2026 NAVSUP Commander's Conference Reinforces Strategy and Unity

The three-day event, themed "Warfighting Readiness: Modernizing NAVSUP Through Assessment, Innovation, and People," brought together commanding officers, executive directors, command master chiefs, and other senior military and civilian leaders from across the enterprise. Hosted by Rear Adm. Ken Epps, commander of NAVSUP and chief of Supply Corps, the conference focused on strengthening unity, aligning strategic direction, and fostering operational effectiveness with respect to NAVSUP's role of coordinating supply and logistics functions across the Navy.

The conference began with opening remarks from Epps and NAVSUP Vice Commander Ms. Karen Fenstermacher, who set the tone for a collaborative and forward-looking assembly. The first day's agenda included discussions on wartime requirements, backorder statuses, and lessons learned from the USS Gerald R. Ford's historic 11-month deployment that ended with a laundry room fire in March 2026.

"This conference is a critical touchpoint for our leadership to ensure we are operating in absolute lockstep with the Chief of Naval Operations' fighting instructions," said Epps. "By aligning our enterprise efforts across the Foundry, the Fleet, and the Fight, we are actively posturing NAVSUP to deliver warfighting readiness and execute contested logistics wherever and whenever our Sailors need it most."

A key focus of the conference was synchronizing NAVSUP's efforts with the CNO's strategic pillars: Foundry, Fleet, and Fight, with an emphasis on empowering Sailors. Sessions such as the "NAVSUP@War Framework" and a deep dive into the command's strategic assessments were designed to ensure the enterprise is postured to provide contested logistics-resupplying, rearming, and repairing the fleet in challenging environments.

Day two's discussions covered financial updates, program management, and advanced manufacturing in the time of war and transition. The final day shifted toward future-focused topics, including the command's AI strategy and an initiative called "The Forge: Turn Your Ideas into Action," aimed at fostering innovation across the enterprise.

"There is simply no substitute for gathering our enterprise leadership in one room, face to face, to tackle the complex realities of modern warfighting readiness," said Capt. Josh Hill, commanding officer of NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego, who hosted the conference. "When I can look my fellow commanding officers in the eye to discuss critical issues, we build the unbreakable alignment and trust required to modernize NAVSUP and sustain the fleet in any environment."

The event also provided an opportunity for direct engagement between different leadership levels. Military attendees participated in a community relations event with Feeding San Diego, a civilian non-profit organization working to provide nutritious meals to underserved populations in San Diego County, while civilian leaders held a dedicated breakout session on issues affecting the NAVSUP civilian workforce. The conference concluded with an update on the enlisted supply community led by NAVSUP's Command Master Chief Ryan Colosimo, and closing remarks from command leadership, reinforcing commitment to a unified and ready NAVSUP.

The event also provided an opportunity for direct engagement between different leadership levels. Military attendees participated in a community relations event with Feeding San Diego, a civilian non-profit organization working to provide nutritious meals to underserved populations in San Diego County, while civilian leaders held a dedicated breakout session on issues affecting the NAVSUP civilian workforce. The conference concluded with an update on the enlisted supply community led by NAVSUP's Command Master Chief Ryan Colosimo, and closing remarks from command leadership, reinforcing commitment to a unified and ready NAVSUP.

NAVSUP FLC San Diego, and its nearly 1,000 military and civilian employees in headquarters and across eight over-the-horizon sites in California and Nevada, provides logistics, business and support services to fleet, shore and industrial commands of the Navy, Coast Guard and Military Sealift Command, as well as other joint and allied forces in the Navy's Third Fleet and Navy Region Southwest Areas of Responsibility.

NAVSUP is headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employs a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel. NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps conduct and enable supply chain, acquisition, operational logistics and Sailor & family care activities with our mission partners to generate readiness and sustain naval forces worldwide to prevent and decisively win wars. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsup and https://twitter.com/navsup.