From Battlefields to Pipelines: What the Marines Can Teach Us About DevOps

When IT delays become mission-limiting

When the U.S. Marine Corps decided it was time to modernize its IT backbone, the challenge was clear: traditional waterfall methods and rigid compliance structures were slowing down innovation. Some systems were taking five years and over a million dollars just to get authorized. For an organization tasked with supporting Marines and their families, that delay wasn't just inconvenient: it was mission-limiting.

Operation StormBreaker: A new model

Enter Operation StormBreaker. The Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) built a new model rooted in DevOps and Agile practices. They set up an AWS landing zone pre-authorized with security controls, leveraged the Navy's RAISE certification, and worked with external partners to streamline security and compliance. Suddenly, instead of waiting years, they were delivering new capabilities in months: or less.

DevOps done right

This is exactly the kind of transformation we see in SecDevOps done right. The lesson isn't that Agile and DevOps are "magic bullets." It's that when these practices are applied with intention, backed by automation, and reinforced by a culture shift, they cut through bureaucracy without sacrificing security.

At JPSoftWorks, we've witnessed the same dynamic across industries. Large organizations often assume that speed and compliance can't coexist, but that's not true. What the Marines did was build compliance into their pipeline, automating checks and approvals so security isn't a late-stage bottleneck. That's precisely what we advocate for: security and development moving as one.

The culture factor

There's also a human angle here. Culture eats process for breakfast, and DevOps is no exception. The Marine Corps had to retrain teams, foster collaboration, and shift mindsets from "big bang" launches to continuous improvement. That echoes what we see in enterprises every day: if leadership isn't willing to invest in people and processes, the technology won't stick.

Building the right foundation

The Marine Corps example also highlights something we stress with our clients: modernization doesn't mean throwing everything out. It means building the right foundation, often in the cloud, and creating reusable controls that everyone can inherit. It means shortening cycle times not just for software delivery, but for trust.

Why this matters for everyone

For any organization: military, public sector, or private: the relevance is clear. DevOps and Agile aren't buzzwords. They are proven approaches to delivering faster, safer, more human-centric IT. But you don't get there by flipping a switch. You get there by applying these practices with care, guided by experience, and keeping security and people at the heart of the change.

That's where we come in. We help clients navigate this journey, making sure they're not just moving faster, but moving smarter.