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2 episodes with stratcom
2 episodes with stratcom
2 episodes with stratcom
2 episodes with stratcom
Kā mākslīgais intelekts maina informācijas vidi? Kāpēc MI “halucinācijas” ne vienmēr ir vienkāršas kļūdas? Digitālajās brokastīs runājam par to, kā lielie valodu modeļi var tikt izmantoti par ieroci ietekmes operācijās kopā ar Jāni Sārtu no "StratCom" centra. Plašāk par tehnoloģiju jaunumiem lasi arī LSM portālā.
Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi is CEO at OpenMinds. He is an expert at countering influence operations and disinformation. Sviatoslav is a serial tech entrepreneur and investor dedicated to helping Ukraine and democratic nations counter authoritarian influence in the global fight for free and open societies. At OpenMinds he leads a cognitive defence tech company that collaborates with over 30 governments and organizations worldwide, including Ukraine, the US, the UK, NATO members, strategic communications agencies, and leading research institutions. Their mission is to combat authoritarian influence, safeguard information integrity, develop cutting-edge AI tech for national security priorities of the democratic world.----------OpenMinds is a cognitive defence tech company countering authoritarian influence in the battle for free and open societies. They work with over 30 governments and organisations worldwide, including Ukraine, the UK, and NATO member governments, leading StratCom agencies, and research institutions. Their expertise lies in accessing restricted and high-risk environments, including conflict zones and closed platforms.We combine ML technologies with deep local expertise, particularly on Russia and Ukraine. OpenMinds team is based in Kyiv, London, Ottawa, and Washington, DC, includes behavioural scientists, ML/AI engineers, data journalists, communications experts, and regional specialists.----------LINKS:https://x.com/s_hnizdovskyihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hnizdovskyi/https://www.openminds.ltd/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/how-strong-is-russian-public-support-for-the-invasion-of-ukraine/https://www.facebook.com/sviatoslav.hnizdovskyi/----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER - A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------Easter Pysanky: Silicon Curtain - https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/easter-pysanky-silicon-curtainCar for Ukraine has joined forces with a group of influencers, creators, and news observers during this special Easter season. In peaceful times, we might gift a basket of pysanky (hand-painted eggs), but now, we aim to deliver a basket of trucks to our warriors.This time, our main focus is on the Seraphims of the 104th Brigade and Chimera of HUR (Main Directorate of Intelligence), highly effective units that: - disrupt enemy logistics - detect and strike command centers - carry out precision operations against high-value enemy targetshttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/easter-pysanky-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------
In this episode, Curtis hosts a March 2025 news round-up with Adam and Jim, focusing on four articles: STRATCOM's call for 145 B-21 bombers, North Korea's development of nuclear submarines, Poland's push for nuclear weapons, and France's modernization of its nuclear arsenal. The conversation highlights nuclear weapon developments, and the importance of deterrence in today's geopolitical landscape, and the evolving military strategies of various nations.Brought to you by the National Institute for Deterrence Studies (NIDS) https://thinkdeterrence.com/ https://globalsecurityreview.com/ Get Involved with more of NIDS Services. https://thinkdeterrence.com/outreach/ Deterrence Education at NIDS Education - Hosted by the National Institute for Deterrence Studies Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thinkdeterrence X.com: https://x.com/thinkdeterrence YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkdeterrence Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/NIDSthinkdeterrence Global Security Review LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/globalsecurityreview X.com: https://x.com/security_wonk Our Free Events: https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/
In this episode of NucleCast Future Series with Warrior Maven, Kris Osborn interviews James Howe on the critical issues surrounding nuclear deterrence, focusing on low yield nuclear weapons, the strategic arsenals of Russia and China, and the implications of advanced technologies in modern warfare. The conversation delves into the current state of nuclear capabilities, the risks posed by tactical nuclear weapons, and the future of strategic deterrence in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.Mr. James R. Howe is currently VP, Threats, Technology, and Future Requirements for Vision Centric, Inc., a SETA to US Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). He is President of Strategic Concepts and Analysis and is also a consultant to National Security Research Institute (NSRI) (UARC to STRATCOM). Mr. Howe has over 50 years' experience researching US/adversary strategic nuclear forces, strategic defenses, and space war issues. He was principal investigator on a study for OSD/NA to conduct open-source research into the future military utility and feasibility of space offensive warfare, and its impact on future warfare as a continuance of the revolution in military affairs. He was co-developer of the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) concept, helped keep AHW concept sold (Now being developed and produced as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon).Chapters00:00 Introduction to Nuclear Deterrence03:01 Understanding Low Yield Nuclear Weapons06:05 The Russian Nuclear Arsenal and Strategy09:04 Comparative Analysis of US and Russian Tactical Weapons11:55 The Role of Advanced Technologies in Nuclear Strategy15:06 The Future of ICBMs and Strategic Deterrence17:58 China's Growing Nuclear Capabilities21:01 The Implications of Dual-Use Weapons24:12 Conclusion and Future ConsiderationsSocials:Follow on Twitter at @NucleCastFollow on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nuclecastpodcastSubscribe RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/Rate: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nuclecast/id1644921278Email comments and topic/guest suggestions to NucleCast@anwadeter.org
Stratcom Talks, ilk bölümüyle Azerbaycan Cumhurbaşkanı Yardımcısı Hikmet Hacıyev'i ağırladı. Türkiye ve Azerbaycan arasındaki stratejik iletişim iş birliği, dezenformasyonla mücadele, yapay zeka ve dijital dönüşüm gibi kritik konuların ele alındığı programda, bölgesel ve küresel gelişmelere dair önemli değerlendirmeler yapıldı. Hacıyev, Azerbaycan ve Türkiye arasındaki güçlü medya ve iletişim koordinasyonuna dikkat çekerek, “Azerbaycan-Türkiye Medya Platformu'nu kurduk ve bu platform savaşta aktif rol oynadı.” dedi. Hacıyev, bu iş birliğini tüm Türk dünyasını kapsayacak bir medya platformuna dönüştürmeyi hedeflediklerini belirtti.Yapay zekâyı bir fırsat olarak gördüklerini ancak beraberinde getirdiği riskleri de göz ardı etmediklerinin altını çizen Hacıyev, “Azerbaycan, dijital dönüşümü devlet politikası haline getirdi.” dedi. Bu alanda bölgesel iş birliğinin önemine dikkat çeken Hacıyev, “Türk Devletleri Teşkilatı çerçevesinde dijital dönüşüm konularını öncelikli olarak ele almalıyız.” ifadelerini kullandı. Karabağ Savaşı sırasında Azerbaycan'a karşı yoğun bir dezenformasyon kampanyası yürütüldüğünü hatırlatan Hacıyev, “Cumhurbaşkanımız röportajlar vererek Batı medyasına doğrudan gerçeği anlattı.” dedi. Azerbaycan ve Türkiye'nin basın mensuplarının omuz omuza çalıştığını vurgulayan Hacıyev, bu sürecin uluslararası iletişimde nasıl bir fark yarattığını anlattı.Hacıyev, dezenformasyonu önlemek için sahada aktif bir iletişim stratejisinin izlendiğini, doğru ve sabırlı bir bilgilendirme stratejisinin uygulandığını söyledi.Hacıyev, gençlere yönelik mesajında “Artık genel bilgiler yeterli değil, alanında uzmanlaşmış, derinlemesine bilgi sahibi olmak gerekiyor.” dedi. Türk dünyasının gelecekte büyük fırsatlar sunduğuna işaret eden Hacıyev, gençlerin bu potansiyelin farkında olması gerektiğini sözlerine ekledi.
Stratcom Talks bu bölümünde Filistin Telekomünikasyon ve Dijital Ekonomi Bakanı Dr.Abed-Alrazzaq Natsheh'i ağıladı. Filistin'deki mevcut durumun ele alındığı bölümde Dr. Natsheh, Filistin Telekomünikasyon Bakanlığı olarak Gazze ve Filistin'de yaşananları dünyaya duyurmak, iletişim altyapısını koruyarak gerçek hikâyeleri aktarmak ve İsrail'in yanlış bilgilendirme çabalarına karşı dijital araçlarla mücadele etmek için kesintisiz çalıştıklarını vurguladı. Bunun yalnızca Filistin'in değil, adalet ve hakikate inanan herkesin ortak sorumluluğu olduğunu ifade etti.
Premiér Petr Fiala se vložil do sporů kolem sbírky Nemesis na drony pro Ukrajinu. Aktivity jejích organizátorů ostře kritizovala ministryně obrany Jana Černochová a prošetřuje je vojenská policie. Kam může situace zajít?Hostem Ptám se já byl vládní koordinátor strategické komunikace Otakar Foltýn.Premiér Petr Fiala (ODS) tento týden svolal schůzku se zástupci ministerstva obrany a Skupiny D, která organizuje sbírku na drony pro Ukrajinu v projektu Nemesis. Podle Fialy v zájmu bezpečnosti, aby se některé nějasnosti okolo sbírky vyjasnily. Aktivity spolku, který zaštítil náčelník generálního štábu Karel Řehka a figuruje v ní mimo jiné i herec Ondřej Vetchý nebo plukovník Otakar Foltýn, považuje šéfka rezortu obrany Jana Černochová (ODS) za problematické. V médiích začátkem února mluvila o vyšetřování možného zneužívání diplomatických pasů a údajném pašování dronů ze strany armády. A obvinění označila za vážná. „Věřím lidem, jako je Ondra Vetchý nebo náčelník Řehka. Dal bych za ně ruku do ohně. A myslím, že to tak vidí i veřejnost. Že by naším motivem v pomoci Ukrajině bylo cokoliv jiného než pomoc Ukrajině, je absurdní a samozřejmě nesprávné,“ reagoval Foltýn. Spor dále prohlubuje problémy mezi ministerstvem obrany a armádou. Na rychlé a transparentní vyšetření podezření souvisejících s vývozem dronů už apeloval i prezident Petr Pavel. A varoval před hrozbou poškozování dobrého jména armády, ministerstva a celé České republiky.„Pokud kdokoliv má podezření na cokoliv, nechť je to prověřeno, není s tím nejmenší problém. My jsme příslušné orgány pustili do celého účetnictví, je to vlastně v našem vlastním zájmu, aby to prověřeno bylo. Ale není normální, aby se v době takové bezpečnostní krize tyto věci řešily veřejně, “ uvedl Foltýn s tím, že očekává, že se podezření neprokážou. „V médiích to může být hodně vidět, ale možná, že ty důvody jsou natolik malicherné, že to je bouře ve sklenici vody. Počkejme si na výsledky šetření. A pak to prostě uzavřeme a zapomeňme na to.“Jsou hádky mezi špičkovými vojáky a ministryní ohrožením důvěry veřejnosti? A jaké výsledky práce za sebou má vládní StratCom?--Podcast Ptám se já. Rozhovory s lidmi, kteří mají vliv, odpovědnost, informace.Sledujte na Seznam Zprávách, poslouchejte na Podcasty.cz a ve všech podcastových aplikacích.Archiv všech dílů najdete tady. Své postřehy, připomínky nebo tipy nám pište prostřednictvím sociálních sítí pod hashtagem #ptamseja nebo na e-mail: audio@sz.cz.
Dr. Heather Wilson, a 1982 Air Force Academy graduate, formerly the 24th Secretary of the Air Force, and first USAFA graduate to hold the position, discusses her unexpected journey to the role, emphasizing the importance of integrity, service, and leadership. ----more---- SUMMARY Dr. Wilson shares her unexpected journey into leadership, the importance of integrity, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures. She reflects on her family legacy, the influence of mentors, and how her military background shaped her leadership style. Dr. Wilson emphasizes the value of collecting tools for leadership and adapting to different environments while maintaining core values. In this conversation, she discusses the importance of finding purpose in one's mission and the value of relationships, particularly family support. She reflects on her journey as a woman in leadership, the significance of legacy in public service, and her unexpected path to serving in Congress. Dr. Wilson emphasizes the lessons learned in collaboration and the importance of humor in leadership, ultimately encouraging future leaders to uphold high standards and not to shame their families. SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK TAKEAWAYS Dr. Wilson's journey to becoming Secretary of the Air Force was unexpected and transformative. Leadership often requires owning failures and focusing on solutions. Integrity is foundational to effective leadership and builds trust. Adapting leadership styles to different cultures is essential for success. Mentorship and influences from family play a significant role in shaping leaders. Collecting tools and knowledge is crucial for effective leadership. Quality management principles can be applied to various fields, including education and social services. Leadership is not linear; it involves navigating different paths and chapters. Building strong teams and hiring the right people is vital for organizational success. Direct communication and honesty are key components of effective leadership. Doing things that matter with people you like is essential. The most important decision in life can be personal, like choosing a partner. Family support enriches life and provides joy. Women in leadership often face unique challenges but can pave the way for others. Legacy is about making lasting changes in systems and strategies. Unexpected opportunities can lead to significant career changes. Collaboration and giving credit to others is key in leadership roles. Humor can help create a relaxed atmosphere in serious environments. Education is crucial for transforming lives and communities. Leadership is not always a straight path; adaptability is important. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Long Blue Leadership 01:25 Unexpected Call to Leadership 03:16 Lessons from Leadership Challenges 08:28 The Importance of Integrity 10:07 Adapting Leadership Styles 12:23 Influences and Mentorship 15:25 Family Legacy and Influence 17:41 Learning from Team Members 21:29 Applying Quality Management Principles 24:07 Navigating Non-Linear Leadership Paths 24:20 Finding Purpose in Mission and Relationships 28:06 The Importance of Family Support 30:08 Navigating Leadership as a Woman 34:30 Legacy and Impact in Public Service 36:29 Unexpected Paths: Serving in Congress 41:03 Lessons in Collaboration and Leadership ABOUT DR. WILSON - IMAGES AND BIO COURTESY OF UTEP BIO Dr. Heather Wilson became the 11th President of The University of Texas at El Paso in 2019 after serving as Secretary of the United States Air Force. She is the former president of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, and she represented New Mexico in the United States Congress for 10 years. Active in community and national affairs, she is a member of the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation, and serves as a board member of the Texas Space Commission. She was the inaugural Chair of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, and is a member of the board of directors of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Dr. Wilson is the granddaughter of immigrants and was the first person in her family to go to college. She graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in the third class to admit women and earned her master's and doctoral degrees from Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar. UTEP is located on the U.S.-Mexico border – in the fifth largest manufacturing region in North America – and serves over 24,000 students with 170 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in nine colleges and schools. In the top 5% of public universities in the United States for research and designated a community-engaged university by the Carnegie Foundation, UTEP is America's leading Hispanic-serving university. It is the fourth largest research university in Texas and serves a student body that is 84% Hispanic. President Wilson is an instrument rated private pilot. She and her husband, Jay Hone, have two adult children and two granddaughters. Dr. Heather Wilson served as the 24th Secretary of the Air Force and was responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the organizing, training and equipping and providing for the welfare of 660,000 Active-Duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces their families. She provided oversight of the Air Force's annual budget of more than $132 billion and directs strategy and policy development, risk management, weapons acquisition, technology investments and human resource management across a global enterprise. Dr. Wilson has more than 35 years of professional experience in a range of leadership and management roles in the military, higher education, government and private industry. Before assuming her current position, Dr. Wilson was president of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, an engineering and science research university. From 1998 to 2009, Dr. Wilson was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Before being elected to Congress, Dr. Wilson was a cabinet secretary in New Mexico's state government responsible for foster care, adoption, juvenile delinquency, children's mental health and early childhood education. From 1989 to 1991 Wilson served on the National Security Council staff as director for defense policy and arms control for President George H.W. Bush during the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. From 1991 to1995 and again from 2009 to 2013 Wilson was in the private sector. In 1991, she founded Keystone International, Inc., a company that did business development and program planning work for defense and scientific industry. She served as a senior advisor to several national laboratories on matters related to nuclear weapons, non-proliferation, arms control verification, intelligence and the defense industrial base. Wilson also served on the boards of two publicly traded corporations as well as numerous advisory and non-profit boards. CONNECT WITH DR. WILSON LINKEDIN | UTEP ALL PAST LBL EPISODES | ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Guest: Dr. Heather Wilson '82 | Hosts: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Naviere Walkewicz 00:00 Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, the podcast where we share insights on leadership through the lives and experiences of Air Force Academy graduates. I'm Naviere Walkowicz, Class of '99. Our story is about a leader who reached heights fellow Air Force Academy graduates had not reached before her, and this was at a time when opportunities to do so were still new. My guest is Dr. Heather Wilson, Class of '82. As you heard, she served as the 24th secretary of the Air Force, but there is a unique distinction attached to that. Dr Wilson, welcome to Long Blue Leadership; we have much to discuss. Let's start with you becoming the secretary of the Air Force, our 24th. Dr. Heather Wilson 00:37 Yeah, that wasn't part of my life's plan. Secretary Designate Mattis did call me. I was in South Dakota as the president of the South Dakota School of Mines and my cell phone rang and he said, “This is Jim Mattis, and I want to talk to you about becoming secretary of the Air Force.” And honest to goodness, my initial answer was, “Sir, you do know that being a college president is like the best job in America, right?” And he said, “Yeah, I know. I just came from Stanford.” And I said, “I didn't apply for any job. I mean, I like it out... I'm a gal of the West. I like the mountains. I like hiking and biking and fly fishing.” And he said, “Yeah, I know. I grew up on the Columbia River in Washington.” And I thought, “This isn't working,” but we talked several more times, and it was pretty clear that I was being called to serve in a way that I didn't anticipate, but that was what I was supposed to do. Naviere Walkewicz 01:35 What a transformative moment in your life, I'm sure. Dr. Heather Wilson 01:38 Well, it was. Again, my entire life, I think, is a diversion from its planned course. But I turned out — I didn't anticipate that, and it meant — my husband doesn't really much like big East Coast cities that rain a lot and have a lot of traffic, and so from a family point of view, it wasn't what we personally wanted to do, but you're called to serve. And we've been called to serve in different ways in our lives and sometimes, even if it feels inconvenient, you're still called to serve. It turned out to be wonderful and I really enjoyed the experience, both of working with Sec. Mattis, but also getting back to spending time with airmen. And so it turned out to be wonderful, but it wasn't what I expected. Naviere Walkewicz 02:25 Well, you said it, ma'am. As we know, service and leadership aren't linear, and so we're really excited to dive into some of those experiences today. Maybe share, as secretary of the Air Force, some of those moments in leadership that stuck with you. Let's just kind of start there. Dr. Heather Wilson 02:42 Certainly. There were good days and not so good days. I think one of the things that I really benefited from was that I had a partner in the chief of staff, Dave Goldfein, who was absolutely fantastic. And we've remained very close friends. We started at the Academy the same day and he would joke and tell people that we didn't graduate on the same day because he went stop-out for a year. But we didn't know each other well as cadets, but we were formed by some of the same experiences and I think that helped tremendously. I didn't really understand that in our system of government, the civilian secretary has almost all the authority, but the chief of staff has almost all of the influence. And if you can figure out how to work together, you can get a heck of a lot done. And Dave and I both had that same approach, and it turned out to be a great partnership. Naviere Walkewicz 03:42 That's pretty incredible. In fact, the time of your service in that role, I was actually working under your umbrella at U.S. STRATCOM. I was at Strategic Command there as a government civilian and as a reservist. And so, I can certainly speak to, I think, some of the amazing things that you did. Can you share a little — you talked about some ups and downs. What was maybe one of the failures as secretary of the Air Force that you learned from that helped you throughout your life? Dr. Heather Wilson 04:11 Well, I know the day. I think it was Nov. 5, 2017, and it was a Sunday, late morning or early afternoon, and my phone rang. I was upstairs in the study in my row house in Virginia and it was the inspector general, Gen. Syed. And that morning, a young man had walked into a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and opened fire and killed a lot of people, and it turned out he had been an airman, and the general said, “You know, we're not sure yet, but he may have been convicted of a crime that would have required us to tell the FBI and the national criminal records check system that he had committed a crime that would not allow him to purchase a weapon, but we may have failed to notify.” We didn't know, we wouldn't know that afternoon but I talked to the chief and we all got together on Monday morning at 9 a.m. and Gen. Syed confirmed that he was an airman, he had been convicted of a domestic violence-related crime, and we had not properly notified the FBI, and as a result, he had been able to buy a weapon. Um, that was not a good day. And we talked about what we should do next, and our general counsel wasn't there — he was traveling that morning, but a more junior lawyer was there, who suggested kind of — and, you know, other people said, well — it actually got worse because there was an IG investigation, an internal audit from several years before, that showed that all of the services were not properly reporting to the national criminal records system. So we hadn't fixed the problem. We knew; we had been informed there was a problem and hadn't fixed it. And some people said, “Well, you weren't here at the time.” That doesn't matter. You wear the uniform, or you wear the cloak of office, and you have to take responsibility for the institution. And of course, the lawyers would say, “Well, you know, maybe you want to fuzz this and not take — you know, there's investigation going on,” or something. But we knew enough of the facts that morning, Monday morning, and Dave Goldfein and I decided to own it, to own the failure and focus on fixing the problem. And we did. And in the short term that was very uncomfortable. We sat in front of the Pentagon press corps and took their questions, and we went to Capitol Hill and informed the members of Congress on what had been done and not been done and why. But in the long term, by owning failure, we were able to focus on fixing the problem rather than just trying to manage responsibility and accountability, and it turned out to be a much better approach. So, sometimes the most important lesson is to own failure. Naviere Walkewicz 07:09 I'm so glad you shared that, ma'am, because I think some people have a fear of failure, but there are many times when failure is inevitable, and to your point, owning it is the right approach. Something you said when you're sharing that, it made me think about us as cadets and our core values: integrity first. And that really resonated with how your approach was. Would you say that was born for you at the Academy and kind of through your career that's where it stayed, or has that always been part of your fabric? Dr. Heather Wilson 07:36 I think the Academy was absolutely formative in that way, in the Honor Code. And, you know, integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do, now replaces what was there when I was a cadet, over the archway there. But I think that's woven into the fabric for airmen, and it's part of our culture, and it drives you. And I think — you know now we look at, how do we evaluate officers? It's the same way I now evaluate leaders — any leaders that work with me — and it's the way I evaluate myself: accomplish the mission, lead people, manage resources and make your unit better, all on a foundation of values. But it's that last part of it: all on a foundation of values. If you don't have that, the rest of it almost doesn't matter. You can try to make your unit better, but if you're lying about it, nobody's going to trust you. If you're leading people and managing resources, but you don't have integrity, it doesn't matter. So, integrity first, and that commitment to trying to be honest and direct with people builds those relationships of trust, which lasts for decades throughout a career. Naviere Walkewicz 08:53 Absolutely. And the key word, I think, that foundation you talked about — how has that foundation served you in leadership as you've explored other areas outside of the military, amazing roles leading UTEP, also at the South Dakota School of Mines, in higher education? I'm sure that there's a translation of what that looks like. Can you share maybe an example of how that came into play? Dr. Heather Wilson 09:15 Sure, it happens all the time. I think in any leadership position, whether you're in corporate life, in community life and a nonprofit, or in higher education, leading with a foundation of values, being honest, complying with the law, following the rules or changing the rules. It doesn't mean — that's one of the things that I think is probably important for leaders. You get to a point as a leader where your job is not just to follow the rules, but to look at the systems and identify the rules that need to be changed, but to be direct and honest about that too. Where it's not “Well, I think this rule doesn't make any sense, so I'm going to skirt it,” or “I'm not going to tell people that I've complied with something and I haven't.” In fact, you know that happened to me this morning. I got a disclosure that I was supposed to sign for a report that was published yesterday to the director of National Intelligence on a committee that I serve on, and they sent this kind of notification on what you can talk about publicly, and all of those things, and I hadn't given up my right to speak publicly about unclassified matters, and I responded, “I understand what you've said. I want to let you know that this is how I interpret this, and this is the way I'm going to act.” I was very direct about it. “I didn't give up my First Amendment rights as a citizen because I worked on your task force.” So, very direct. And I think that directness is something that — not all cultures are that way, including higher education culture. I have to be a little bit careful about that sometimes — the airman's tendency to have a frank debrief isn't always the way other cultures and work cultures are. They're just not always like that, so, I have to be a little bit careful sometimes that I don't crush people's will to live or something. Naviere Walkewicz 11:13 I was actually thinking about that as you were speaking how, if you have the foundation, especially from the military, we kind of understand that directive approach and certainly those core values that we know of. And I'm curious, how do you adapt as a leader to those who maybe don't have that foundation? How do you bring them up to speed and kind of help them establish that? Dr. Heather Wilson 11:32 Well, it's a two-way street. It means that I have to understand the culture that I'm in and the way in which I talk with senior faculty may be slightly different than the way I might talk to somebody who just got off a flight line and was too low and slow on final or something, you know? But at the same time with both a sense of humor and a little bit of grace… It was really funny when I was at South Dakota Mines, my provost was a long-time academic. And of course, I had served in Congress for 10 years as well. And he once said something to me that just made me crack up. He said, “You know, you are the least political president I've ever worked with. And the funny thing is, you're the only one that was really a politician.” And he said, “You remind me more of a military officer.” And I thought, “Yeah, that's probably true.” But I was fairly direct as a member of Congress as well. And so, I've just found that that works better for me in life, I guess. Naviere Walkewicz 12:37 You were sharing how, you know, I think it was the provost that said that you really didn't remind him as someone that was very political, even though you're the only politician he's known. And so what was your time like serving in Congress? I mean, that's 10 years you did, I think, correct? Dr. Heather Wilson 12:52 I did. And again, I didn't expect to serve in Congress. My predecessor became very seriously ill shortly before the filing deadline for the election that happened in 1998, and my phone rang. It was a Thursday night. This happens to me. I don't know why, but it was a Thursday night, and my phone rang. I was working in Santa Fe, cabinet secretary for Child Welfare, and it was Sen. Pete Domenici, the senior senator for the state of New Mexico. And he said, “You don't know anything about this, but I'm coming to New Mexico this weekend, and I want to talk to you about running for Congress.” Well, that's a quiz; that's not a question. Because a quiz has a right answer, which is, “Sir, I'd be happy to talk to you about whatever you want to talk about.” He's a United States senator. So, we talked about all kinds of things, and he called me from the airport when he was heading back to Washington that Sunday night, and he said, “Look, if you will run, I will help you.” And I decided to run. It was eight days before the filing deadline. I talked to my predecessor — he was fighting skin cancer — and said, “Look, why don't you just focus on fighting cancer? Two years from now, if you want to run again, you can have this seat back. I'll try to do my best for the next two years.” And then 30 days later, he died. I mean, you're not supposed to die of skin cancer. And so, I ended up serving for 10 years in the Congress in a very difficult swing district that I probably shouldn't have won in the first place. But I enjoyed the service part of it. I enjoyed the policy work part of it — intellectually challenging. Some of the partisan silliness I didn't like very much. And then when I left the Congress, ran on successfully for the Senate and became a university president. One of the great things — I tell people now that I was released from Congress early for good behavior. But it was nice to be in a town where people were waving at me with all five fingers. I mean, it was wonderful. So, I enjoyed the service, and I enjoyed a lot helping people — doing casework and things. But it was also a little bit less of a partisan time where you could try to listen and learn and serve well and try to serve your constituents without just being under attack mercilessly and in social media, or something. It was maybe perhaps a different age. Naviere Walkewicz 15:25 Well, I chuckled when you said waving with all five fingers. That got a good one out of me. I thought about when you're in that, because that wasn't something you were looking to do, and this seems to be a bit of a theme in your leadership trajectory as well. You've kind of been tapped on the shoulder, and you know, for the ones that you didn't apply for or run for, plan for, have been such transformative positions in your life. Dr. Heather Wilson 15:50 Yeah, and I think maybe that happens to people more than we might acknowledge, because when we're planning our lives, we think we know what's going to happen, but in reality, we adapt to situations that develop and opportunities open that you didn't know were there or someone asked you to take on a special project and that leads you in a direction that you didn't anticipate. So while mine seem particularly unusual in these very different chapters of my life, I don't think it's all that unusual. We just look forward and project in straight lines, and when we look backward, we tell a story in a narrative and it's not always a straight line. But I've been blessed to be asked to do some things. And perhaps in our relationship, my husband and I, he doesn't like change. I love it, and so in our relationship, he's kind of the keel and I'm kind of the sail, and together, we go places. Naviere Walkewicz 16:56 That's awesome. And I think that particular time and journey in your career serving in Congress was probably one that you established new tools in your leadership toolbox. Were there any that particularly stood out — moments, either when you were having to, you know, forge new policy or achieve things that you hadn't prior? Because Congress is a kind of different machine. Dr. Heather Wilson 17:21 Yeah, it's a very big committee, and it's not executive leadership. And so I'm probably more predisposed to executive leadership than just being on committees. It takes a very long time to get anything done in Congress, and our government is intentionally designed that way to protect us from tyranny. So you have to take that philosophical approach to it, even if you're frustrated day to day. I did learn how to get things done by giving other people credit. And there were several times — the changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is probably one example — where I had sponsored legislation in the House. It had taken quite a bit of time — changing Congress. There were continued problems, and I went to others and tried to put them in positions of leadership and support them. And ultimately, it was a Senate bill that passed, but which had been shaped in the background by multiple people, including me, and I was OK with that. And the same thing happened on pieces of legislation about public lands in New Mexico. I remember I came out in favor of doing something in northern New Mexico with respect to some public lands, and I got out ahead of Pete Domenici and he was not happy about that. He was very clear about not being happy about getting a little bit ahead of him on it. But in the end, the piece of legislation there that was signed, and another one on Zia Pueblo were Senate bills. They weren't House bills. But I had moved things forward on the House side, and it didn't matter to me that that it said “S” rather than “H” in front of the name of the bill. So as long as you don't really care about who gets the credit, you can get a lot done in the Congress. Naviere Walkewicz 19:11 That is a powerful lesson. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I think there's a Contrails quote, and I can't remember all of it, but I remember the end of it is, “…if you don't care who gets the credit.” Dr. Heather Wilson 19:11 Yeah, that was probably one of the short ones. Schofield's quote was — we all did pushups for those. Naviere Walkewicz 19:30 Yes, I had a starting moment. I was about to get down… Dr. Heather Wilson 19:35 … and start to sweat… Naviere Walkewicz 19:37 … and take my punishment. That was wonderful, ma'am. I'm glad we actually went back and did that journey. Dr. Heather Wilson 19:42 When I think about my service in the Congress, where I made the most difference, it was in committee work, and particularly on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where I served for a significant amount of time, including post-9/11. And I think that work, because the Intelligence Committee, most of it is in private, it's dealing with really hard, really important issues, and you don't bring your staff there. You have to do the work. And I think probably that's where I did some of my most important work as a member of Congress, was in Intelligence. Naviere Walkewicz 20:18 Thank you for sharing that. Who are some other influencers, some key influencers in your life, that have maybe walked alongside you or helped you in these different roles that you've carried in your amazing career. Dr. Heather Wilson 20:31 Oh, they're different people at different times, but certainly as a young person, my grandfather was very important to me. My grandfather had been one of the first flyers in the RAF in World War I, and then came to America in 1922 and flew in the Second World War for what became the Civil Air Patrol. So he did sub search off the Atlantic coast, and varied parts, around to bases, in New England. So, he was important to me as a child. My dad died when I was young. My dad also had been enlisted in the Air Force. He was a crew chief and also a pilot, commercial pilot, after he got out of the service. So I grew up around airplanes and my grandfather was very important to me, and there were other people along the way. When I was a cadet, there was a group commander, Lieutenant Colonel — it's funny, you still remember… anyone who remembers my middle initial, I know it's like, “Oh, this may not be good,” but Robert L. Rame, Lt. Col. Robert L. Rame was the 4th Group commander and my first Air Officer Commanding. General — sorry, Maj. William S. Reeder. He was an Army officer and had been a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Really, I was terrified of disappointing him. It's funny, I just got a Christmas card from him. Life's long, right? Naviere Walkewicz 21:53 Wow. What connections. I'd like to kind of go back a little bit to your grandfather. You said he was really important to you in your life. Can you share maybe some of the ways he influenced you? Obviously, you're third-generation aviator in your family. Is that how you knew you're going to go into service? Dr. Heather Wilson 22:08 Well, the Academy wasn't an option until I was a junior in high school, and so I knew I was going to college, but I didn't really think about where. And then they opened the Air Force Academy to women when I was a junior in high school. So, my grandfather had two sons, and he had five grandsons, and me. But he was pretty — I would say — the way he might say it is he was pretty sweet on me; he and I were very close. We used to play chess after school when I was in high school, and I remember once we just finished playing chess, and I was a senior in high school — so, my grandfather was an aviator; he was also a mechanic. He could use any tool, I mean, he was just amazing with his hands. And I had learned a new tool in school, and I took out a piece of graph paper and I drew a drew a curve, and I said, “Grandpa, do you think you could find the area under this curve?” And he said, “Well, I'd probably count up the squares and estimate from there on the graph paper.” And I then I showed him something new and it was called calculus, and it was the first time in my life that I realized I had a tool that my grandfather didn't have. He had a high school education and had gone into the RAF during the First World War, and he was a great mechanic and a really good man, but I realized that there were opportunities for me that maybe my grandfather never had. Naviere Walkewicz 23:56 I actually got chill bumps when you shared that. Pretty powerful. Thank you so much. Can you talk about, throughout your career — you said if people remember your middle initial, and I'm sure that many on the military side would, because you're amazing… Have you learned from anyone maybe that is not a mentor of you, but someone that has kind of come under your wing? Can you share some leadership lessons that you've learned from those serving alongside and under you? Dr. Heather Wilson 24:24 Oh my gosh, I learn stuff every day from the people whom I'm privileged to work with. And one of the things that I learned over time was, and as you get more senior, the most important thing you do as a senior leader is hire good people who know things that you don't know, because it's not possible to know everything you need to know to lead a large organization. So, you have to organize yourself well and then get great people and let them do their job. So, I learn things every day. I was interviewing somebody yesterday that we're trying to attract to come to the university who is on the communication side of things — marketing and communication and branding. And you know that creative, visual side of my brain, if you did a brain scan, it would be like a dark hole. That's not a strength of mine. And so those kinds of things are — you have to realize what your strengths are, and then to fill in the team and put together a team, which together can accomplish the mission. Naviere Walkewicz 25:34 I'd say your grandfather is still kind of, you know, influencing that. It's almost like you're filling your toolbox with all those areas. Dr. Heather Wilson 25:43 That's funny you use that word. I've told this story before, but my father was both a pilot and a mechanic, and he built an experimental aircraft in our house, and we lived on this, kind of the last house that they would plow to on the end of the road in the winter, right? So, in a very small town, and at that time, there were still traveling salesmen, and the Snap-on tools guy would come probably every six weeks or so, and he had this, like red truck with an accordion thing on the back that looked just like the toolbox in the corner of the garage, right? And we knew that when the Snap-on tools guy came, do not go out. I mean, it was like Christmas for my dad. Do not interfere when the Snap-on tools guy is there. And so he'd go out and lean against the truck, and we could see him laughing and stuff. And eventually my dad would reach in his pocket and pull out his billfold and give the guy a bill, and he'd go back, and he'd lift up the back of the accordion thing and reach in there and give my dad a tool. And my dad would — then the truck would back out, and go on to his next stop. But my dad would take that tool and we'd scramble into the garage to see what he got and stuff. And my dad would usually put that tool in the box in the corner and then go back to what he was doing that day, working on his car or whatever he was doing. And it occurred to me that my dad didn't need that tool that day, but he collected tools, and someday he'd need that tool. And I think great leaders collect tools even when they don't need them today, because they're going to be times when you bring everybody to — you know, there's that great scene in Apollo 13, but it happens around the staff and Cabinet table, and it'll happen in your planning room as a pilot where you've got a new problem, and everybody brings in their tools and says, “OK, how can we make a carbon monoxide filter, or carbon dioxide filter, out of what we've got here on the table?” So, collect tools. And I think that's one of the things I learned from my dad. Naviere Walkewicz 28:00 Oh, that is an amazing story. Can you share maybe a tool that you've had in your toolbox, that you learned way back when, maybe at the Academy, or as a young girl, that you've recently pulled out and used? Dr. Heather Wilson 28:12 Well, one of them — I'm not so sure it's recent, but when I was a small business owner, there was a group in New Mexico called Quality New Mexico, and they taught small business owners the Baldrige Principles for quality management. And then I ended up being the Cabinet secretary for child welfare in New Mexico. So, I took over a foster care system, which was under a federal consent decree for not getting kids forever homes and an overly crowded juvenile justice system. I mean, every intractable social problem was — I realized after a while why I became Cabinet secretary for child welfare, because nobody else wanted that job. I mean it was a really difficult job, but I had these tools on quality management. I thought, “I think we can apply these same principles to improving foster care, to improving the juvenile justice system.” And so we did, and there's some things I was proud of there, but one of my last acts as Cabinet secretary before I ended up leaving and running for Congress was to sign the end of the federal consent decree that had been in place for 18 years that said that the state was not getting foster kids forever homes. We changed the system, but we did it using those quality management principles, which I had learned as a small business owner almost as a lark. So, there's one example. But, you know, we just went through a global pandemic. It was very much a pickup game. Nobody had ever been through that. So, we all got together and figured out how we could use the tools we had, including the research capability on my campus to be able to sequence DNA so that we could do testing on campus and get the results, ultimately, within six hours and then feed that back so we could detect disease before someone was symptomatic, so you could suppress disease on campus for those who had to be on campus. There's some things you can't do remotely. And so, we had our own testing system on campus, which was remarkable. Well, why'd we have that? Because we had some tools in the box. Naviere Walkewicz 30:37 Well, you've used those tools amazingly as you've navigated your career. How would you say that — because yours is… we talked about not being linear. It's kind of been multiple paths and… Dr. Heather Wilson 30:50 Different chapters. Naviere Walkewicz 30:51 Yes, I love that. Different chapters. How would you say that you've navigated leadership through that? And has there been a thread that's been common through all those different chapters that you've… Dr. Heather Wilson 31:04 Yeah, we talked a little about integrity, and that certainly is there. But I when, when people say things like, you know, “Why are you at UTEP?” Or, “Why did you shift to higher ed?” Or, “Why did…” The mission matters so developing people matters. Defending the country matters. So, a mission that matters with people I like. And I realized that when you get down to it, you should do things that matter with people you like and if that's your filter, as long as you can put food on the table, there's a lot of different things you can do, but it should be something that matters with people you like. Otherwise, that time between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. can seem forever unless you're doing something you like. Naviere Walkewicz 31:49 That is a powerful thread. Mission matters with people you like. How has your family supported you through this? Dr. Heather Wilson 31:56 I live a blessed life. I tell this to students, and probably, as a younger woman, I wouldn't have said these things because I was so focused on being taken seriously, I suppose. But, I lightened up after time and realized, OK, I'm probably too serious. But the most important decision I've made in my life is not to go to the Academy or to run for Congress or to become a college president — none of those things are the most important decision I've made in my life. The most important decision I made in my life was to marry the guy I married. I married a guy who's actually retired Air Force now, but he was a lawyer. Despite that, he's a nice guy and sometimes, I think, particularly for women, there's always that fear that you're going to sit down when you're in a getting into a serious relationship, and it's going to be one of those conversations that says, “OK, we're thinking about making this permanent. Who's going to give up her career?” And it's not really a conversation, or at least maybe it wasn't in my era, but Jay never had that conversation with me. It was always we could do more together than either of us could do alone, and he has been so supportive of me. And, yeah, vice versa. But I had to go back east for something last week, and I knew that even in this big reception that I was in with all these people, that he wasn't going to be there, and if he was, he'd still be the most interesting guy in the room. So, I married well, and my family always — we're a very close family. And I think while my obligations to my family didn't end at the front porch, my family gave richness and dimension to my life that I never really anticipated as a young woman, and it's given me joy. Success seemed possible to achieve; joy always seemed like a gift from God, and I have had joy because of my family. Naviere Walkewicz 34:18 Thank you for sharing that. You talk about when you're hiring, you choose people that kind of fill gaps, but it sounds like, also on your personal team, you want to make sure that you're choosing it, you know... Dr. Heather Wilson 34:30 Yeah, you're going to be roommates for a long time. That matters. And there's the things that you just kind of have to get over. You know, I'm not going to clean around his sink, and he's not going to be bothered about the fact that my closet's color coordinated. I mean, we just live with that, right? Naviere Walkewicz 34:49 I appreciate that about you so much. You talked a minute ago about some things you learned about yourself as a leader. You know, “Not take myself too seriously.” Can you share a little bit more about that journey on your own, like that personal leadership journey that you've made? Dr. Heather Wilson 35:07 Yeah, and I think it's easier as you go on. And honestly, very early on, I was very often the only woman in the room, and so I wanted to be taken seriously. I was also very often the youngest person in the room. And so those two things made me want to be taken seriously. As I went on and got more responsibility, I realized that the truth is I am a very serious and successful woman. My husband would say that I was raised in the home for the humor impaired, and that I've been in therapy with him for over 30 years. So, I gradually learned to see the humor in life. I still am not one that stands up and tells jokes or something, but I see the humor in life and I don't take myself too seriously. The person that I watched who used self-deprecating humor better than any leader I've ever seen was actually Dave Goldfein. Everyone knew when he walked into a room, or if he stood up on a stage at a town hall meeting with a bunch of airmen or something — everybody knew that they were gonna laugh. At some point in that meeting we're gonna laugh, and not at someone else's expense, but at his. And it made people relax around him. He was very, very good at it. But I also knew that his self-deprecating humor was really a cover for exceptional competence, and I never underestimated that, but it made people relax and brought a little bit of joy to whatever intractable problem we were looking at. Naviere Walkewicz 36:51 Well, you shared about sometimes when you're coming up through your leadership, you were often the only woman in the room and sometimes the youngest in the room. What would you like to share on your thoughts of what has that impact been, and what do you see as your legacy? Dr. Heather Wilson 37:07 Well, there were some times, particularly early on, when women flying or women in positions of command was new, where you just had to do the job and realize that you were probably changing attitudes as you went and that it would be easier for those who came after you, and that's OK. I don't see that as much anymore. Although, when I was elected to Congress, I think probably 10% to 15% of the House was women. Now it's more than that, and once it gets to be more than 30% in any room, it doesn't sound — it's almost like you walk into a restaurant where it's all guys or all women, and you notice the difference in the room, the tones of the voices and things. Once you get to about a third, it feels like it's comfortable, but early on, I always was very conscious of it and conscious of the obligation to do well, because I was being judged not only for myself, but for an entire group of people. And so, I was sensitive to that, and wanted to make sure that I didn't, like — “Don't shame the family,” right? So make sure that you keep the doors open. As far as legacy is concerned, and I think back in my time as Air Force secretary, I would say there's two things that I hope linger, and they have so far. One is a change to the promotion system to make sure that we have the right kind of talent to choose from at all levels in the organization, and so that, I think, has continued to persist. And the other one that will be changed over time and has to be changed over time, had to do with the science and technology strategy of the Air Force and the need to stay ahead of adversaries. I think this is a completely separate conversation, but I actually think that that we are at greater risk of scientific and technical surprise today than at any time since the end of the Second World War. And if you go back and read books about engineers of victory, or there's a whole lot of books about how science and technology was brought to bear in prevailing in the Second World War. I think we're at risk now in a way that we've kind of become complacent about. So, science and technology strategy is something that I hope is a legacy. Naviere Walkewicz 39:36 That's amazing, ma'am. And I think not only for our military, but you're able to influence that in the spaces that you are now. Dr. Heather Wilson 39:43 Yeah, engaging the next generation, which is a heck of a lot of fun. You know, the University of Texas at El Paso is a wonderful institution — 25,000 students, half of them are the first in their families to go to college. About 70% or so come from families making less than about $45,000 a year. So, this is a university that transforms lives, and it's a university that — of my 25,000 students, over 5,000 are studying engineering. Another couple thousand are studying science, College of Nursing, College of Education. This has a tremendous impact on the region and on the lives of those who choose to educate themselves. And so it's a wonderful mission to be part of, and I think it's important for the nation. I think regions of the world who choose to educate their people in the 21st century will thrive, and those that don't are going to be left behind, and that's why I do what I do. Naviere Walkewicz 40:44 Well, it clearly aligns with your foundation and your mission, ma'am, and I think that's outstanding. We're going to ask for Dr. Wilson's final thoughts next, but before we do, I'd like to take a moment and thank you for listening to Long Blue Leadership. The podcast publishes Tuesdays in both video and audio and is available on all your favorite podcast platforms. Be sure to watch, listen and subscribe to all episodes of Long Blue Leadership at longblueleadership.org. So, Dr. Wilson, I would love to take a moment to gather some of your final thoughts, what you'd like to share today. Dr. Heather Wilson 41:21 Well, assuming that most of the folks who listen to this are either cadets or young officers or grads, I leave them with one thought, and that is, don't shame the family. Don't shame the family. People will look up to you because you are an Air Force Academy graduate, or you are an Air Force cadet. The standard is higher, so live up to the standard. Naviere Walkewicz 41:50 Ma'am, we started with you being direct. You ended direct. I think that is amazing. Thank you very much. Thanks for being on Long Blue Leadership. Dr. Heather Wilson 41:58 My pleasure. KEYWORDS leadership, Air Force Academy, integrity, mentorship, quality management, Dr. Heather Wilson, military service, personal growth, career journey, unexpected opportunities, leadership, integrity, family support, women in leadership, public service, legacy, mission-driven, personal growth, collaboration, Congress The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation
In this episode of Long Blue Leadership, Co-Hosts Naviere Walkewicz and Wyatt Hornsby reflect on the leadership lessons shared by accomplished graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy over the first two seasons. SUMMARY The hosts highlight key moments and insights from various guests, emphasizing the importance of personal connections, resilience, and the role of mentorship in leadership. They discuss the unique experiences of leaders like Coach Troy Calhoun, Brigadier General Gavin P. Marks, Nicole Malachowski, Madison Marsh, Lieutenant General BJ Schwedo, and Carl Falk, showcasing how their journeys can inspire others in their leadership paths. SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK TAKEAWAYS - Leadership is deeply personal and requires understanding your people. - The importance of resilience and the ability to bounce back from setbacks. - Mentorship plays a crucial role in developing future leaders. - Building relationships is essential in leadership roles. - Knowing your craft enhances credibility and effectiveness as a leader. - Leadership is about doing good and positively impacting others' lives. - Embracing vulnerability can lead to personal and professional growth. - It's important to risk failure in pursuit of big dreams. - Support from family and mentors can shape one's career trajectory. - Leaders should encourage others to pursue their passions and dreams. CHAPTERS 00:00 Celebrating Leadership Lessons from the Air Force Academy 02:11 Highlighting Coach Troy Calhoun's Leadership Philosophy 08:09 Insights from Brigadier General Gavin P. Marks 12:59 Nicole Malachowski: Overcoming Setbacks and Embracing Dreams 19:09 Madison Marsh: A Journey of Resilience and Purpose 23:27 Lessons from Lieutenant General BJ Schwedo on Future Conflict 28:23 Karl Falk: The Importance of Support and Grit in Leadership ABOUT THE HOSTS BIOS LT. COL. (RET.) NAVIERE WALKEWICZ '99 Senior Vice President, Engagement With over two decades in leadership roles, my current focus at the Association of Graduates - U.S. Air Force Academy is fostering a robust network of 50,000+ alumni. This commitment involves igniting a culture of engagement and inclusivity, underpinned by a strong foundation in support of our Air Force Academy. - BIO COPY CREDIT: LINKEDIN.COM MR. WYATT HORNSBY Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications | Executive Editor & Writer Wyatt Hornsby is passionate about developing marketing and communications talent and cohesive, high-performance teams. He is senior vice president of marketing and communications at the Air Force Academy Foundation and the Association of Graduates. He leads the work of the foundation and alumni association marketing and communications division, while also coordinating with various Air Force Academy offices, including Public Affairs and Strategic Communications. - BIO COPY CREDIT: LINKEDIN.COM ALL PAST LBL EPISODES | ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Send your feedback or nominate a guest at: socialmedia@usafa.org TED ROBERTSON: Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Multimedia and Podcast Specialist | LBL Podcast Network Producer and Editor RYAN HALL: Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org Assistant Director of Multimedia Production | LBL Podcast Network Director BRYAN GROSSMAN: Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Senior Director of Strategic Communications and Publications | LBL Podcast Network Copy Editor WYATT HORNSBY: Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications | Executive Editor & Writer | LBL Podcast Network Executive Producer FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Co-Hosts: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 | Mr. Wyatt Hornsby Guests: Coach Troy Calhoun '89; Brig. Gen. Gavin P. Marks '96; Col. (Ret.) Nicole Malachowski '96; 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh '23; Gen. BJ Schwedo '87; Mr. Karl Falk '98, Mr. Ted Robertson Naviere Walkewicz 00:20 Welcome to our Long Blue Leadership retrospective. We're celebrating our first two seasons and the countless leadership lessons shared by some of the most accomplished United States Air Force Academy graduates. Wyatt Hornsby 00:31 Naviere, seasons 1 and 2 have showcased amazing leadership stories and takeaways. From the very start, Long Blue Leadership has given listeners an inside look at real experiences, insights and advice from seasoned leaders, as well as those just beginning their leadership journeys. These deep dives have explored how leaders not only face challenges head-on but also find ways to inspire and empower those around them. Naviere Walkewicz 00:58 Yes, what really sets this podcast apart is the mix of our guests' perspectives on leadership. These discussions have touched on teamwork, perseverance, humility, excellence and service before self. Wyatt Hornsby 01:12 In this edition of Long Blue Leadership, we're sharing a few of our favorite moments. Not easy, because there are so many. Plus, we'll give you a preview of Season 3, which launches soon. Naviere Walkewicz 01:23 And so, without further ado, Wyatt, let's get into our Long Blue Leadership podcast. Wyatt Hornsby Let's do it, Naviere. Naviere Walkewicz Some of our favorite moments. This was not easy to do at all. Wyatt Hornsby 01:33 Indeed, it was not easy. Two seasons — and Naviere, while we're at it, I just want to congratulate you; awesome job on hosting Long Blue Leadership, and also a little plug for our friend Doug Lindsay as well for doing a great job as host. Naviere Walkewicz 01:46 It's been an amazing journey, and I think the biggest thing for me has been just being able to share some of the stories of our graduates. So, like we said, picking just a few of them was really hard, but it's been just a beautiful transformation of where we started and where we're going in Season 3. Wyatt Hornsby 02:01 It's been wonderful storytelling, and I hope that our listeners have been able to take away some great actionable insights for their own leadership journeys, whether they're Academy graduates or others seeking to develop as leaders. Naviere Walkewicz 02:13 I know I personally took some things away from all of these conversations. I think some of them we'll highlight today. Wyatt Hornsby 02:18 Wonderful. Let's do it. Looking forward to it. Naviere Walkewicz 02:21 So, I think you might have the first one you wanted to highlight. Wyatt Hornsby 02:24 So Naviere, as we said, I mean, it's so difficult to find our favorites. I mean, there are just so many across seasons 1 and 2. But I'm going to tell you, I was so struck by Coach Troy Calhoun, Class of '89. That conversation was absolutely awesome. And a couple of things stood out to me, and we'll listen to a clip from our conversation with Coach Calhoun, but a couple things that stood out to me was, I think a lot of people, when they think about Coach Calhoun and him coming on to do a conversation, they're probably going to expect him to talk about the Xs and Os and strategy and how the Falcons are looking for the season. But in this case, what Coach Calhoun did was he came in and he talked about his own leadership journey all the way from the beginning growing up in Oregon. And I just think that throughout the conversation, we learned a lot about him as a person, his family, his formative experiences. And really what I took away from it additionally, was the unique importance of athletics at the Academy, and how Coach Calhoun and his program, like all sports at USAFA, are developing leaders of character for our Air Force and Space Force. Just an awesome conversation. Naviere Walkewicz 03:37 It was an awesome conversation. I think it really talks about — one of the things that stood out, I think, in the clip that you picked up is really about how he views leadership and taking care of people. Let's give it a listen. Wyatt Hornsby Indeed. Troy Calhoun 03:49 You need to be doing something that you love, that you're passionate about. And the other part is, again, just the involvement that you have with your people. And, you know, to get in there, literally, where you're hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder. And I think sometimes, whether you're in a leadership role or maybe you have a certain rank, you think, “Well, I can't do that in order to maintain my distance professionally.” And I wholeheartedly disagree. I think you have to be able to operate from different perspectives as a leader. I think, clearly, you can still articulate and live the standards that are a part of your operation or your unit or your football program. But again, it's about people. Naviere Walkewicz 04:46 Well said. It really is. Wyatt Hornsby 04:47 Well said. Earlier in the conversation too, he had a point where he talked about three things, his philosophy of leadership. You talked to him about his philosophy of leadership. He talked about, as he said in that clip, being right there alongside your people. He talked about knowing your craft incredibly well — not just strategy, but also tactics. And as he mentioned in that clip really well, getting to know your people as humans and what makes them tick. It's easy to, listening to that conversation, it's easy to see why Coach Calhoun has been here for such a long time and been so successful as head football coach. Naviere Walkewicz 05:25 I think one of the lines I remember him sharing about when we talked about leadership was — I think I asked him, like, “It seems like it's really personal,” and he says, “Absolutely, leadership is personal.” It's about being… understanding who, you know, what's going on in their lives, because if you can understand what they're going through, then you can help them through some challenges and move them to, you know, whatever everyone else is working through together. And so, I really appreciated that he talks about getting to know his people on a personal level, and he challenges all of his coaches to do the same. I think there was a point where he even shared that if he knew some of the team members better than the coaches did, then that was a problem, right? And so, I think he wanted to make sure that being a good leader is knowing who your people are and what they need. Wyatt Hornsby 06:07 That's right. It's just so instructive and inspiring to those of us who are developing as leaders. And I mean, it goes without saying, college football is changing. It's changing a lot. But I think for Coach Calhoun, he just talks about, as you said, that importance of relationships. And amid all those in college sports, staying focused on the relationship aspect, getting to know his players and his coaches, and remaining hyper-focused on that mission, developing leaders of character for the Air Force and Space Force. Naviere Walkewicz 06:38 What was something that you took from that personally, that, you know, maybe has evolved the way that you lead or are thinking about leadership? Wyatt Hornsby 06:46 You know, I'm developing as a leader every day. I've had some tremendous mentors in my life, but I really — I enjoyed what he talked about, about knowing your craft. I think that's really important, because I think it helps you build credibility with those that you lead. Of course, you can't know everything about everything that you lead, but knowing your craft, understanding not just the strategies and the tactics, and I think that helps you build credibility with your team and provide the right leadership to set the vision and the priorities for your team. Naviere Walkewicz 07:21 I love that. I think what I took from that conversation was really about being humble. I mean, to be where he at is in his career, and I just felt across the table someone who was so humble in every day, learning from everyone around him and trying to really kind of give back in that way. That's something I always want to try and strive to do. Wyatt Hornsby 07:41 I agree completely. And by the way, he talked about his younger sister, a 10-time all-American, which is pretty incredible. She's also an Academy graduate. And I think if I recall, he said that he looks up to his younger sister. So, I took that away, too. Just a humble, humble leader. Naviere Walkewicz 07:59 I love that. Well, I'd like to go into one of my favorite moments, and it was with Brig. Gen. Gavin P. Marks, Class of '96, the commandant of the Air Force Academy currently. And this one was special for me, Wyatt, for multiple reasons. I have two cadets, as you know, that are going through the Air Force Academy under his leadership, but he was also my basic cadet commander. So, when I was at the Academy as a four-degree, he was leading us through Basic Cadet Training. And a funny story I'll share with you: When I was later in my career as a civilian working at Offutt Air Force Base. He was the wing commander at office Air Force Base, and I was working at STRATCOM, Strategic Command. I turned around a corner, and I immediately go, “Huh, Gavin P. Marks!” and he started laughing, and he goes, “What year are you?” And I said, “'99,” and he said, “It's good that you still remember my middle initial.” But it stuck out to me and then the funny thing after that, I said, “I never knew you had so many teeth,” because he would scare us. But the reason why this podcast was so special was because I think it brought me to a new level of understanding that — in remembering that we're all human right, and so we all have things that we go through. And so, to hear him from his humble days, talking about his mom, I really just enjoyed his perspective on, you know, his career, which wasn't necessarily a trajectory that he was planning. He certainly had some goals of he would love to have been the commandant at the Academy, but it certainly, you know — it kind of moved in a way that we'll talk about in this clip. And so, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on that conversation before we jump into the clip. Wyatt Hornsby 09:35 He has extraordinary presence — Gen. Marks does. And it came through not just in the podcast conversation. We had a reunion, several reunions, where he provided a senior leader briefing, and you can just feel that presence and that commitment and that dedication to the USAFA mission. And I'm really excited to hear this clip and then also share another thought on something from the conversation that really stuck out to me as well. Naviere Walkewicz 10:00 All right. Well, let's roll the clip. Brig. Gen. Marks 10:03 But as you command at higher levels, while the impact — and I probably should have said it this way: The impact that you would have on so many individual airmen's lives lessons, the impact that you can have on an individual airman's life magnifies based on rank. It is significant also, and I always — one of the things that I tell people all the time is, it's an oversimplification, but the only reason to have rank is to do good, is to do good things, to make things happen in a positive way that affect positively mission and benefit airmen's lives. That's it. That's all. And if rank becomes something different than that for you, you're in the wrong business, or we've given it to the wrong person. If I'm being honest with you. Naviere Walkewicz 10:55 What did you think about when you heard that? Wyatt Hornsby 10:56 I am glad that he is the commandant of cadets at the United States Air Force Academy. And I think that I would go so far as to say that what he said there probably reflects how many Air Force — probably all — Air Force Academy graduates feel about leadership, that it's an opportunity to do good for other people, to improve lives, to move people forward, to elevate performance, to lift others. So, super powerful. Naviere Walkewicz 11:24 I think what was also really great about our conversation was how he talked about the importance of family. And I think when you — sometimes when you think about a leader that's made it to such levels in their career, you think, “Well, it's career above everything else.” But he actually talked about how there are a couple of times when he might have retired had he not had the support from his wife and from his family. And I thought that was really insightful as well, where he really consulted them on some of his biggest decisions. Wyatt Hornsby 11:52 That's right, perhaps his closest and most valued partners in life. Naviere Walkewicz 11:56 Yes, I think that's something that our listeners can really value. I know I took that to heart as well, because while it is important, and obviously our professional lives are such a huge part of our lives, our lives are much more holistic than that, right? I think having your networks of support and leadership are really important. Wyatt Hornsby 12:14 I agree. And Naviere, while we're talking about Gen. Marks too, I gotta put in a plug, and I know we're not gonna listen to this clip, but he told an awesome story about a $20 bill and the Honor Code. Naviere Walkewicz Yes. Wyatt Hornsby And as I recall, he really talked about how that was one of the experiences that made him see this United States Air Force Academy — it's a unique and different kind of place. Naviere Walkewicz 12:38 Absolutely, and so if you missed that, it's a great time for you to go back to longblueleadership.org and listen to that clip in its full entirety. Wyatt Hornsby 12:48 That's right. Let's talk about Nicole Malachowski, Class of 1996. This conversation — it was a recent conversation that you had with her — really stood out to me on a couple of different levels. Even as a child, she set her sights on what she wanted to do in life, which was to become a fighter pilot. She was focused on that, and at the height of her career, she had a very difficult setback that she spoke I thought very openly and vulnerably about. I just really appreciated that. But in this clip that we're going to play, Naviere, and I'd love to hear your reaction before our good friend, producer Ted rolls it, I would love to just hear your thoughts about this clip and just really important advice that a mentor provided to her at a key moment. Naviere Walkewicz 13:33 I think you teed it up perfectly. I would say, from sitting across the table, what I felt when I heard that was just a sense of pride in remembering that we all bring something to the table, and empowerment in not being afraid to go forward with it. So, let's give it a listen. Nicole Malachowski 13:51 I remember thinking, “Thank God I didn't put myself out there. Thank God, Nicole,” you know… now I'm a 30-year-old captain, so I'm still a young person. “Thank God you didn't risk failure. Who are you to think you could be a Thunderbird? Silly girl.” Right? And in that moment, the weirdest thing happened, and I tell this story on stage sometimes. The door opened to the Officer's Club, and in walked the wing commander, Brig. Gen. Mark Matthews. And in that moment, over walks my squadron commander, a wonderful man by the name of Dan DeBree. His call sign was “Trash.” Get it? Trash, debris. Trash walks over, super excited, very supportive of my application, and he's like, “Hey, general, did you know Nicole's applying to be a Thunderbird?” Man, I mean, you could have slowed down time. I was like, “Ix-nay on the underbird-tay,” like, “This is terrible.” Neither of these guys knew that I had removed my application, and Dan's standing there all proud. He's my squadron commander, supporting me — a great man, again. And Mark Matthews looks down at me, Gen. Matthews, and he goes, “That's great. How's your application going?” And I'm like — I looked at him, and here's what happened. I said, “You know, so it's hard to be a Thunderbird, but I probably won't get picked. They haven't had a woman, so I don't want to waste anybody's time.” Naviere Walkewicz Oh, you said everything. Nicole Malachowski I said it. I said all of it, and this is kind of an embarrassing story to tell, but I'm just, this is the truth, right? This is the vulnerable truth of how this happened. And he looked down at me, and I will never forget this, and I hope folks listening who have big dreams and gnarly goals remember this. He looked down at me and he said, “Nicole.” Actually, he said, “Fifi.” My call sign. “Fifi, nobody wants to lead a scripted life.” And he walked away and left me in extraordinarily uncomfortable silence. And those words, “…nobody wants to lead a scripted life…” have become my life's mantra. Every time I get the knot in my stomach that says that dream is too big or that idea is too innovative, don't rock the boat. I remember what he said, because those words, like, they lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders, told me it was OK to dream big. It was OK to buck the status quo. It was OK to be different. He was telling me it's OK to risk failure in pursuit of personal, professional growth. And it's not so much I think he's telling you and me to write ourselves into the script. What he was saying was, don't ever write yourself out of the script, and as leaders and teammates, don't you ever write anybody else or their wild ideas out of the script either. Wyatt Hornsby 16:08 That is so powerful. I mean, I know that I have that inner critic, that voice that sometimes tells me, “Write yourself out of the script. You're not good enough. You're not going to make it. Why did you do that?” And probably a lot of us do. Naviere, what do you think? Naviere Walkewicz 16:24 Oh, definitely. I mean, even up to that, she had had that voice in her head, and she shared, right before that clip, she finally got the courage to go into the group commander's office to submit that package. And, you know, the person working at the desk said, “Well, he really only has one, you know, one slot to give so we don't want to waste it on you.” And I think those very specific words make that inner voice, that inner critic, even louder and just kudos to the wing commander for really kind of right setting, I think a perspective that has clearly shaped her life. Wyatt Hornsby 16:59 I agree completely. And we just talked about Gen. Marks and how he talked about doing good for others as a leader. And I think that's what we saw here with Gen. Matthews and the story that Nicole shared. Naviere Walkewicz 17:11 Yes. There were so many amazing moments in her session with me, in her podcast, and so another one that I wanted to call out, because I think many may not know until they listen to her full story, but she actually battled a pretty critical, life-changing disease, and, frankly, she talked about resilience and how resilience is important, but really for her, it was about resurgence. I thought that was pretty powerful in that podcast as well. Did that kind of speak to you in any way? Wyatt Hornsby 17:42 It really did. And I actually think it kind of goes back to “no one wants to lead a scripted life.” I don't think Nicole definitely had that in the script, her health challenge. But it came, and she spoke very honestly about it, about how difficult it was. She had some really, really difficult days, and she found a way forward. She wrote that new script for what she was going to do with the rest of her life. So, that moment really stuck out to me too. Super powerful conversation, and I got the sense too as I was listening to Nicole — and you did such a great job with that conversation — was that she knows who she is. You can tell that she has thought deeply about who she is as a person, as a leader, and she wants to go out and engage with and inspire other audiences and other leaders. So, really came out beautifully in this conversation. Naviere Walkewicz 18:34 That was, in fact, I think one of her giving nuggets to others that were listening was really take the time to know who you are and know what you believe in, what you stand for, and then the rest kind of fills in the blanks. Wyatt Hornsby Well said. Naviere Walkewicz Well, the next one that I want to speak about is 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, Class of '23 and Miss America. Wyatt Hornsby Miss America. Naviere Walkewicz Miss America. Can we just say that? But what was so great about this particular podcast was, yes, she is Miss America, but we spent so much time getting to know her. And really, I think the depth of who Madison Marsh is, it really kind of blew my mind. Wyatt Hornsby 19:11 Yes. And similar to Nicole Malachowski — Madison Marsh, she had something really difficult happen to her that she's going to go into in the clip that we talked about, and no one should have to go through what Madison did, but she found a way forward. And I think just her story is remarkably inspiring. Naviere Walkewicz 19:33 I actually don't want to give it away. I think we should just roll the clip. Wyatt Hornsby 19:35 Let's do it. Madison Marsh 19:36 I basically printed out all of my essays that I knew that people had to submit in the past for the Academy. I did resumes. I came with my GPA, everything, and I walked right up to my congressman and I handed it to him, and I said, “I want to go to the Air Force Academy, and I want to be your nominee.” And I'm sure he was like, who's… Naviere Walkewicz …I love every bit of this… Madison Marsh So, I was very firm early on, and so we were able to start an incredible relationship with one another. And so, because I did that — I think that was maybe my junior year, early on in my junior year — when it came time my senior year, he fought for me all of the time to get my application in front of people, because I was his principal nominee, and we had a very, very special moment. So, he called me on Oct. 31 and told me that I had gotten early acceptance to the Academy, and so I got to tell my mom, and the next morning she passed away. So having an experience like that is — that's why the Academy and Congressman Womack are so special to me, because that was my dream for years, and my mom got to know before she passed away. And it's just everything happens at the right timing, and you never know until afterwards. And so, now I get to be here; now I get to wear the uniform. And even though she hasn't gotten to see it, she got to know about it. And it just because of those first instances where I marched up to him and I said, like, I want to be here. I got to have experiences like that. And now I get to have wonderful experiences of now serving post-Academy life. Naviere Walkewicz 21:04 I mean, I think that clip still gives me feelings of in that moment where she shared that because I had known that her mom had passed away. But I think what was so powerful about her sharing that story was in the bit of, you know, believing in yourself, going full for something, and then having someone believe in you and champion you to the point where, when you actually get there, and having her mom spend that with her before she passed. I just — that moment was something really special. Wyatt Hornsby 21:34 It really is powerful. It must have been an honor and a privilege to have been able to share that moment with Lt. Marsh. Naviere Walkewicz 21:41 It really was, and I think her whole conversation — what really inspired me, first, the fact that she actually started a foundation in her mom's name, the Whitney Marsh Foundation, but also more so that it actually shaped how she was as a cadet. She talked about, when she had the opportunity to champion others, so, you know, as she progressed in her cadet years, she wanted to make sure that other cadets had someone that they could talk to, so that she would be a voice for them, that she would hear them, and she would see them. And I think that was really powerful, because sometimes she was saying how she had felt lost and how she didn't have that support. And so, she turned it around and made sure that she was that person for someone else. Wyatt Hornsby 22:19 Another example, Naviere, of someone who uses leadership opportunities to do good for others. Naviere Walkewicz 22:25 Absolutely. And I thought, what was also fascinating, as such a young officer, she also — to Nicole Malachowski's point — took some time to know herself because she had been groomed, or maybe not groomed is not the right word, but she had, since early times of wanting to go to the Academy, had thought, I'm going to be a pilot and had been working towards her hours and her private pilot's license to get to the point where she could go to pilot training and become a pilot. And said, “Maybe this, this isn't my trajectory,” and looking into policy and so I think to the point of knowing who you are and knowing what you know you're really passionate about. Also, to what Coach Troy Calhoun said, they all kind of weave together. I thought that was really powerful. Wyatt Hornsby 23:06 Agree. I thought it was very powerful too. And I'm really excited — I'm sure you are too, and a lot of graduates — just to see what she does with her life. I think that she's going to do some great work, and I think we're going to continue to hear about the amazing work that Madison Marsh is pushing forward, whether it's with cancer research and treatments or some other very, very important, worthy cause. Naviere Walkewicz 23:29 Absolutely. No doubt about that. Wyatt Hornsby 23:32 All right. Naviere, this next one, this was early Season 1, and our friend Dr. Doug Lindsay hosted this conversation. Doug is Class of 1992. It really stood out to me, and it was a conversation with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) B.J. Shwedo, Class of '87. Remarkable conversation with the director of the USAFA Institute for Future Conflict about the role that graduates are going to continue to play in our nation's security. Naviere Walkewicz 23:59 I agree. Gen. Shwedo is such a dynamic speaker, and every time I have a chance to hear from him, I learn something new. But maybe for the sake of our listeners, in case they haven't heard that one yet, can you talk about what the IFC is? Wyatt Hornsby 24:10 The IFC is the Institute for Future Conflict. So, it stood up a couple of years ago at the United States Air Force Academy. And really the goal is to inculcate across the Academy — and I'm not going to do this justice the way Gen. Shwedo can — but to inculcate across the Academy a focus on preparing cadets for what they will be facing amid Great Power Competition and for them to be able to bring that holistic thinking and that multi-domain thinking to how to fight and win the nation's wars if they are called upon. Naviere Walkewicz 24:45 It's pretty incredible, some of the things that our cadets are exposed to. I remember when I was a cadet, I couldn't imagine have been briefed by some of our combatant commanders and having top-secret clearance levels to understand, really, what the adversary looks like and what we're up against. But they're looking at it across all different domains, and it's preparing our soon-to-be graduates for what's up for them right after. Wyatt Hornsby 25:11 That's right. And one thing I'll mention before we roll the clip: Like you Naviere, I've heard Gen. Shwedo talk. In fact, we've been in probably many of the same talks, and graduates respond so well to what he shares, and I think it just instills even more confidence in the mission and the priorities of the Air Force Academy. So, without further ado, what do you say we roll that clip? Naviere Walkewicz Let's roll the clip. Gen. Shwedo 25:34 What we got to do is make them aware of the environment we're dumping them in. And case in point, I have one cadet he raises his hand like, you know, “Hypersonic missiles — I don't understand what's the big deal about that.” And I go, “OK, well, first of all, yes, they're fast, but as you remember from Physics 110, a ballistic missile trajectory is all mathematics. That's how the Patriot works. Hypersonic missiles can maneuver. So, all your math is now dead,” and go, “Oh, by the way, when you look down the range and you see all those antennas, NORAD, for the most part, was looking up to the north, because the quickest way to get an ICBM to the United States was over the top. You can actually take a hypersonic missile, put it in a low-Earth orbit, and that attack will come out of Antarctica.” Same cadet immediately raises his hand and goes, “So the maneuvering, is that RF, command guy?” and he's immediately trying to get into it. And I'm like, “I love you, man.” Because honestly, when you start making them aware of the threats, they immediately start thinking countermeasures. So, from the leadership standpoint, they understand that piece. Naviere Walkewicz 26:44 Yes, I think that is huge. And it really talks about understanding what you're up against. I think what I really loved about what Gen. Shwedo said, was having the awareness allowed for them to start thinking about countermeasures. And I think that really does translate to leadership. When you have awareness of things, you can make better decisions. You can think about how you take care of your people better. It just actually translates across so many levels of leadership. What do you think? Wyatt Hornsby 27:09 I agree completely, and I think too, just spending time with cadets — you would know better than I Naviere, you have two up on the Hill right now — but so curious, so curious. And they're here for a reason. They had choices in where they could have pursued what they wanted to do after high school, and they chose the United States Air Force Academy because they want to serve our country and, if called upon, fight and win those nation's wars. And so, just kudos to the work not only Gen. Shwedo is doing, but the cadets too, who are just so curious and so responsive to that awareness and really thinking deeply and preparing themselves for what the world is confronting the United States and our allies with. Naviere Walkewicz 27:53 Absolutely. I think, what I really appreciate about Gen. Shwedo as well is he's another graduate that's giving back to our Academy, right? He's facilitating all of these lessons. He's helping to really promote how we can do this better. But it goes to show how our graduates are really involved with our Air Force Academy. Wyatt Hornsby 28:12 A lifetime of service. I think that's what Gen. Shwedo would say. He came back because he wanted to continue to serve. Naviere Walkewicz 28:18 Yes, absolutely. Well, the last moment that we'll talk about — and again, this was so hard, because there were so many good ones — comes from Karl Falk, Class of '98 the CEO of Botdoc. And this one was special for me, not only because we were at the Academy together, but I didn't know him then, and I know him now as a parent of also a cadet at the Academy. And his story was so, so incredible. Because when you think of a CEO of anything, you think, “Wow, this person's so accomplished. They've done all of these things.” And, you know, they must be doing great, and he is, but it started from humble beginnings. And when you take the time to listen to his podcast, it will really kind of help you see that you can start from anywhere and achieve anything, just as he did. This particular clip I have picked for us to listen to, though, is about kind of having people in your corner, and when people recognize in you, maybe before you do, how they can champion you. Let's give it a listen. Karl Falk 29:20 You know, being in Texas, there's more spotlight on football, and I had some very good coaches. My head football coach in high school, Coach Bubba Fife — everyone in Katie knows Bubba Fife — and even to this day, he's still involved in the in the school district. But he was a big advocate for me, with coaches that came by, and there's some stuff I didn't find out until out until later in life where, you know, back then, it wasn't common for the school to provide shoes and, you know, some guys had their own pads and stuff like that. And I remember my mom years later telling me that actually Coach Fife came to her with money and said, “This is, uh — get him some shoes.” Sorry. That got to me a little bit more than I thought it was gonna be. So, I guess what I can say is, there's been a lot of people, I'm where I'm today because of a lot of people throughout my entire life, and I have a lot to be grateful for. But I was very fortunate to have those coaches in my life because — there was actually a time, this is actually a crazy story. There was a time where — so, I was the big, fat tuba player too. So, I kind of did everything because I enjoyed it, but there was a point where I kind of had to make a decision, because I was actually the guy that was playing football, and then, you know, marching band and football, and that's really tough to do. And I had made up in my mind that I was going to quit football, and because, you know, I didn't have a dad around, and my mom wasn't really into sports, like, I am and my kids are now. And I made up my mind, so I went to talk to one of the coaches, Coach Schubert, and, and I told him, I said, “I'm gonna quit football and, you know, I'm gonna be in the band.” And, and he looks at me, he goes, “No!” Naviere Walkewicz 31:22 Right there. Sometimes the best answer you can get from a boss or a mentor or anybody is, “no.” What do you think, Wyatt? Wyatt Hornsby 31:29 And by the way, Naviere, I'm trying to figure out the logistics. How do you play football and participate in the band? I played football in high school. I just don't know how you do that. Naviere Walkewicz 31:40 You probably didn't change your clothes. You probably wore your uniform, though. Wyatt Hornsby 31:43 Oh my gosh, like, I don't even know how you do that. But no, this was an extraordinary conversation. And you know, one of the things I like about the conversations that you've led and hosted, Naviere, is really going back to the beginning. And my takeaway from that conversation with Karl and that clip that we just played: He's never forgotten where he came from. As you said, he's become very successful in life. He's done well for himself, but he's never forgotten where he came from and who helped him along the way. Sometimes, Naviere, it just takes a pair of shoes. Naviere Walkewicz 32:19 Oh gosh, that conversation was like I was getting to know someone all over again, because I got to know him as a parent of a fellow cadet. Him and his sons, Alec and Arden, were cadets there at the Prep School, now in the Class of '27, but seeing him through his own eyes, it just opened up a whole new experience for me. And I think one of the things I appreciated about his conversation as well was he talked about some of the tough times in getting to be successful. And while, yes, he had those people in his corner that helped him get there, there were times when — I think he even said, you know, “I didn't pay myself, like we might have missed a meal so that my folks could eat,” when he was still building his business. And I think it talks about the grit and kind of hard work and perseverance it takes to become successful. So, while he never forgot where he came from, he also talked about kind of the path to get there, and just the resilience and all of that in that. And I thought that was a really powerful story he shared. Wyatt Hornsby 33:13 Agree, and I would suspect that grit and that perseverance, those were formed early in life, but then also really developed when he was here at the Academy. What do you think? Naviere Walkewicz 33:26 Agree. And I think, and we talked about the lifetime of service that our graduates live. His company has actually given back to the Class of '27 through various ways. And so, I think it really does kind of show how, you know, you never forget where you come from, and then when you can, you give in ways that are meaningful. I think that's really powerful too. Wyatt Hornsby 33:44 That's right. Well, Naviere, that was an awesome conversation. I just so enjoyed revisiting those conversations, and again, just mad congratulations to you, and thanks to you and Doug for just doing such a great job. I mean, this was tough, choosing the conversations that we just talked about, because there are just so many great ones, so many great ones. And I hope that our listeners will go back and listen to those conversations from seasons 1 and 2. But while they're at it, also tell others about Long Blue Leadership. Help spread the word, because these conversations are really impactful. Naviere Walkewicz 34:20 Absolutely, and we can really use feedback coming directly to us at socialmedia@usafa.org. That's a way they can directly let us know what they enjoyed, what we can do better and what they can look forward to in Season 3. Wyatt Hornsby 34:32 That's right. I mean, the podcast space, it's competitive, and there are a lot of great podcast shows out there, and so we know we just have to continue to raise that bar and elevate what we're doing. So, our listener feedback is so important and just continuous improvement and excellence in all we do. Naviere Walkewicz 34:49 Absolutely. Well, thanks. Wyatt. Well, before we share what's coming up in Season 3, we'd like to take a moment and thank you for listening to Long Blue Leadership. The podcast publishes Tuesdays in both video and audio and is available on all your favorite podcast platforms. Watch or listen to all episodes of Long Blue Leadership at longblueleadership.org. Wyatt Hornsby 35:11 Naviere, this was a real pleasure. I really enjoyed talking about these awesome episodes from seasons 1 and 2. And while we're at it, let's also thank our good friend Ted, who's done just remarkable work in helping to produce this show. And our listeners may not get to hear much from Ted, but he is behind the scenes doing awesome work on the show. Naviere Walkewicz 35:32 He really is. Ted makes us look great, and when you say congratulations to me, it's only because Ted has been right alongside me all this way, and Doug, and anyone else that's been part of this podcast. It really has been us working with Ted. Wyatt Hornsby 35:46 So, Ted, I'm going to put you on the spot. Share with us a little bit about maybe a couple of your takeaways from seasons 1 and 2, and what this process, what this experience has been like for you. Ted Robertson 35:59 I can think about the first day I walked in the door, had my first eyes on the studio, and I'm thinking, “We're gonna have some fun here. We're gonna touch some lives, and we're gonna do some great things.” And it's been a real privilege to be a part of the communications team. And I talk a lot about the people that I work with, but Naviere, you've become a partner, and together, along with everybody else on the team, we're looking forward to bringing some more of these moments to our listeners and just sharing what leadership is all about. And we want to make it global. So, Season 3 coming and lots of great things to come in Season 3. I hope that sort of answers your question. The highlights for me are working with all of you. Naviere Walkewicz 36:50 Aww, thanks, Ted. And speaking of what Ted was talking about, Season 3 is coming up. Should we share some of the amazing guests we're gonna have on the podcast? Wyatt Hornsby 36:59 I think we should, Naviere, I mean, I am like you. I am so excited about Season 3. We've got some amazing names and Naviere. One of our guests is going to be Dr. Heather Wilson, Class of '82, 24th secretary of the Air Force. And she's also currently the president of the University of Texas, El Paso. So cannot wait to have the secretary — I don't know whether to call her Secretary Wilson or Dr. Wilson. Naviere Walkewicz 37:23 I'm sure I'm going to find out, because I'm so excited to have that conversation with her as well. Wyatt Hornsby 37:27 Likewise, and Naviere, I think also, we have a classmate who we're going to be talking to? Naviere Walkewicz 37:31 Oh, we have a couple of classmates, actually. So, one of them, Joel Neeb goes by call-sign “Thor,” — Class of '99, Gold Will Shine — who has been a tremendously successful fighter pilot. He's authored some books, a former CEO, but he dealt with some very specific, I think, health challenges that shaped a new trajectory for him. And I'm not going to give it away. I think that's what they'll learn about in the podcast. Wyatt Hornsby 37:56 I've had a couple of opportunities to spend time with Thor, and I'm excited about this one too. I think it's going to be an awesome conversation. Naviere Walkewicz 38:03 Yes. And his is one where it really is about family too. I think we're going to hear some of that. And then my other classmate is with the FBI, so Mark McCulloch, Class of '99, and I think you've actually done a story on him recently on your team. Wyatt Hornsby 38:17 I think we did a story on him in Checkpoints a couple of years ago, written by Jeff Holmquist. Yeah, I can't wait for this one too. Naviere Walkewicz 38:26 It's amazing what Class of '99 is doing, but there's others. Who else shall we highlight today, Wyatt? Naviere Walkewicz 38:43 We also have some young alumni, current board directors that will be speaking to. One of them is a Young Alumni Excellence Award winner, Emma Przybyslawski, Class of 2010. Wyatt Hornsby 38:51 Can't wait to hear that one. And Emma — so she recently, as you said, received the Young Alumni Excellence Award. And I thought I knew Emma, and I learned a few things about her in our profile of her. So, that's going to be an awesome conversation. Naviere Walkewicz 39:06 Can't wait to speak with her. And then Joe Bledsoe, class president for the Class of 2011, but also working with Gen. Shwedo right now. Wyatt Hornsby 39:13 That's right. He's a fellow up in the Institute for Future Conflict. And again, just a remarkable graduate, a fighter pilot, really looking forward to that conversation. end of year. One other that I'm really excited about, Matt Kuta, Class of 2005 co-founder of Voyager Space and a former fighter pilot, really looking forward to that conversation as well. Naviere Walkewicz 39:36 We have so many amazing grads to share stories with, and we could go down the list, but I think that's a good one just to, you know, whet the appetite. What do you think? Wyatt Hornsby 39:44 I agree completely. I'm just excited about Season 3 and we'll get this going. Naviere Walkewicz 39:49 Absolutely. Wyatt, this has been a blast. Thank you so much for joining me today. Wyatt Hornsby 39:53 And thank you for inviting me, Naviere. This was a lot of fun. Naviere Walkewicz 39:57 Absolutely, and we thank you for joining us as well. We can't wait to share our third season of Long Blue Leadershipbeginning this February. You can expect more compelling stories from outstanding USAFA graduates, each sharing unique perspectives and practical advice on overcoming challenges and inspiring others. With a mix of thought-provoking conversations and real-life experiences, Season 3 promises to engage, inspire and empower both seasoned and aspiring leaders alike. Visit longblueleadership.org for more episodes and to subscribe. Also, nominate a guest or send us your feedback at socialmedia@usafa.org, and finally, Long Blue Leadership is available on all of your favorite podcast apps. We can't wait to see you there. KEYWORDS leadership lessons, season highlights, guest perspectives, teamwork, perseverance, humility, service, season three preview, Gavin Marks, Commandant of Cadets, Nicole Malachowski, Thunderbird pilot, tick born illness, Lyme Disease, Coach Calhoun, Falcons Football, Madison Marsh, Miss America, Karl Falk, Bot Doc, B.J. Schwedo, Institute for Future Conflict, leadership journey, character development, personal growth, mentorship, resilience, future conflict The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation
Phát biểu ngày 20-11, giờ địa phương, người phát ngôn Thomas Buchanan của STRATCOM tuyên bố Mỹ không mong muốn sử dụng vũ khí hạt nhân nhưng sẵn sàng làm vậy nếu cần thiết và vì lợi ích quốc gia.
Courtenay invites author Gary Bonick Jr to the show to discuss his extensive research on NATO's StratCom and cognitive warfare. They discuss the tactics and implications of a private, unregulated influence industry that works in all sectors for all affiliations of military, political, corporate arenas. ▶ Follow & Connect with Gary Bonick Jr: ✩Linktree: https://linktr.ee/garybonickjr ✩Twitter: https://x.com/uremomsnamehere ✩ Gary Bonick Jr's videos: https://www.youtube.com/@SpotTheOp/videos ▶ Gary Bonick Jr's books: ✩Political & Cognitive Warfare or Strategic Communications https://amzn.to/3YG8qzO ✩History of Behavioural Engineering: Eugenics, The Mental Hygiene Movement & the Tavistock Institute https://amzn.to/3AvDrib ✩The Political-Military Complex: A Retrospect of Counterinsurgency (COIN) and Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) https://amzn.to/4fMui3K ✩Manufacturing Global Dissent: WikiLeaks, U.S. State Department, & The Albert Einstein Institute https://amzn.to/4fs98b8 ___________________________________________________________________ ▶ GET On-Demand Access for Courtenay's Cognitive Liberty Conference: https://cognitivelibertyconference.com ----------------------------------------- ▶ Follow & Connect with Courtenay: https://www.courtenayturner.com ✩ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/courtenayturner ▶ Support my work & Affiliate links: ✩Buy Me A Coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/courtzt ✩GiveSendGo: https://www.givesendgo.com/courtenayturnerpodcast ✩Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/Courtenay-Turner ✩Cash App: https://cash.app/$CourtzJT ✩ Gold Gate Capital (Secure Your Wealth!) https://bit.ly/COURTZGoldSilver ✩ SatPhone123 (Claim Your Free Satellite Phone!) https://bit.ly/COURTZ123 Promo Code: COURTZ ✩ Richardson Nutritional Center: (B-17!) https://rncstore.com/courtz ✩ Relax Far Infrared Saunas: (Warm Up!) https://relaxsaunas.com/COURTZ Discount Code: COURTZ ✩Discover The Magic of MagicDichol: https://iwantmyhealthback.com/COURTZ ✩Defy The Grid With Real Currency.....Goldbacks!: https://bit.ly/Courtenay-Turner-Goldbacks Promo Code: COURTZ ✩Honey Colony "Where The Hive Decides What's Healthy": https://bit.ly/HoneyColony-COURTZ Promo Code: COURTZ ▶ Follow Courtenay on Social Media: ✩Twitter:https://twitter.com/KineticCourtz ✩Substack: https://courtenayturner.substack.com ✩TruthSocial: https://truthsocial.com/@CourtenayTurner ✩Instagram: https://instagram.com/kineticcourtz ✩Telegram: https://t.me/courtenayturnerpodcastcommunity ▶ Listen to &/or watch the podcast here! https://linktr.ee/courtenayturner ————————————————— ▶ Disclaimer: this is intended to be inspiration & entertainment. We aim to inform, inspire & empower. Guest opinions/ statements are not a reflection of the host or podcast. Please note these are conversational dialogues. All statements and opinions are not necessarily meant to be taken as fact. Please do your own research. Thanks for watching! ————————————————— ©2024 All Rights Reserved Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Adam and Curtis discuss the recent STRATCOM deterrence symposium and a panel featuring Congressman John Garamendi, who advocated for fewer nukes and elimination of the ICBM. In addition to offering responses to the congressman's arguments, they also review the different perspectives of realists and idealists when it comes to nuclear deterrence.
In this episode of NucleCast, host Adam interviews Pat Rhodes and Dave Jonas, who have been writing a series of articles on nuclear issues. David S. Jonas is a partner at the law firm of Fluet, Huber & Hoang (FH+H). His practice includes corporate transactions, employment law, government contracts, trial and appellate litigation, international law, administrative/regulatory compliance and investigations. He has extensive experience in national security issues and is recognized as one of a handful of experts worldwide in nuclear nonproliferation law. He was a career member of the Senior Executive Service and served as General Counsel of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) where he negotiated numerous multilateral and bilateral international agreements to include the U.S. – India Civil Nuclear Agreement. He also served as General Counsel of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.Prior to his civilian service, he was a career Marine Corps officer where he held a wide variety of command and staff billets. He served as nuclear nonproliferation planner for the Joint Chiefs of Staff negotiating multiple international agreements and has worked extensively with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Conference on Disarmament, and the United Nations. He is one of the only judge advocates to have commanded two units, including a company in an infantry regiment, the 5th Marines. He argued the case of Davis v. United States, 512, U.S. 452 (1994) at the U.S. Supreme Court becoming the first judge advocate in the history of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force to do so. He received the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Award for Excellence in Legal Writing and was selected as the Outstanding Career Judge Advocate in the Marine Corps. He concluded his military service as a lieutenant colonel. Patrick Rhoads had a thirty-eight-year career as an engineer with the National Nuclear Security Administration. He started with Naval Reactors as an ensign in the Navy and worked his whole career in the uses of nuclear energy for national security missions. His career included nuclear design, construction, and operations. Late in his NNSA career, he led many nuclear construction activities, including billion-dollar acquisitions, and served as the Chief of Staff in three different organizations. After retiring from NNSA in 2020, he joined the National Strategic Research Institute as the Director of Nuclear Research. NSRI is a University Affiliated Research Center, chartered by STRATCOM, whose mission is to address Weapons of Mass Destruction.Socials:Follow on Twitter at @NucleCastFollow on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nuclecastpodcastSubscribe RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/Rate: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nuclecast/id1644921278Email comments and topic/guest suggestions to NucleCast@anwadeter.org
Zaman zaman bu köşede kaleme aldığım yazılarda, değişen bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerinin oynadığı role ilişkin analizler yapıyorum. 90'lar boyunca internetin gelişimi ve askeri alanda kullanımının rolü bugün yapay zeka ve bulut sistemleri üzerinden tartışılmaktadır. Her geçen gün yeni teknolojilere entegre bir sistem inşa etme çabası, hiç kuşkusuz çağın koşullarına ayak uydurma ile ilgili. Sınır kavramının bulanıklaştığı günümüz dünyasında, sınır ötesinden gelen tehditleri ortadan kaldırma ve bu alanda karşılaşılan riskleri öngörebilme konusu sadece bireyler ya da şirketlerle sınırlı değil. Devlet ve devlet üstü topluluklarının da büyük önem verdiği bilim ve teknoloji konusu, çağın koşullarına entegre olamayanların oyun dışı kaldığı bir ortamı da söz konusu kılmaktadır. Nitekim Sosyal Darwinist bir dünyada, bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerindeki yeni koşullara adapte olamayan devletlerin güvenliklerini sürdürebilme ve egemenliklerini devam ettirebilme koşullarında ciddi sorunlar ortaya çıkmaktadır. Güncel Krizler ve Yeni Koşullar Rusya ile Ukrayna arasında yaşanan gerilimin sıcak bir çatışmaya dönüşmesinin ardından, siber uzay, medya ve bilgi teknolojilerinin de savaşın seyrini değiştirmek amacıyla yoğun biçimde kullanıldığına şahit oluyoruz. Rus bankalarının uluslararası para transferi sağlayan SWIFT sisteminden çıkarılması, Russia Today ve Sputnik'in AB'de yasaklanması, bununla birlikte başta ABD olmak üzere NATO bünyesinde kurulan STRATCOM üzerinden de Rusya'nın Batı'da uyguladığı iddia edilen siber savaş ve dezenformasyonuyla mücadele edilmesi, bu gerçekliğin algılanması açısından oldukça önemli. Avrupa Birliği'nde üst düzey görevleri icra eden Josep Borrell'in “Rusya'nın sadece Ukrayna'yı fiziksel olarak işgal etmek istemediği bunun yanı sıra zehirli mesajlarla ve yalan haberlerle insanların zihinlerini de etkilemeye çalıştığını” yönündeki ifadeleri dikkate değerdi. Nitekim Rusya'nın TikTok üzerinden Ukrayna'daki savaşın psikolojik boyutunu etkilemeye yönelik manipülatif videolar ürettiği Batı'nın şikayet ettiği konular arasında. Bu ve benzeri temalar üzerinden NATO bünyesindeki STRATCOM'un yayınladığı raporlarda sıklıkla Rusya'nın siber alan ve sosyal medya üzerinden üretebileceği tehditlere dikkat çekilmesi ve bunlarla ilgili önleyici çalışmalar yapılması önemli.
In this episode of NucleCast, Adam interviews Ken Myers, the former director of DTRA (Defense Threat Reduction Agency 2009-2016), about the agency's mission and history. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, he was the fourth and longest serving director of the agency. He oversaw an annual $3 billion budget and operated simultaneously as a defense agency, combat support agency, and a Combatant Command component safeguarding America and its allies from weapons of mass destruction. Under his leadership DTRA/SCC was awarded four Joint Meritorious Unit Awards and Ken was awarded the Secretary of Defense's Exceptional Public Service Award.In this episode, he discusses DTRA's role as a defense agency, combat support agency, and element of the U.S. Strategic Command. He also explores DTRA's involvement in various missions, including nonproliferation, countering weapons of mass destruction, and support for the warfighter. The conversation covers the evolution of DTRA's mission, the shift of the CWMD mission from STRATCOM to SOCOM, and the role of defense support agencies in supporting the combatant commands. Myers shares his insights on the need for continued technological advancement, bipartisan support for national security, and the importance of maintaining the credibility of the U.S. nuclear weapons stock.Socials:Follow on Twitter at @NucleCastFollow on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nuclecastpodcastSubscribe RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/Rate: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nuclecast/id1644921278Email comments and topic/guest suggestions to NucleCast@anwadeter.org
My favorite email of the morning came from Jennifer: "I am appreciative of you even having Dane on your show. While you were flippant, at least the conversation took place."
The Defence Secretary warns of tough times ahead...we look at those warnings but also hear from another of Britain's most senior military chiefs who has a more hopeful message. The Head of Stratcom rarely speaks to the media, but we hear his take on the state of the world.Also on Sitrep Is diplomacy still a thing? Does it achieve anything? We speak to a former Army Officer who's worked as a defence attaché representing the UK in 25 countries.And what do the Houthis actually have in their arsenal?....plenty, according to an expert on the group that's still causing chaos in the Red Sea.
The Defence Secretary warns of tough times ahead...we look at those warnings but also hear from another of Britain's most senior military chiefs who has a more hopeful message. The Head of Stratcom rarely speaks to the media, but we hear his take on the state of the world.Also on Sitrep Is diplomacy still a thing? Does it achieve anything? We speak to a former Army Officer who's worked as a defence attaché representing the UK in 25 countries.And what do the Houthis actually have in their arsenal?....plenty, according to an expert on the group that's still causing chaos in the Red Sea.
//The Wire//1530Z January 15, 2024////ROUTINE////BLUF: SAR EFFORTS CONTINUE FOR SAILORS MISSING IN GULF OF ADEN. TAIWAN ELECTIONS RAISE TENSIONS IN REGION// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Red Sea/HOA: U.S. Navy forces continue to search for two sailors that went missing on Saturday. Pentagon statements indicate that the sailors were SEALs who went missing during a boarding operation. No further details at this time.Despite American airstrikes, Yemeni targeting of commercial shipping continues largely unabated. This morning, the UKMTO reported a missile strike on an as yet unidentified merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden.This morning, Qatar announced their cessation of LNG shipping through the Red Sea, in response to U.S. targeting. AC: Qatar provides approximately 13% of the LNG consumed by western Europe, all of which was transported via the Red Sea route.Far East: Recent elections in Taiwan have exacerbated tensions with China. Following the election win of Lai Ching-te and the third consecutive win for Taiwan's incumbent ruling party, the White House responded by issuing the statement that “We do not support independence”. AC: This continues the creeping departure from the long-standing policy of ‘strategic ambiguity' regarding Taiwanese independence. As China will be looking at this election as an exacerbation of Taiwanese independence sentiments, China will likely be conducting major military drills in response to the election results.-HomeFront-Washington D.C. – Further reports indicate the gross negligence surrounding SECDEF Lloyd Austin's hospitalization. Follow on information indicates that, during Austin's initial transfer of command while under anesthesia, his Deputy (Kathleen Hicks) did not cancel her beach vacation in Puerto Rico, remaining outside the United States during this crisis of command.Washington D.C. – Protesters supporting Palestine and Yemen breached White House security Saturday night, breaking through an outer perimeter fence.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: The Dr. Strangelove-esque risks clearly and openly presented by senior defense officials are not simply grievances of a personal or political nature, but indicative of the gross incompetency within the National Command Authority (NCA) that has resulted in exceptionally grave strategic vulnerabilities being presented to the world. As a reminder, following the Chinese Spy Balloon incident last year, a slew of firings swept through STRATCOM, with many senior leaders being relieved of command. Many of these firings continue; even as recently as last September the commander of the 9th Bomb Squadron was relieved after only a few months of command. As the current crisis unfolded, the SECDEF was hospitalized with a life-threatening illness, his Deputy was on a beach in Puerto Rico, and the White House knew nothing about any of this for a period of four to seven days. During that time, questions remain as to how the NCA was expected to function, especially considering the planning efforts on the eve of a major military operation in the Middle East (the strikes in Yemen).Analyst: S2A//END REPORT//
Cyber-warfare was is no longer simply science-fiction, it is now a military fact that hits hard. Military communications, power systems and nuclear processing plants have all been taken offline in recent years by purely digital attacks. The UK's capability for this domain sits in the National Cyber Force, created three years ago as part of Strategic Command, bringing together military and intelligence teams for both defensive and offensive cyber operations. Kate Gerbeau talks to Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes, the Deputy Commander of Stratcom, about the cyber threats the UK faces and how the force is tackling them.
Cyber-warfare was is no longer simply science-fiction, it is now a military fact that hits hard. Military communications, power systems and nuclear processing plants have all been taken offline in recent years by purely digital attacks. The UK's capability for this domain sits in the National Cyber Force, created three years ago as part of Strategic Command, bringing together military and intelligence teams for both defensive and offensive cyber operations. Kate Gerbeau talks to Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes, the Deputy Commander of Stratcom, about the cyber threats the UK faces and how the force is tackling them.
Adam Lowther provides his review of the 2023 STRATCOM Deterrence Symposium.
The United States Air Force is hiding something from Congress and the Biden Administration. UFOs have been tampering with our nukes.Two former Minuteman ICBM nuclear launch control officers, Robert Salas, and David Schindele go on the record in this rebroadcast from our interview from last year.The Good Trouble Show:On all major podcasting platforms, search for "The Good Trouble Show with Matt Ford"Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheGoodTroubleShowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodTroubleShowTwitter: https://twitter.com/GoodTroubleShowInstagram: @goodtroubleshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodtroubleshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Good-Trouble-Show-With-Matt-Ford-106009712211646#thegoodtroubleshow #politics #latenight
Today's Story: New Leader for US Strategic Command
CyprusScene reporting the news that TRNC Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu delivers a speech at Stratcom Summit 2022 This episode is also available as a blog post: https://cyprusscene.com/2022/12/05/fm-ertugruloglu-delivers-a-speech-at-stratcom-summit-2022/ Don't forget to select FOLLOW on our channel listing to hear more news and reviews from Northern Cyprus CyprusScene Podcasts can be found on the following apps Anchor, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, PocketCasts, Breaker, Castbox, Apple Itunes Spotify now includes full videos to watch from CyprusScene
Episode Summary: In episode 104 of the Aerospace Advantage podcast, The Origins of B-21: Understanding the Imperative, John Baum chats with a key set of individuals who were incredibly involved with the decisions that eventually yielded the B-21 program. Gen Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.), was the commander of STRATCOM, Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), serving on the Air Staff, Maj Gen Charlie Lyon, USAF (Ret.) was the lead for future Air Force capability requirements in the Pentagon, and Mark Gunzinger was in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). The arrival of the B-21 into America's airpower arsenal stands as a crucially important step in rebuilding long-range strike capabilities and capacity in support of Combatant Commander demands. The B-21's December 2nd rollout is a critical juncture on the path to realizing this objective. However, this eventuality was not always a certainty. In the 2000s, in the wake of the Next Generation Bomber cancelation, a group of individuals had to build a case explaining why it was important to build a new penetrating bomber. They had to engage with senior leaders in OSD, the Joint Staff, and Combatant Commands to transform a concept into a program of record. This episode will explore this unique window in time with folks who were there. If you want to understand the B-21 that will be unveiled this coming week, you need to listen to this episode. Credits: Host: Lt Col (Ret.) John “Slick” Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Guest: Gen Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair, Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Guest: Maj Gen Charles Lyon, USAF (Ret.) Guest: Mark Gunzinger, Director, Future Concepts and Capability Assessments, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Links: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/ #MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #B21 #Bomber Thank you for your continued support!
Lai koordinētu informatīvās telpas drošības pasākumus, Latvijā kopš 2020. gada Valsts kancelejā izveidots Stratēģiskās komunikācijas koordinācijas departaments (StratCom). Viens no tā svarīgākajiem uzdevumiem ir aizsargāt Latviju no manipulācijām informatīvajā telpā, tostarp dezinformācijas. Kādas ir būtiskākās medijpratības kļūdas un kā medijos atpazīt manipulatīvu informāciju no patiesas? Kā izglītot sabiedrību un iesaistīt jauniešus līdzdarboties vēlēšanās? Par visu to sarunā ar DIENA PĒC autoru Kristapu Pētersonu sarunājās departamenta direktors Rihards Bambals. Noskaties un dalies! Tiešsaistes bezmaksas spēle “Harmony Square” izklaidējošā veidā palīdz uzzināt populārākās dezinformatoru manipulācijas metodes, lai turpmāk mācētu uz tām neuzķerties (auditorijām no 15 gadu vecuma): https://harmonysquare.game/lvSupport the show
The Mitchell Institute invites you to listen to our rollout for our newest policy paper: Orbital Vigilance: The Need for Enhanced Space-Based Missile Warning and Tracking by Christopher Stone, Senior Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. For decades, U.S. space-based missile warning and ground based radars have provided our nation's leaders with early warning of missile threats at home and abroad. Now that our adversaries have begun to field and use hypersonic and maneuvering missile systems, it is crucial to ensure we can detect an track these threats. This demands new solutions. Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and former STRATCOM commander; Colonel Miguel A. Cruz, Commander of Delta 4, the Missile Warning command of the U.S. Space Force; Dr. Davin Swanson, Chief Engineer in Space and C2 Systems, Raytheon Intelligence and Space; and Christopher Stone will discuss why DOD must adopt a new force design that multiple satellites across different orbital regimes to maintain a continuous chain of custody of these new threats, and cue missile defenses. Links: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Ins... LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb Instagram: instagram.com/themitchellinstituteforaero/?hl=en #MitchellStudies #AerospaceNation #Space #Spacepower Thank you for your continued support!
Episode 71 – Space as a Warfighting Domain: Discussion with Gen (ret) Kevin Chilton Episode Summary: In Episode 71 of the Aerospace Advantage, Space as a Warfighting Domain: Discussion with Gen (ret) Kevin Chilton, host John "Slick" Baum speaks with Mitchell Institute's Gen Kevin Chilton, USAF (ret) about the realities of modern military operations in space. While the U.S. did not instigate or favor turning space into a warfighting domain, our adversaries pressed in that direction. We must now respond. This means developing a range of terrestrial and space-based defensive and offensive options to deter and, if necessary, defeat attacks. We must also hold our adversaries' space capabilities at equal risk. This mirrors what we have in every other domain. We wouldn't send planes, ships, or soldiers into harm's way without the ability to defend themselves or attack an opposing force, but these are the realities facing America's assets in space today. We will know when we are making progress in this area when we pursue operational concepts, strategies, and technologies that embrace both offensive and defensive capabilities, integrate space with the other warfighting domains to allow for combined combat actions, and train Guardians not just as technical experts, but warfighters. As an astronaut and past commander of Air Force Space Command and STRATCOM, Gen Chilton has particularly unique insights into these issues. Credits: Host: Lt Col (Ret.) John “Slick” Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Daniel C. Rice Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Gen (Ret.) Kevin Chilton, Explorer Chair, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE) Links: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themitchellinstituteforaero/?hl=en #MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #SpaceForce Thank you for your continued support!
İstanbul'da hafta sonu düzenlenen Uluslararası Stratejik İletişim Zirvesi - Stratcom Summit '21, medya ve iletişim alanında hem sektörün önde gelen isimlerini, uzmanlarını hem de küresel platform ve markaların isimlerini bir araya getirdi. Peki bu kapsamlı etkinliğin amacı neydi? Toplantıları izleyen AA Muhabiri Kaan Bozdoğan ile konuştuk.
Cyberpolitik #1: France’s Influence Operations Doctrine— Prateek WaghreIn October, France announced a new doctrine for Information Warfare. This development has received surprisingly little attention in English-language discourse over the last three weeks. It was initially reported by Francesco Busseletti, who highlighted: Objective: to counter the growing spread of fake news and disinformation, aimed at weakening the image of Paris and weakening its armed forces, especially abroad such as the Sahel. Considering that its adversaries no longer hesitate to use the weapon of social media against its military operations, France intends to “win the war before the war”. Its strategy boils down to “being on the offensive” …The Defence Minister Florence Parly’s speech also highlighted this aspect of the “war before the war”. Here’s an excerpt from a google-translated version of her speech.“When used wisely, the weapon of information allows you to win without fighting.”What does the doctrine say?The doctrine identifies six characteristics of the “informational layer of cyberspace”:Contraction of space and time.Ability to conceal/falsify origin due to anonymity.Difficulty with erasing information since it can be duplicated, moved, and re-used without the original context.Any individual can produce and broadcast information. (The minister’s speech seems to have gone as far as stating these individual and anonymous actors are at par with media organisations)The point is that social networks have an equalizing power: on Twitter, the voice of an anonymous user counts as much as that of a major media whose essential function is to inform (sic).Continuous innovation such as deepfakes, AI, AR/VR, etc.The presence of operators who impose their own regulations. A challenge for law enforcement as the space is ‘dematerialised.It defines two types of actors that threaten armed forces:Noting that information war is already an everyday reality for the military, it goes on to say that ‘mastery’ in the information field is now a pre-condition for ‘operational superiority’. And that cyberspace offers opportunities to create effects in ‘both information and physical environments’. The document is peppered with many important statements about Lutte Informatique D’influence (L2I).Definition:military operations conducted in the informational layer of cyberspace to detect, characterize and counter attacks, support StratCom, provide information or (perform) deception, independently or in combination with other operations.L2I stands at “the confluence of cyber defence and influence”. And that it requires skills in common with LID (defensive cyber operations) and LIO (offensive cyber operations).L2I offers opportunities for ‘intelligence gathering’ and ‘deception' operations’. (The minister’s speech defined some boundaries explicitly)the French armies will not conduct an information operation (within) the national territory. The French armies … will not destabilize a foreign state through information actions that would target, for example, its electoral processes.As future challenges, the doctrine identifies the need to build skills and tools, as well as cooperation with firms that specialise in the field and coalitions with allies to coordinate responses.Operationally, this would fall within the purview of the Chief of Staff of the armed forces, who would further rely on the Cyber Defense Commander (COMCYBER) and specialised military units.Two more questionsFor France to come out and explicitly state its doctrine is undoubtedly a significant step. But this also raises two broader questions.What should other democracies do?What will DCN operators do?Camille Francois rightly points out that it raises the question of what democracies can/should do in this space and the possibility of gaining a better understanding of techniques used by countries not named - Russia, China, or Iran.Thomas Rid, in his book Active Measures, argues that liberal democracies cannot be good at disinformation. “For liberal democracies in particular, disinformation represents a double threat: being at the receiving end of active measures will undermine democratic institutions—and giving in to the temptation to design and deploy them will have the same result. It is impossible to excel at disinformation and at democracy at the same time. The stronger and the more robust a democratic body politic, the more resistant to disinformation it will be—and the more reluctant to deploy and optimize disinformation. Weakened democracies, in turn, succumb more easily to the temptations of active measures.”Then, there’s the question of Digital Communication Networks which have become the battlefield for such operations. As Lukasz Olenik notes in his overview of the French doctrine, Facebook has taken action against Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour it identified originating from a network with links to the French Military in December 2020:We found this activity as part of our internal investigation into suspected coordinated inauthentic behavior in Francophone Africa. Although the people behind it attempted to conceal their identities and coordination, our investigation found links to individuals associated with French military.Now that France has explicitly stated its doctrine (and maybe others will follow), will platforms act more aggressively, considering they are already under fire for either enabling or not doing enough to mitigate the fallout from influence operations? Or, will there be wink-wink-nudge-nudge arrangements between them and a particular set of states?Note: Google Translate was used for French to English translations.If you enjoy this newsletter please consider taking our 12 week Graduate Certificate Programmes in Technology & Policy, Public Policy, Defence & Foreign Affairs and Health & Life Sciences. Click here to apply and know more. You can also get a gift coupon worth ₹1000 every time you successfully refer a friend to our programmes.Siliconpolitik #1: AI Chips — Arjun GargeyasWhat are They?One of the emerging applications of semiconductor devices is the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chips. With new and emerging technologies cropping up, there is an increased need for chipsets with increasing computational power and capabilities. Technologies like Machine Learning and Deep Neural Networks, which are part of the AI ecosystem, have a tremendous workload that cannot be fulfilled by traditional chipsets. AI algorithms work on parallel processing or parallelism, which is the ability to multitask and simultaneously run different computational processes. AI chips, in recent years, have tried to incorporate the needs of AI algorithms into chipsets that can be used both in the cloud as well as at network edges (in smartphones, tablets, and other consumer devices).The diverse applications of AI chips have increased its role in the global economy with companies from various industries all looking to maximise the benefits of AI chip technology. Robotics and autonomous driving, for example, need AI algorithms for efficient and effective working, with the computational power of the chipsets needing incredibly fast processing speeds. This has evolved the role of chipsets with AI capabilities from only being used in the cloud or servers to being used in consumer products at the network edges. However, applications such as Biometrics and Image Recognition need AI chips in the cloud or servers for maintaining a large amount of data. The use of AI chips remains integral in data centers which eventually reduces operational costs and improves information management. Why They MatterThe market for AI chips has consistently increased in the last decade with AI chipsets projected to account for 22% of the global AI revenue by 2022. A strong compounded annual growth rate of 54% has been projected for the AI chips market with technologically advanced regions like the Americas and Europe dominating the market in the future. AI chips also rely on a variety of companies, ranging from smartphone manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and Huawei, to traditional chip designers like Qualcomm and MediaTek, to intellectual property (IP) license providers like ARM. With most of the major semiconductor companies across the world in the business, AI chips look to be the next big thing for the industry. Semiconductor companies have already thrown their hats in the AI ring with the development of advanced AI chips like Graphical Processing Units (GPUs). NVIDIA has a dedicated application programming language called CUDA used in parallel computing on GPUs. Other targeted AI chips like Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) are developed for specific applications of AI technology. Companies like Microsoft and Google have also invested in the manufacture of these chipsets keeping in mind specific needs such as the speech processing unit of Google Assistant.With increasing global economic revenue and a large market ripe for capture, the presence of China in the AI chips has also been increasing. AI chip funding activity in China has been driven by the hope of creating industry-leading capabilities in machine learning, deep compression, pruning, and system-level optimization for neural networks. Chinese technology companies like Alibaba and Huawei have invested heavily in the manufacture of AI chips for smartphones and other devices. Some Bitcoin mining equipment manufacturers are also getting into the AI optimization game. With domestic AI research in China still playing catch up to the capabilities of Western countries like the United States, these local manufacturing companies have relied on tweaking existing algorithms to create modified AI models. But increased investments along with state support and financing, similar to the semiconductor industry in China, has made AI chips an important technology worth pursuing in technologically adept states. The race for the domination of the global AI chips markets is something to watch out for in the very near future. Cyberpolitik #2: Are Norms Possible?— Sapni G KSince the last edition of this newsletter, much has happened on cyberspace and international action for establishing norms for its operation and regulation. The United States of America joined the Paris Call for Trust and Security in the cyberspace. The 2018 Call led by the French, proposes a multi-stakeholder model for laying down norms for activity in cyberspace during peacetime. This includes, but is not limited to cybersecurity and the concerns of systemic harms to individuals and critical infrastructure. The Call details nine principles that are open for states, local governments, companies, and civil society organizations to support. Protect individuals and infrastructureProtect the internet Defend electoral processes Defend intellectual propertyNon-proliferation Lifecycle security Cyber hygiene No private hack back International norms They incorporate norms of international law, including the ideas put forth by the UDHR, customary international law, and state laws on the governance of information and communication technologies. This operates as a non-binding, non-enforceable set of principles that are to guide the supporters of the Call and their actions. Most major US tech companies including Microsoft, Google, Facebook Inc (now Meta) are already supporters of the Call and have engaged closely with the various associated working groups. However, the US officially supporting the Call signals that it is no longer holding back in international norm-setting in cyberspace. This could also be read as a furtherance of the USA’s reinvigorated interest in cyber norms, both in peacetime and military applications, as evidenced by recent documents such as the 2021 Interim National Security Strategic Guidance and the recent report by the Department of Defense. However, it is noteworthy that the US has not yet made any concrete steps to sign up to the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace, an effort led by research institutes in the Netherlands and Singapore with the support of the French, Dutch, and Singapore governments, which is also engaged in drawing out international norms for cyberspace during peacetime and armed conflict. China, Russia, Israel, and Iran are other major actors in cyberspace that have not supported the call yet. This is indicative of the fissures in international norm-setting on cyberspace, particularly when China is marching ahead creating a regulatory environment that can have ripple effects internationally. India has not officially supported the Call, but several Indian enterprises and the Karnataka Centre of Excellence of Cybersecurity have joined the Call. It is a proposal worth consideration for the Indian government. An early head start can give India a definitive say in the development of doctrines as well as import legislative principles that can be beneficial to the many millions of Indians who go online every day. Siliconpolitik #2: US-China-Chips — It’s Complicated— Pranay KotasthaneThree recent news reports have turned the world's attention back to the links between the US and China in the semiconductor domain. Until now, the commonplace understanding is that the US is focused on constraining China's progress in the semiconductor domain, a weak link in China's otherwise impressive technology stack. These news reports contest this narrative by suggesting the constraints don't seem to be working, as many US investors and firms are still flocking to China.WSJ reports that between 2017 and 2020, many US companies, including Intel, have invested in Chinese design companies. The number of deals (58) has more than doubled when compared to the 2013-2016 period.Bloomberg reports Intel wanted to start a manufacturing plant in Chengdu, but the White House officials discouraged it.These reports come on the heels of another big claim in mid-October, when Alibaba unveiled a 5nm server chip, making many heads turn. This news seemed to indicate that China's pursuit of semiconductor self-sufficiency is bearing fruit despite the geopolitical headwinds.Connecting the DotsIntel seems to be interested in China a lot. While the WSJ report showed that Intel is among the active investors in a Chinese Electronic Design Automation (EDA) firm, the Bloomberg report points out that Intel also wants to build a fab in Chengdu. It’s notable that both these stages of the semiconductor value chain are precisely where the US had planned to restrict Chinese access during the Trump administration. Reportedly, the US NSA Jake Sullivan and a few senators, want to change the investment screening methods to prevent such deals in the future.Why are US companies still rushing to China?The supply side: The Chinese government's incentives are 'crowding in' investments from Chinese firms and global semiconductor players alike.The demand side: A significant number of customers of chip makers are based in China - laptop manufacturers, phone manufacturers, servers etc. Companies still want a piece of that pie because homegrown alternatives in China are not enough, yet. It's a mouth-watering market, still.My initial assessmentThe number of investment deals between 2017-20 (58) doesn't sound that big in the overall scheme of things. They also mostly appear to be in chip design firms. What this does suggest is like many industrial policies, there is a crowding-in of capital. When a player the size of the Chinese government throws big money at a problem (starting the Chip Fund in 2014), this is expected to happen. There will be national champions and duds, both. The question really is, how long such subsidies can be sustained.The time period 2017-2020 suggests that the US companies rushed into China before the Trump administration tightened the export controls.Intel's investment in a Chinese EDA firm and a possible fab is indeed worrying. Although, the tone of the Chengdu fab proposal suggests it is more a tactic to get the CHIPS Act passed in the US, which will guarantee big subsidies for the likes of Intel back home. The report had no numbers, or plans, just a few unnamed sources.The demand side question is an important one. As long as China remains the hub for electronics Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), chip makers will find it attractive to sell their products to China. Solving this will require a plurilateral effort to move electronics manufacturing -- and not leading-edge chip manufacturing alone -- out of China.Finally, the Alibaba server chip news report has many unknowns. Unveiling a chip is different from being able to produce it. Manufacturing at 5nm is not possible in China. They must rely on TSMC (and now Samsung) for this purpose. Moreover, the processor IP is still ARM, something that Alibaba hasn't been able to displace.The reportage of the kind WSJ, Bloomberg is putting out is indicative of the change in mindset in the US. A few years ago, no one would have even cared about such investments. These are front-page news items now.I expect some more export controls and more subsidies from the US government, both.Our Reading Menu1. [Full Text] of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in the cyberspace2. [Full Text] 2021 Interim National Security Strategic Guidance of the White house 3. [Policy Study] Principles for Content Policy and Governance by Chris Riley, R Street 4. [Article] by Oleg Shakirov discussing the US-Russia rapprochement on Information and Cyber Security5. [Blog] by Oleg Shakirov explaining why US-Russia cooperation on countering Ransomware threats makes sense This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hightechir.substack.com
In this week's episode we will be doing a deep dive into 'Strategic Communications' (StratCom) by talking to former Director Communications Division at SHAPE, Mark Laity. Mark tells us about his time as a defence correspondent in the 1990's and discusses the exponential rate of change in journalism and the shift to reporting 'emotional narratives' as opposed to the facts. He highlights that the rapid rise in technology and 24 hour news has changed the nature of journalism, with there now being an unhealthy tension between 'being the first with the story vs being the first with the truth'. He goes on to talk about StratCom and his role within SHAPE, describing StratCom as 'a systematic approach to incorporating communications into our overall effect; you cannot win without information on your side'. He highlights that although the theory and intellectual grounding in StratCom is assured, the implementation of it is less so. Mark goes on to give some sage advice to advisors at every level, outlining that they are there to tell bosses 'what they need to hear, and not what they want to hear', stressing that advisors need humility and strong moral courage. Finally, he gives an informed and candid view on Afghanistan, unpacking what arguably went wrong for both NATO and wider stakeholders, highlighting that 'no one thing went wrong, but there was a lot that did'. A fascinating deep dive into StratCom, for leaders at every level.
Welcome, Chris. 02:20Chris's career journey: Joined the army, his time in active duty, and his work with the Threat Reduction Agenecy.03:29Going to Stratcom, the Missile Defense Agency, USSTRATCOM, and the Qlick Federal team.06:12Defense industrial base manufacturers ensure supply chains because any issue can cause an immediate impact on real-world missions. 08:36Experiencing 9/11 at a Superfund site and his unit's work.10:26Impactful things after 9/11: the communication expedition for data and communication between federal agencies and across different systems. 15:19How do you measure interoperability: being able to communicate with the data in different mission sets. 19:51Having everyone operating from a single source of truth is crucial. 21:50How do we protect individual rights while protecting the sovereignty of the nation and society as a collective? 24:07Importance of leadership in bringing data across the multitude of agencies systems and operational domains 30:32Are we at a point where we can visualize information in these sort of ‘war rooms' like in the movies? 34:05Two driving forces are the functionals leading up by highlighting what we don't know and top parts of government leading down by saying, ‘This is where we have to get to.' 36:30Suicide and sexual harassment prevention examples. 39:13Building teams around data and the role of the translator who sits between the data scientist and the business or mission owner. 44:21From a leadership standpoint if you're going to lead up you want translators on your team. 46:18Define success: what are you looking to achieve? 47:39Chris' AHA moment: Key thing to touch on in the future is data literacy. 49:39Connect with Chris WilsonLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopher-wilson-pmp-45993a3Connect with Mark, Andrew, and Courtney. Mark FedeliLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markfedeliTwitter: @markfedeli Andrew ChurchillLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/fachurchill/Twitter: @FAChurchill Courtney Hastings:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/courtneyhastingsTwitter: @chatrhstrategic
Neal Dennis of Cyware talks to us about building a collective defense via increased threat intelligence sharing in the global security community. Dennis has worked with customer success and clients, helping them map out new intelligence workflows, and has also built out several intelligence analysis programs for Fortune 500 companies. Neal started his career as a SIGINT specialist while serving in the United States Marine Corps and later supported cyber initiatives for USCYBERCOM, STRATCOM, NSA, 24th Air Force, USAF Office of Special Investigations and JFCC-NW. – Download our ebook, Developing cybersecurity talent and teams: https://www.infosecinstitute.com/ebook – View Cyber Work Podcast transcripts and additional episodes: https://www.infosecinstitute.com/podcast0:00 - Intro2:10 - Origin story3:57 - Military and linguistics influence 6:10 - Work in counterintelligence8:51 - Digital forensics work11:02 - Changes in open-source intelligence work13:00 - Building a global defensive network15:46 - Why aren't we sharing info?18:41 - How to implement global changes?23:42 - Areas of friction for sharing29:15 - Threat intel and open-source intel as a job32:55 - Do research analysis35:03 - Hiring outlook37:15 - Tell us about Cyware39:38 - Learn more about Dennis and Cyware40:06 - OutroAbout InfosecInfosec believes knowledge is power when fighting cybercrime. We help IT and security professionals advance their careers with skills development and certifications while empowering all employees with security awareness and privacy training to stay cyber-safe at work and home. It's our mission to equip all organizations and individuals with the know-how and confidence to outsmart cybercrime. Learn more at infosecinstitute.com.
Host Elisabeth Braw speaks to Jānis Sārts, Director of NATO's Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, about how disinformation is changing (think AI and individually targeted disinformation). They also discuss social media platforms' obligations and what legislators can do. Sārts previously served as Latvia's State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Chair of Latvia's National Cyber Security Board.
Website: www.sacmuseum.orgTwitter: @SACAMuseumInstagram: sacaerospacemuseumFacebook: SACMuseum426YouTube: Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre (Movimento Liberal Social) welcomes Martyna Bildziukiewicz, the Head of East Stratcom Task Force, part of the EU's European External Action Service (EEAS). They talk about the action of the Task Force in fighting desinformation and conspiracy theories in the European Union. This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of it.
The High Ground is the official Podcast of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Episode 2 of the monthly flagship series, released December 1, 2020, consists of SMDC news, listener questions, a Cool Jobs interview segment, and upcoming events of interest for the Army space and missile defense community.
Eli Khoury is the CEO of M&C Saatchi MENA and the founder and CEO of Quantum Group, a strategic communication firm that has rolled out campaigns in Iraq, Jordan and the US aimed at shaping public opinion. He is also a political activist who was heavily involved in Lebanon's Cedar Revolution and he is vocal about his desire to see regime change in that country. http://www.quantum.com.lb/ http://www.mcsaatchi.me/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Eli Khoury is the CEO of M&C Saatchi MENA and the founder and CEO of Quantum Group, a strategic communication firm that has rolled out campaigns in Iraq, Jordan and the US aimed at shaping public opinion. He is also a political activist who was heavily involved in Lebanon's Cedar Revolution and he is vocal about his desire to see regime change in that country. http://www.quantum.com.lb/ http://www.mcsaatchi.me/
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