“Better Buying Power”
BENS Working with Pentagon to Reduce Costs
Every bullet, bomb and set of body armor used by U.S. troops is made possible by the military’s industry partners. And though our troops are the best-equipped in the world, there is still too much inefficiency, waste and delay in getting them the materials they need.
To help solve this problem, the Defense Department and industry must improve cooperation—and BENS is a key player in bringing the two sides together. In a June 28 address to business executives—including 40 BENS members—Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Ash Carter announced new efforts to achieve “better buying power” in the Pentagon and called for cost-control ideas from the private sector so that the military can maintain its capabilities and deliver better value to taxpayers.
The address followed a June 2 meeting in Washington, D.C., between Carter’s industrial policy deputy Brett Lambert and 25 BENS members and other experts on how to improve stability, transparency and trust between the military and industry, and how to implement best business practices in a tightening budget environment.
“We need to be closely tied together in order to produce efficiently, and try to do the best we can to recognize our differences, which is why BENS is important for reaching out to industry to collaborate between the two camps,” Lambert said.
The session served as another step toward BENS’ upcoming Tail-to-Tooth study on bringing private-sector models to defense management challenges. BENS plans to host similar roundtables with Lambert across the country in the coming year.
BENS Works: Business Sense for National Security
Special Advice for Special Forces — How can U.S. Special Operations Forces more effectively deliver 
equipment and material to frontline troops in a world of rapidly changing technology? BENS member Peter Bloom of General Atlantic presented a few answers to U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) leaders on June 15 at SOCOM’s annual Commander’s Conference at MacDill Air Force base in Tampa, Fla. In the latest example of BENS bringing business insights to SOCOM, Bloom’s well-received presentation showed how private organizations adapt to cutting-edge technology and offered ideas to SOCOM leaders on how they can do the same through leveraging innovation and refining decision-making processes.
Warrior Gateway: New Look, New Services — Finding the services veterans need to successfully reenter civilian life is now easier than ever before via the BENS-led Warrior Gateway website. The online portal reached a new milestone in June when its directory of service providers expanded to more than 30,000 organizations—and finding them is now a breeze thanks to the site’s newly re-designed homepage. In addition to a more intuitive search function, the new layout provides users with a “Did You Know” column that lists tips, resources and items of interest to members of the military community, as well as an archived collection of Warrior Gateway media coverage and video tutorials with site navigation tips.
Sneak Peek: Disaster Response Progress — As the Gulf oil spill has shown, there is still a long way to go in achieving effective public-private coordination in responding to disasters. Nonetheless, a lot of progress has been made in the three years since BENS
first outlined steps for integrating private-sector capabilities into disaster management. An upcoming review of that progress, to be unveiled this summer, will show that BENS’ groundbreaking work on public-private disaster response coordination has built local partnerships, helped overcome many of the legal, regulatory and other barriers to private-sector disaster assistance and has increased awareness of the fact that most disasters are local events requiring community-level preparedness. Watch this space for more on the forthcoming review.
Event Highlights and BENS Developments
BENS On the Border — As illegal immigration made headlines, a group of nine BENS members took a firsthand look at the Texas-Mexico border on June 7-8 in El Paso—the safest large city in the contiguous U.S. despite being right next to one of the world’s most dangerous: Juarez, Mexico. Touring the border area and processing stations with Customs and Border Patrol officers, the members learned about the methods and technology used to guard the border, including video surveillance and fencing. Members also learned about the military’s role in counterdrug and antiterrorist operations on the border in a briefing at Joint Task Force-North headquarters at Ft. Bliss, Texas.
BENS CEO: The Debt is the Threat — One of the biggest threats facing America doesn't come from hostile countries but from the national debt, BENS President & CEO Gen. Monty Meigs told a Binghamton University Forum audience June 12 in Binghamton, N.Y. At a black-tie gala to honor the university's retiring president, Gen. Meigs discussed strategic challenges for the U.S., including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but said the nation's fiscal situation is the greatest problem. More: Fox 40 WICZ • Press & Sun-Bulletin
Blue, Gray and BENS — The turning point in the 
American Civil War was the focal point for two small groups of BENS members that visited the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania on June 4-5 and 25-26. The members were treated to detailed “staff rides” with a U.S. Army War College historian, in which they toured the events of the battle in detail, including a walk of Pickett’s Charge.
Olson Praises BENS — With 40 BENS members looking on, Adm. Eric Olson, head of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), praised the “very close and productive” relationship between BENS and the command at a June 3 luncheon in Houston. Adm. Olson said the 25 events BENS has participated in with SOCOM since 2007 have been extremely valuable in helping the command get unique perspectives on a range of issues, and he also gave the audience an update on the role of special forces in combating terrorism.
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If you have any questions or comments, please contact Cliff Ainsworth at (202) 296-2125 or cainsworth@bens.org
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