Sit down with Kurt Wendelken of NAVSUP to learn more about one of the world’s most critical supply chains
As the vice commander of Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), an ashore activity of the United States Navy (US Navy) that serves supply command, Kurt Wendelken leads NAVSUP’s worldwide workforce of over 22,500 military and civilian personnel in strategy, business transformation, and execution for the US Navy’s end-to-end supply chain integration, acquisition, and operational logistics to sustain naval forces worldwide. Following a 26-year active career as a Navy Supply Corps Officer, from which he retired at the rank of captain, Kurt has occupied his role at NAVSUP since January 2020.
“NAVSUP is the US Navy’s central supply chain activity; we provide some portions directly to the Navy and there are other services, such as spare and repair parts, that we integrate from suppliers,” Kurt opens. “We’re responsible for several aspects of the Navy’s supply chain, such as fuels, food services, ordinance stockpiles, and repair or spare parts for all Navy ships, submarines, aircraft, and nuclear powers.
“We also run various services to support service members and their families during and throughout relocation. We have two small hotel chains, for instance, and we operate the Navy Exchange, which is a network of 300 department-like stores that provide families with the essential items they need to run their lives as seamlessly as possible while they or a family member is stationed at one of our bases around the world.
“For areas of the supply chain where we’re reliant on private businesses, I’ve implemented a new process where we meet regularly to have open conversations to identify the ways in which we’re succeeding together as well as those areas requiring improvement,” he adds. “We have over 1000 suppliers just in the spare parts field for different weapon systems, for instance, so we must carefully manage these relationships. As these partnerships mature, we leverage new ways of working together to meet the demands of weapon systems as they become increasingly complex.”
Dedicated to service
Turning to his personal career journey, Kurt shares: “I spent 26 years in uniform as a Navy Supply Corps Officer, and these officers are usually based onboard a ship or stationed at a naval base, and are responsible for providing supplies to the fleet. During this time, I held a variety of senior roles and assignments including responsibilities for the Chief of Naval Operations, the US Central Command, and NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), as well as serving on three ships: the USS LaSalle (AGF 3), USS Underwood (FFG 36), and USS Bataan (LHD 5).”
In his last active-duty assignment, Kurt was the commanding officer of NAVSUP Business Systems Center, but afterwards he went on to leverage his educational background in information management technology. “My career subspecialty was supply chain information technology, so when I retired from active duty, I occupied the role of the NAVSUP Chief Information Officer and Assistant Commander for Supply Chain Technology and Systems Integration for three years,” he elaborates. “This role saw me serve as the Navy’s lead for supply chain automation and technology exploitation, systems integration, and data analytics, as well as being the authoritative expert for cyber protection and surety.
“In my former active role, I was essentially a customer of NAVSUP, which allows me to recognize the important role we play in the life of our Navy, both in the form of weapon system readiness and also just day-to-day comfort. Food service, for instance, is one of our core responsibilities. We purchase from regular suppliers that would supply restaurants and other food providers, but then we must ship these foodstuffs to replenish ships and feed people onboard.
“We have several food traditions that have evolved over the years, such as ‘Taco Tuesday’ and ‘Slider Wednesday,’ that help our crew feel a little closer to home,” Kurt reveals. “It’s not a trivial activity getting fresh ingredients for tacos or sliders to ships in the middle of the Indian Ocean, for instance, but we pride ourselves on providing a seamless service so that no one onboard, other than the supply department, needs to worry about missing a weekly tradition.
“One of the most interesting things about NAVSUP is that while uniformed officers are the face of supply chain for the fleet, NAVSUP itself is predominantly a civilian run organization generating readiness in the form of supplies on behalf of the Navy. My active career has shaped my current role, as it’s easier for me to consider the perspectives and experiences of people onboard ships. I’ve been in their position, relying on NAVSUP to keep us operationally afloat. I often share stories with my civilian teammates who maybe didn’t have the opportunity to serve in uniform to help them better understand the unique challenges facing people onboard.”
Maintaining resiliency
As our conversation evolves, Kurt turns his attention to some of the latest trends and challenging circumstances facing supply chains around the globe from technology to geopolitical disruption. “As a supply chain organization, I think we somewhat enjoy the chaos,” he laughs. “When supply chains operate correctly, there aren’t many people that pause to think about how a product got to them, but when something goes wrong, all eyes are on the supply chain. In these cases, I leverage the combined expertise of my team to find the fastest, most accurate solution.
“However, using complex math and IT systems, we spend a tremendous amount of time forecasting annual requirements and anticipating potential challenges to stay ahead of the curve. There are, of course, unforeseen challenges, for which we reserve emergency powers, and we must strategically balance resilience and efficiency to better manage such future disruptions.
“While all supply chains must find the delicate balance between resilience and efficiency, military supply chains have always been more resilient than commercial ones, purely because the nature of military operations is more focused on the unexpected. We’re constantly striving to improve the resiliency of the Navy’s supply chain, which often means stocking material at places of need in advance of demand, so that in the event of transport disruption, we already have some material available for use.
“Most modern supply chains couldn’t function without technology, and I have seen quite an evolution throughout my career,” Kurt says. “At NAVSUP, we’re using AI and machine learning (ML) technologies to improve our decision-making processes, as the algorithms can observe stock levels in real time and provide us with updates when more stock is needed. As the US Department of Defense is preparing to pass its first audit, we’re also looking at Internet of Things (IoT) and tagging technology to keep track of materials and parts so that we know exactly where our products are at any given time.”
While technology is an important aspect of NAVSUP’s strategy, the organization must simultaneously manage its cybersecurity stance to protect assets and information. “It’s a never-ending battle,” Kurt states when we ask about cybersecurity. “As we improve our cyber posture, others are enhancing their ability to penetrate systems. There’s a recent story, for instance, where Google claims to have used an AI tool – a large language model agent called Big Sleep –that can search software by scanning codes to identify what’s called zero-day vulnerabilities.”
Defined as a security flaw within software, zero-day vulnerabilities are risks unknown to the vendor, for which there are no patches or easy fixes. “Although this is very recent research, this new AI tool represents a new and challenging area within cybersecurity, as it could replace the current process of humans searching for vulnerabilities,” Kurt suggests. “One potential way we can stay vigilant is by using other technologies to identify vulnerabilities and putting together unique combinations that can’t be found using AI. This is very early in the plans though, and we’ll continue to monitor trends and developments across the AI space.
“We have a strong team, and we partner with other parts of the Navy, federal government, and the Department of Defense, as well as our commercial suppliers, to keep abreast of what’s happening and how other organizations are running their supply chains,” he adds. “I also participate in several supply chain leadership groups where we discuss upcoming challenges and opportunities in the supply chain space.”
Building tomorrow’s supply chain
Turning to the future of NAVSUP, Kurt says: “Recent years have taught me not to project at a macro level. At a micro level, however, we’re in the middle of a five-year transformation project to drive increased performance, drive out unnecessary costs, and help the Navy prepare for whatever challenges are ahead. One thing is certain: the Navy will inevitably remain a key part of the US Department of Defense, and it will be increasingly called upon for a range of different activities.
“It’s still early for NAVSUP to deploy AI technologies, but we’ll continue to upgrade our technology and continuously evaluate AI to help those onboard better interact with the supply chain. We’re constantly looking for ways to strengthen our supply chain and the process of getting supplies onboard our ships, which includes reviewing on-ship allowances.
“This concept loops back to our earlier discussion about the balancing act between resiliency and efficiency,” Kurt concludes. “We must stay resilient by holding a portion of stock onboard while not overstocking to ensure the efficiency of our operations.”
From speaking with Kurt, it’s clear that his active career and extensive experience are key to managing one of the world’s most critical supply chains. Whether it’s supplying critical spare parts, integrating advanced technologies, or providing tacos for ‘Taco Tuesday,’ the US Navy and Marine Corps rely upon NAVSUP for both operational readiness and home comforts. Under Kurt’s leadership, NAVSUP is sure to remain resilient amid global disruptions and will continue to play a pivotal role in enabling naval operations and supporting those who serve at sea.