DOW CIO Pushes ‘Radical Transformation’ to Modernize Tech

Pentagon CIO Kirsten Davies said Friday that the department is pursuing a “radical transformation” of its technology enterprise with acquisition reform, skills-based workforce initiatives and modernization efforts key to accelerating the delivery of capabilities to warfighters.

“When you look historically across technology in the Department of War context … we have processes that are hard-coded to rely on old technology,” Davies said at GovCIO Media & Research’s Federal Tech Leaders Summit. “We also have had year after year after year of modernization initiatives — which I don’t have to tell you, and that’s not classified — they have not been successful by and large. This is why we need to get after this in such an aggressive and proactive way.”  

From workforce development to acquisition reform, her focus is clear: accelerating innovation while maintaining a relentless focus on warfighter advantage.

Technology Natives 

One of the most significant shifts at DOW is the arrival of a new generation of service members who are “digital natives.” According to Davies, these recruits have grown up with smartphones, gaming platforms and intuitive user experiences, creating new expectations for the technology they encounter in military service. 

At the same time, many senior leaders entered service in a very different technological era, creating what she described as a significant dynamic that “really can’t be understated.” 

This generational shift is reshaping how the department approaches modernization. While advanced weapon systems, sensing platforms and analytic capabilities continue to evolve, many still rely on legacy infrastructure. Davies said the department manages “significant amounts of technology debt,” including software tied to unsupported operating systems and aging systems that remain critical to operations. 

To address these challenges, the department is pursuing what Davies calls “radical transformation.” Efforts underway include acquisition and sustainment reform, reducing barriers to entry, eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy and adopting a more user-centered approach to technology development. 

Davies said modern technology must be designed around the people who use it.

“When we have digital natives … they want to see great user interface, they want to be able to interact with touch screens, these things that we take for granted in industry. It isn’t necessarily true that in the Department of War and we’re getting after that at a rapid pace,” she said. 

Building a Skills-Based Workforce

Workforce transformation is another cornerstone of Davies’ strategy. Throughout her career, she has championed apprenticeship programs and alternative talent pipelines, and she is bringing that philosophy to the Pentagon. 

“We’re moving away from degree-centered hiring to skills-based programs,” Davies said. “I’ve always believed that if script kiddies can hack, then we don’t need to have a degree to defend, do we?” 

Rather than emphasizing traditional credentials, Davies said organizations should prioritize practical skills, curiosity, problem-solving and both analytical and synthetic thinking. The department recently piloted a skills-based hiring initiative through DISA that dramatically accelerated the hiring process. 

“We were going straight into skills-based assessment to an interim job offer within days with this new program,” she said, contrasting it with traditional hiring timelines that can stretch for months. 

The department is also launching “Cyber WRAP,” a 12-month paid apprenticeship program designed to build cyber talent from the ground up. Interest has already been substantial, with more than 40,000 inquiries from prospective applicants. 

Beyond recruiting, Davies is focused on helping service members build long-term careers. She sees an opportunity to create skills-based pathways that prepare warfighters for future employment in government, industry or the broader workforce once they transition from active duty.  

“I believe there’s a huge opportunity for us here at the Department of War working in tandem with the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a whole skills-based program that prepares our warfighters — who understand firsthand the mission, who have been steeped in our technology in the way in which we essentially deliver freedom around the world,” she said. “Whether you think about it from an industry mindset, what’s our product? Our product is freedom — that’s what we do. And how can we harness that, that intuition, that skill set, that experience that our warfighters, our soldiers, all of them bring, and then prepare them for private-sector jobs.” 

Ruthless Prioritization 

Davies said the size, scale and scope of the department’s mission is “mind-bending,” making a singular focus on warfighter outcomes essential.

“Everything we are focused on is speed to warfighter capability. Just speed to the warfighters. We want to support them and have that lens on every decision we make,” she said. “So this is how we’re addressing these things. Acquisition reform: directly tied to that. People and process: directly tied to that. Technology: directly tied to that. And I will even go so far as to say, if a decision needs to be taken and it’s brought to the table and there’s not a direct correlation to warfighter readiness, resilience or lethality, it’s a no.” 

For Davies, modernization is not about pursuing technology for its own sake. It is about ensuring that every investment, process and partnership contributes to a stronger, faster and more capable force. As DOW accelerates its transformation efforts, that unwavering focus on the warfighter remains the guiding principle behind every decision.