Software is Eating the Battlespace

Strategies for Operating at Mission Speed in a Modern Digital Battlespace

Soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians rely on complex firmware and software systems to carry out complex missions in their interconnected battlespace. Each “smart” asset in our arsenal sharpens the spear and must be adaptable to a changing operational landscape. Over a decade ago, the commercial industry recognized that “software is eating the world” and embraced the power of software to transform business value generation.

In this paper, we present ideas and strategies that emphasize creating value for the warfighter and that add efficiency to the war-fighting enterprise. While the mission of service in the DoD is a noble cause, we must continue to foster cultures, technical platforms, and shifts in expectations that will motivate future members of our services to innovate ways to deter war and defend the United States.

What's inside

  • Clear Guidance — This paper provides a deeper understanding and guidance for helping companies scale shared services for success.
  • Expert Authors — This paper is written by experienced leaders across industries who have led large transformations in enterprises across industries.
  • Provides Strategies — This paper presents ideas and strategies that emphasize creating value for the warfighter and that add efficiency to the war-fighting enterprise.
  • All Levels — Change Agents can come from anywhere on the org chart. This paper directly provides guidance on how to lead change no matter your role or title.
Topics
Leadership · Software Delivery & Architecture
Formats
epub · pdf
License
Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

About the authors

7 authors
LtCol John SchreinerCyber Warfare Leader & Defense Tech Author
JD BlackCIDO Chief Engineer, Northrop Grumman

Affiliation as of 2026-09-10

JD Black has over twenty-five years of experience working complex mission and safety critical government programs ranging from international census to space launch safety to missile defense. He currently serves as the Chief Information & Digital Office (CIDO) Chief Engineer at Northrop Grumman leading large-scale highly regulated enterprise architecture, engineering, and digital transformation.

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Col Corey BrunkowInfantry Officer, SOCOM (Global Analytics Platform) (at publication)

Now: Director of Federal Operations, Horizon3.ai · as of 2026-09-07

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Virginia LaurenzanoDevX Technical Director, NSA

Affiliation as of 2026-09-01

Virginia Laurenzano joined the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2002 as a cryptomathematician and has been a DevOps champion since reading her first IT Revolution publication in 2016. She’s worked in many fields including cryptanalysis, software development, counterterrorism, and technical leadership. Virginia co-founded NSA’s Developer Experience (DevX) program in 2018. She holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and an MSc in Computer Science from Loyola University Maryland. At work, you’ll frequently find Virginia dressed like her fashion idol, Ms. Frizzle. Outside of work, she’s Mama! - an avid nerdy cross-stitcher, yogi, sourdough baker, and lover of tea.

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Rob NolenChief Technologist US DoD, AWS (at publication)

Now: Senior Director, Mission Solutions, Anduril Industries · as of 2026-09-07

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LCDR Andres OteroUSN, Naval Information Warfare (NAVWAR) (at publication)

Now: Officer in Charge, Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic · as of 2026-09-07

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Rick JackSenior Software Engineer, Naval Information Warfare (NAVWAR) (at publication)

Now: Technical Director, BrainGu · as of 2026-09-07

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