Contested Logistics: A Call for Innovation and Anticipation
by Kris Clampitt McGar
Editor’s Note: Today’s commentary is in response to Brendan Sander’s Contested Logistics: Restructuring Battalion Logistics to Combat Peer Threats.
Logistics has always been contested. This is not a new reality but rather an enduring truth of warfare. As a military force, particularly within the Marine Corps, we must shift our focus toward supporting the warfighter by enhancing the capabilities of Headquarters and Service (H&S) companies. The effectiveness of distributed operations at the battalion level hinges on the efficiency and adaptability of H&S units.
A major issue in military training is the reactive approach to resupply operations. Marines in the field often execute missions with tactical precision and deception, only to undermine their efforts by transmitting critical logistical and personnel data (logstats/perstats) all at once each night. This inefficient and dangerous practice frequently results in a seven-ton truck arriving at an infantry company’s position in broad daylight, where Marines form a working party to unload supplies—exposing themselves to unnecessary risk. Such outdated methods increase the likelihood of detection and, ultimately, casualties.
Resupply must be deliberate, and H&S companies must adopt a proactive stance. If commercial entities like Amazon can anticipate consumer needs and deliver items on schedule, the Marine Corps should be able to anticipate a unit’s requirements for water, food, ammunition, and batteries without waiting for a request. Implementing biometric monitoring and predictive logistics systems can enable H&S units to forecast supply needs accurately. The practice of relaying logstats/perstats at the end of the day over the radio is lazy, foolish, and creates deadly habits; it exposes unit locations and capabilities, making them vulnerable to electromagnetic warfare and enemy targeting.
To modernize our approach, H&S must abandon outdated resupply methods. Seven-ton convoys and predictable daily movements must be replaced with diversified and unpredictable logistical solutions. Resupply should leverage multiple domains: ground, aerial, maritime, and subterranean. Options such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), autonomous underwater drones, and robotic transport systems (MUTs) should be integrated to create a decentralized and resilient supply network. By flooding the battlespace with multiple resupply methods, we can prevent adversaries from pinpointing critical logistical nodes.
Furthermore, resupply must incorporate link-up procedures with a focus on stealth, and remote drop zones. Supplies should be pre-positioned at secure locations, protected by surveillance assets, barriers, or other defensive measures. Units should retrieve them under optimal conditions—whether under the cover of darkness or at a tactically advantageous moment. Discreet, deliberate action must replace predictable and overt logistics.
Another vital aspect of modern logistics is adaptability through technology. Every infantry battalion should be equipped with 3D printing capabilities to manufacture essential parts in real-time, reducing dependency on traditional supply chains and increasing operational flexibility. H&S companies must evolve into the most versatile and capable units within the battalion, as their effectiveness directly influences the success of distributed operations.
The way forward is clear: logistics must be dynamic, anticipatory, and multi-domain. The days of reactive resupply and outdated transport methods must end. Instead, we must embrace technological advancements and innovative strategies that enhance survivability, build tempo, and sustain operational momentum. The future battlefield demands it, and the lives of Marines depend on it.
Kris Clampitt McGar is a retired Marine Captain who served as an H&S company commander at 1st Battalion, 6th Marines. He devoted every day of command to stopping the insanity of administrative resupply. He can be reached at kris@mcgarstrategies.com.
I’ve heard many of your points before and I do understand where you’re coming from. I’ve used 3D printers extensively in building drones, so I’m very familiar with the process. And while the comment about 3D printing chips was amusing, it’s not really relevant to the conversation.
For the record, I never suggested we’re going to 3D print our way to mission accomplishment; actually it was a mere option, not the solution . Also, I’m not a scientist—just a retired infantry Marine. That said, no, an infantry platoon shouldn’t be hauling 3D printers on the objective. But an H&S company absolutely should be doing more than pushing all the burden onto the infantry.
The core of my original point is this: the status quo is not just outdated—it’s borderline dangerous in 2025. I’ve seen far too many senior leaders dismiss practical, potentially game-changing ideas simply because they read an article or heard someone’s take, without any hands-on experience themselves. Until we actually get reps and sets with the tech that already exists and start working through the problems with it, the “status quo” will continue to be the fallback—and that’s going to hurt junior warfighters far more than it ever will the decision-makers.
Thank you for the response.
What is your solution?
Agree. All points. Get your methods and procedures ready;
and with regret based on experience The Enemy Is The Change Agent. NO the system won’t change until the enemy convinces the survivors.
They don’t listen. Or learn.
WHEN the Change Agent creates that space to change;
Here’s my thoughts on winning the Rear Area Battle /LOCs.
Fight back to front by swarming locally, just as for example the Germans always counter attacked after setback, no orders needed. Win the LOC battle rear area to FLOT to restore logistics and security.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thelongnetwarred/p/rear-area-security-and-counter-reconnaissance?r=91o16&utm_medium=ios