In this week’s episode of Building the Base, BENS hosts Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula join Lieutenant General Michael Groen, U.S. Marine Coprs (Ret.), former commander of the DoD Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, to discuss the future of the defense industrial network. 

General Groen specifies the necessity of consistent collaboration between our nation’s warfighters and those who are developing innovative technologies that can be useful in warfighting. He explains that DoD must balance the capabilities of the functional community and innovative virtualization in order to maximize our warfighting capability. To that end, the DoD must experience a cultural transition by acting collaboratively across not only the public and private sectors, but also the varying branches of service.

Hondo, Lauren, and General Groen go on to discuss a variety of topics, including: 

• Digital transformation
• Competitive advantage
• Tribalism in the DoD
• Mission-derived capabilities
• Patriotism in the private sector