribble in overseeing and managing all aspects of DLA’s legal organization, a team of more than 200 legal professionals worldwide. The Office of the General Counsel is responsible for litigation and business integrity. It also provides employee ethics programs and legal advice and representation in matters related to acquisition, material management, supply distribution, depot operations, property disposal, installation and services, and financial management.
“Nobody deserves this honor more than Jim Coyne,” Harnitchek said. “He’s a great Soldier, patriot and man, and it’s a thrill for me to share some of his great successes.”
Following the formal induction, Coyne thanked his family, friends and colleagues for supporting him throughout his career.
“Having been selected as a member of the Senior Executive Service is due to the support, mentorship and leadership of many people along the way,” he said. “My career has been a constant pattern of crossing paths.”
Coyne and his wife spent most of his military career overseas, including more than 19 years in Germany, where Coyne said they made friends, gained exposure to the joint military environment, and learned the importance of teamwork, loyalty and taking care of people.
“I stand before you as a result of life’s lessons learned,” Coyne said. “One of the biggest things I’ve learned throughout my career is a quote from [Gen. George S. Patton]: ‘There’s a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top, but loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and is much less prevalent.’”