BENS is hosting a virtual forum on February 24, 2021 to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the BENS Tail-to-Tooth Commission report and illuminate how BENS members can once again assist the Department of Defense with its current challenges. The Tail-to-Tooth Commission was a seminal effort for BENS, when from 1997-2001, former U.S. Senator Warren Rudman and former Chairman and CEO of ADP Inc., Josh Weston led a group of business leaders to identify more than a dozen best business practices to help the Department reduce its back-office functions so resources could be reallocated to combat readiness and effectiveness. Those efforts ultimately joined a wave of positive reform over the following two decades that rebalanced the tail-to-tooth ratio from 70:30 in 2001 to 55:45 today, and became a marker for how BENS members could best utilize their expertise to assist the Department. Now, with the Department looking to address today's challenges such as geostrategic competition from Great Powers, siloed military modernization strategies, and potentially austere budget environments - along with a new Administration aiming to crystalize the nation's defense posture - BENS believes February is an ideal moment to renew conversations between the public and private sector. And provide a fresh exchange of ideas on the best practices for meeting the Pentagon's goals. The forum will feature many of the nation's top defense leaders and experts who will reflect on past efforts and identify new measures for improving military readiness, strength and efficiency. Panels will explore the current defense challenges, requirements for addressing Great Power competitors, and processes for becoming more agile under budgetary pressures - all focused through BENS' prism of applying best business practices.