Major Elle Ekman

“At this critical moment, the Joint Force is contending with an acquisition process and defense industrial base that are not optimized for protracted conflict. The U.S. does not have the throughput, responsiveness, or agility needed to deter our adversaries.” — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, U.S. Air Force General Caine’s assessment is a warning order for the U.S. Navy. Supply chain resilience underpins every aspect of naval power.

The Marine Corps is a people business. Despite this, advances in technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are trading in human-capital for automated efficiency. Realigning to a human-centric approach would solve a pervasive issue: Supply officers at the using-unit level need a better way to talk laterally across units, and across services, to provide the most efficient support for their units.

Mr. Lewis is a senior associate with the Command Holdings Group and a principal logistics analyst with CANA Advisors. He is a retired Marine logistician and international affairs officer with various command and staff assignments in the operating forces as well as multiple joint assignments. He earned his master’s degree in national security affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School and is a graduate of Norwich University.