Penn State program trains Marines on battlefield logistics

The link between proper logistics support and military success has long been acknowledged, dating at least back to Napoleon Bonaparte's (purported) observation that "an army marches on its stomach." However, battlefield technology has advanced far beyond the French general's 19th century standards, growing to include new tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

To help keep the U.S. armed forces current with the latest tools and practices, Penn State University's Smeal College of Business has partnered with the military to develop a program aimed at training military leaders in supply chain management. Every year, the school accepts two competitively selected Marines for the Marine Corps Logistics Fellowship program, offering them a hybrid program of on-campus master's in business administration (M.B.A.) courses and online courses at Penn State World Campus. Graduates earn a master's degree upon completion and gain training in the military's ever-changing requirements for effectiveness on the battlefield, Penn State says.

"Every time Marines deploy, especially to austere environments, we have to design a resilient supply chain consisting of local and regional goods and services suppliers, as well as traditional U.S. suppliers based in the continental United States," explained Lt. Col. Thomas M. Warren in a statement. Warren is one of the two Marines selected for Smeal's Supply Chain and Information Systems 2018 program. The other Marine chosen was Maj. Jaehong "Jay" Park.