Ex-CIA supply chain chief outlines new approaches to logistics support

A former CIA supply chain risk management director warned Defense Logistics Agency personnel that the days of predictable, tightly controlled logistics are over, urging new approaches to mitigate vulnerabilities as operations grow more complex and contested.

Clinton West, who previously led supply chain risk management at the CIA, addressed the DLA workforce during a Warfighter Talk at the McNamara Headquarters Complex. Drawing on his experience during the early stages of the war in Ukraine, he contrasted the direct flights, owned infrastructure and relative freedom of movement that characterized past operations in Afghanistan and Iraq with today’s contested environment. “Now, we’re in a non-permissive environment, one that we can’t operate all the time and when we want, one that’s a first world environment, one where there’s now drones, phones and tracking devices, and a near-peer adversary,” he said.

West described a shift from managed logistics to an unmanaged global network that leans on foreign third-party logistics providers and commercial freight forwarders to connect major hubs to the forward edge. That reliance, he said, introduces information blind spots and security gaps that demand stronger supply chain risk management.

He cautioned that adversaries can buy commercial data to follow shipments and underscored the threat posed by off-the-shelf tracking devices. Warehouse staff and logistics professionals who are less familiar with emerging technologies may not recognize how such tools can be exploited, he said.

To reduce risk, West called for continuous vendor vetting and advocated mobile-capable SCRM tools that operators can use securely in the field, complementing traditional headquarters-based checks. He also pushed for tabletop exercises conducted outside headquarters to ensure solutions match real-world conditions, and for closer engagement with commercial logistics partners so they understand the pace and security needs of defense customers. He warned that well-intentioned but unbriefed contractors could inadvertently compromise missions.

West closed by emphasizing that modern logistics hinges on tighter integration with intelligence, rigorous security practices and adaptive partnerships.