Today’s operational environment has shown that the speed and complexity of combat operations are unlike anything we have experienced. Yet one fundamental truth remains unchanged: weapons systems alone do not win wars. The decisive advantage always belongs to the warfighters who wield them and the sustainers who maintain them. Strengthening the sustainment warfighting profession is not an option; it is an imperative, and it requires more than modernizing systems. It requires modernizing how we think, learn, and operate as Army sustainers. Current and past operations, exercises, and real‑time support missions continue to reinforce that the Army’s ability to sustain the fight depends on its ability to adapt. Our sustainers are evolving alongside the environment, and that progress is visible across the force.
In recent columns, I have emphasized the need for the Army sustainment enterprise to become data‑centric. That priority has not changed. Data are no longer supporting tools; they are warfighting capabilities. Across the enterprise, teams are applying advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to anticipate requirements, understand risk, and enable commanders to make informed decisions at the speed the mission demands. We have better visibility of data, logistics statistics, and sustainment information than ever before; now we must turn common operational pictures into decision-support tools. These capabilities help sustainment maintain speed and operational tempo in contested environments and ensure our warfighters receive what they need, when and where they need it.
Strengthening our profession also means taking a deliberate approach to capturing and applying lessons learned. Operations across the globe continue to provide insight into how we sustain the force. When those insights are examined and put into practice, they shape better processes, smarter decisions, and more resilient sustainment networks. This learning is becoming a defining part of who we are as sustainers.
As the Army moves toward new formations, capabilities, and operational concepts, sustainment is not only keeping pace but leading the way. Recent forums like the Army Materiel Command Commanders Forum in April and Sustainment Week in May enable sustainment leaders to strategize and chart a clear path forward for our enterprise. Yet, sustainment transformation cannot happen solely at the strategic level; success dictates that every Soldier, civilian, and contractor at echelon in our formations fundamentally understands and champions this new direction. And we are seeing that take shape.
Across the enterprise, our workforce is operating differently and evolving. It is also embracing new skillsets, emerging technologies, and innovative ways of delivering sustainment effects — whether supporting operations at the tactical edge or enabling readiness at the strategic level. When logisticians, data scientists, analysts, maintainers, and innovators work together, we create solutions that improve how we sustain the force today and shape how we will sustain it in the decades ahead.
Our profession continues to transform at a rapid pace, and we must empower innovation through data-informed decisions to deliver ready combat formations. As sustainment leaders, I challenge you to break legacy patterns and disrupt the status quo by applying disciplined, analytical thinking to risk mitigation and embracing new sustainment strategies. By embracing data, applying lessons learned, and preparing our workforce for rapid change, we are building a sustainment enterprise ready to support the Army, the joint force, and our allies and partners in any environment. Our mission remains constant: deliver decisive sustainment at the speed of war. That commitment is what ensures we can do so today, tomorrow, and in the future fight.
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LTG Chris Mohan currently serves as the commanding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command. He was commissioned into the Army from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, where he graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate. His military education includes the Ordnance Officer Basic Course, the Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, the Naval College of Command and Staff, and the Army War College. He holds a Master of Science degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College and a Master of Science degree in military strategy from the Army War College.
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This article was published in the summer 2026 edition of Army Sustainment Professional Bulletin.
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