The U.S. military services—especially the Air Force—are increasingly grappling with how to balance operational readiness with modernization. In a recent conversation on Fed Gov Today, James Neufeld, founder and CEO of Samdesk, argued that this challenge may not actually be a tradeoff at all. Instead, modernization—particularly in the form of improved information systems and artificial intelligence—is becoming essential to maintaining readiness in today’s information-driven environment.
Neufeld explained that the primary force driving modernization across government is the rapid acceleration of information flow in the digital age. Today’s world operates in what he described as a “hyper-exacerbated news cycle,” where events occurring anywhere in the world are shared online in near real time. This constant stream of information affects military operations, government agencies, and leadership decision-making alike.
Because information now moves so quickly and publicly, organizations can no longer rely on traditional systems designed for slower communication cycles. Senior leaders, frontline personnel, and even the public often see the same information simultaneously through social media and online platforms. As a result, the central challenge for agencies is no longer simply gathering information but ensuring the right people receive accurate information at the right time.
For Neufeld, this reality fundamentally reframes the relationship between readiness and modernization. Rather than competing priorities, modernization has become a prerequisite for readiness. If frontline personnel or decision-makers are the last to receive critical information, they cannot effectively respond to emerging situations. Outdated information infrastructure therefore directly undermines operational effectiveness.
To address this challenge, Neufeld emphasized the need for what he calls a “resilience stack.” This concept refers to the systems, tools, and processes that allow organizations to rapidly gather, interpret, and act on information. The framework is closely aligned with the well-known military OODA loop—Observe, Orient, Decide, Act—but Samdesk adapts it into a model called ADAR: Anticipate, Detect, Analyze, Resolve.
In this framework, the early stages—anticipation and detection—are especially critical. Decisions become faster and more effective when leaders have access to reliable information early in the decision cycle. However, many agencies still struggle with this phase, particularly when their systems cannot process large volumes of data quickly enough.
Artificial intelligence, Neufeld suggested, may help close this gap. AI tools can analyze vast amounts of information, identify relevant signals, and reduce the time required to reach situational awareness. Importantly, AI is beginning to shift from a novel capability to a foundational component of infrastructure—similar to cloud computing or cybersecurity platforms.
However, Neufeld cautioned that deploying AI successfully requires a clear understanding of the problem it is meant to solve. Broad, general-purpose AI applications often become inefficient and costly. Instead, organizations should break problems into smaller tasks where AI can deliver precise outcomes—such as verifying information sources, identifying events, or correlating multiple reports.
Ultimately, Neufeld’s message to government leaders is straightforward: modernization is unavoidable. Adversaries are rapidly adopting emerging technologies, and maintaining information advantage requires continuous innovation. The key is not simply adopting AI tools, but applying them strategically to improve situational awareness, decision speed, and operational resilience.
In an era where information moves faster than ever before, readiness depends on the ability to detect, understand, and act on that information ahead of the competition. Modernization, therefore, is no longer optional—it is the foundation of mission success.