Shore Boss Emphasizes Navy Installation Readiness and Industry Partnerships

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 29, 2026) — Vice Adm. Brad Collins, Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), discussed the urgent need to modernize bases for future warfighting and the vital role of community and industry partnerships while participating in several leadership panels during the 2026 Association of Defense Communities (ADC) Installation Innovation Forum in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 26–28.

The ADC Installation Innovation Forum united military, community, and industry leaders to develop partnerships and scalable solutions that strengthen installation readiness, modernize infrastructure, and support service members and families.

“Our bases are currently resourced for peacetime, and degraded infrastructure has reached a point where it is impacting our ability to meet mission requirements in critical areas,” said

Collins. “To meet the warfighting challenges of 2036 and beyond, we cannot rely on traditional approaches alone. We must innovate, test scalable solutions, and strengthen our shore installations as resilient, power projection platforms.”

During the forum, Collins participated in the Department of the Navy Town Hall with Brig. Gen. Andre M. Ingram, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations-East, and joined Service installation leaders from the Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force for the Installation Leadership Town Hall.

Discussions across the joint panels underscored that all Services face similar infrastructure hurdles. Leaders noted that traditional Military Construction (MILCON) is costly and time-consuming, prompting the Services to explore alternative delivery methods, including modular construction, Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs), and Enhanced Use Leases (EULs), to pilot viable alternatives and scale successful solutions enterprise-wide. Panelists also stressed that while technological innovation is essential to meeting future warfighting demands, the shore infrastructure was not originally designed to support modern technological requirements.

To bridge this gap, Collins emphasized the importance of empowering base personnel to question legacy processes and develop creative, technology-driven solutions. In the context of facility management, for example, the Navy is exploring opportunities to use super intelligence and predictive analytics to evaluate existing maintenance data and forecast repairs before critical infrastructure fails. On the operational front, installations are also piloting modern

technologies, such as facial recognition access control at base gates, to cut entrance wait times in half while strengthening security.

Collins noted that executing these innovations and revitalizing aging installations ultimately depends on establishing stronger, more agile relationships with outside stakeholders.

“The ideal industry partners are those who understand where the Services currently stand with an issue, comprehend our operational goals, and align their proposals accordingly,” said Collins. “We need defense communities and commercial stakeholders to act not merely as vendors or neighbors, but as mission partners who bring forward scalable, creative solutions that bolster both community resilience and Fleet readiness.”

Other senior CNIC leaders also shared their expertise across specialized forum panels. Force Master Chief Andre Brown joined a panel addressing the evolving enlisted force and leadership requirements. CNIC Fleet and Family Readiness Director Patty Lang participated in a panel focused on modern unaccompanied military housing and new operational models beyond traditional barracks. CNIC Director of Facilities and Environmental Christine Ploschke contributed to panels examining non-Federal Acquisition Regulation procurement strategies and the direct link between infrastructure investment and mission readiness.

“By embracing agile acquisition authorities, emerging technologies, and proactive community partnerships, Navy installations are moving forward to break past legacy constraints and transform aging shore facilities into resilient, power-projection platforms,” said Collins. “As CNIC accelerates these targeted initiatives, the Navy Shore Enterprise remains firmly focused on bolstering Fleet lethality and supporting warfighters and their families.”

Commander, Navy Installations Command is responsible for worldwide U.S. Navy shore installation management and for designing and developing integrated solutions for the sustainment and development of Navy shore infrastructure and quality-of-life programs. CNIC oversees 10 Navy regions, 71 installations, and more than 63,000 employees focused on warfighting and manning, training, and equipping the shore to fight and win. Navy installations are warfighting platforms essential to every Fleet operation.

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