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Curious to see who you is joining IDGA at the 2024 Defense Logistics & Support summit? Check out the latest attendee snapshot, which highlights the companies, militaries, and government leaders who have confirmed their attendance to the summit!

Curious to see who attends the Defense Logistics & Support summit? Check out the previous attendee snapshot, which highlights the companies, militaries, and government leaders who attended our 2023 summit, many of whom are already expected at the 2024 summit.

IDGA’s Defense Logistics & Support Summit on October 29-30 in Arlington, Virginia, will bring together esteemed military leaders to analyze the cyber risks associated with defense logistics, assess weaknesses in the defense industrial base, and work towards a decreased reliance on foreign materials.

One of the leading topics at this year’s event will be managing logistics in contested environments, and the top focus area in contested logistics is the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S. DoD defines its Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) region as stretching from the west coast of the U.S. to India’s western border, and from Antarctica to the North Pole. The region is home to over 50% of the world's population and includes 38 nations, such as Australia, North Korea, Taiwan, and many others that represent both allies and adversaries.The region has become critical for U.S. national security as it has become the focal point for U.S. efforts to deter Chinese military aggression.

This report will provide an overview of defense logistics in the Indo-Pacific region, including topics such as:

• Spending trends
• An analysis of key programs in the region
• Regional challenges to US logistics
• Best practices for building supply chain resiliency in the Indo-Pacific.

Integrating AI into defense logistics can revolutionize supply chain management, optimize resource allocation and improve decision-making. However, amidst the global race to implement AI solutions in supply chain processes, it’s critical to develop a well-rounded approach that addresses challenges and concerns that come with applying these tools.

Dr. Todd McAllister is Director of Global Supply Chain & Logistics at the National Defense University (NDU) and is playing a critical role in developing the next generation of leaders who will apply AI skills to their work in defense logistics. On October 30, Dr. McAllister will be at IDGA’s Defense Logistics & Support Summit to present on the AI revolution and its impact on defense logistics efficiency. Before the event, Dr. McAllister sat down with IDGA to discuss topics such as:

• The current role AI is playing in defense logistics
• The challenges of AI implementation in defense logistics
• The skills required for future defense logistics leaders

To hear Dr. McAllister’s full presentation, register for the Defense Logistics & Support Summit today. This two-day event from October 29-30 in Arlington, Virginia, will feature discussions that encompass the cutting-edge technology shaping the future of defense logistics and procurement to support the warfighter, including the use of data analytics for prediction & maintenance, unmanned delivery, and more.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic first began in 2020, supply chain management has become a hot topic in both newsrooms and boardrooms. According to Oracle, only 45% of people considered how their goods were delivered pre-COVID, but by September 2021, that number jumped to 91%. Similarly in business, 61% of companies in a 2022 EY survey said supply chain visibility has become a top priority.

As global supply chains faced shortages and logistical challenges due to the pandemic, the Department of Defense had to think creatively to maintain operational success in its hundreds of bases worldwide. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) manages the DoD global supply chain and was responsible for keeping five military services, 11 combatant commands, and several federal, state, and local agencies equipped throughout the pandemic.

Kenneth Watson, Deputy Commander of Land and Maritime at the DLA, is one of the individuals who experienced the challenges COVID presented to the defense supply chain first-hand. Ken's extensive career has taken him through various critical roles, including logistics program management for high-frequency communication systems, and leading logistics support at Aviano Air Base in Italy. Ken's expertise extends to international logistics, highlighted by his time as deputy director in the Pentagon's A-4/7 engine room, and his role in the Joint Staff J4, which included a deployment to Iraq. He later served as an SES at U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), where he was deputy J5/J4 and director of logistics for the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

In 2016, Ken transitioned to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for Material Readiness in the Department of Defense, overseeing maintenance plans and programs. In 2019, Ken began his current role as Deputy Commander of Land and Maritime at the DLA. In this interview with IDGA, Ken shares his thoughts on the following defense logistics topics:

• Lessons learned from the Covid pandemic
• Managing supply chains in contested regions
• How the DLA is embracing AI
• What attendees of the 2024 Defense Logistics & Support Summit can expect to learn from Ken

The US DoD is the federal government’s largest agency employing over 2.8 million active military service members and civilian personnel. In order to keep both military and civilian personnel equipped to complete their duties effectively, the DoD relies on the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to manage the global defense supply chain. This article will look at the work the DLA is doing in 2024, including a glimpse at the challenges they face, and the various supply chains the organization is responsible for, but first, it’s important to take a step back and understand how the agency was formed.

Defence IQ is proud to publish this interview by Ms Tymofichuk, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Logistics and Product Support. This “Enhancing Air Force Logistics” piece gives insight into how the Department of the Air Force is modernising its logistics while increasing its resiliency touching on the “Adaptive Acquisition Framework” and greater use of “digital tools”. A must-read piece for anyone thinking of doing business with the Air Force Department.

In any conflict, the importance of logistics cannot be overstated. As the backbone of any military operation, its mismanagement can lead to disastrous consequences. In this interview with Major General Allan E. Day and Colonel Kevin Samples, they go through the trends and challenges of today’s logistics. From AI to the great resignation, they share their views based on years of experience and knowledge.

In this article Ms Fenstermacher, Executive for Strategic Initiatives from NAVSUP, goes through the strategic transformation spurned by the Covid pandemic. The piece delves into the challenges and how NAVSUP overcame these challenges in a show of resilience excellence. An excellent article for any logistic organisation interested in lessons learnt during the pandemic.

Exclusive presentation from Major General Keith D. Reventlow, Commanding General, Marine Corps Logistics Command, which was delivered at the 2023 conference, on Operational Readiness and Sustainment in Support of Force Design 2030 and Installations and Logistics 2030.

An exclusive presentation from the Defense Logistics Agency, which was delivered at the 2023 conference, on Securing the Competitive Edge.

The “Scaling Technology-Driven Logistics and Analytics to Maintain a Decisive Force in a Period of Great Power Rivalry” presentation was delivered by Bruce Busler who is the Director of the USTRANSCOM Joint Distribution Process Analysis Centre (JDPAC) and Executive Director of the SDDC Transportation Engineering Agency (TEA). This presentation covers:

• USTRANSCOM Mission and Priorities
• National Defense Strategy 2022
• Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise
• Power Projection Framework
• Global Mobility Capabilities
• Mobility Challenges
• Airlift/Sealift Workload Comparison
• The future of Logistics is Evolving
• Strategic Mobility Ops and the Contested Environment
• Create Decision Advantage
• USTRANSCOM’s Data and Analytic Journey and Needs

The “Defense Industrial Base” presentation was delivered at the 2022 Defense Logistics & Support Conference by Colonel Jason Kalin, Commander, 735th Supply Chain Operations Group who will join us once again this year as he covers Sustaining the Warfighter in the 21st Century: An Air Force Perspective. This presentation covers:

• U.S. Structural Base 
• Defense Industrial Base Consolidation
• European Industrial Consolidation
• 5 Driving Risks 
• Global Supply Chain Competition