USSOCOM’s Post

These sessions seem valuable for senior leaders, I am a little curious how well this type of thing is percolating down into the lower ranks. I think the greatest positive or negative recruiting impact for the military in general is not coming from high ranking leaders - - it is coming from our veteran E-4s, E-5s and E-6s, going back to their families and their hometowns, in person and on social media, and talking about their experiences. Talking about how the military has helped them grow professionally, how the military has helped them build relationships. Sadly, I believe the recently reported shortfalls in recruiting, for the Navy in particular, are the fruits of at least 20 years of doing more with less. Sailors are getting burned out and they are not feeling cared for by the bureaucracy. There is only so much encouragement that a leader can offer when you do not have confidence that the broader organization will take care of you. And a poor leader will exacerbate the issues, making things worse. And much of this does start at the end, with how we support those who choose to separate from the military before reaching retirement. Many commands are hesitant to give time to prepare for what comes after, because of a false urgency to get the current mission done with the already and adequate amount of personnel. I have seen sailors denied their full terminal leave, because a squadron couldn't get a replacement until the actual separation date. So instead they stayed on deployment, upset and bitter at their treatment, feeling like they were not being allowed to use benefits that they had earned, and impacting the attitudes of other sailors who now felt the command was no longer on their side. And when does sailors go home, the story they share of their time in the Navy is going to be tainted by that out the door experience.. This particular issue is a policy problem that could be solved at the flag level. Encouraging and promoting the SkillBridge program is another issue that can be solved by policy; but instead recent changes have made it harder to use that program. I got a lot out of my career in the Navy, and I would love to see the organization improve and succeed moving forward, but I fear there are some big challenges to come.

#DYK Data enables decision dominance and is essential to how the Army operates and will win its future battles. During #AUSA2023, Maj. Gen. Christopher Eubank, commanding general of U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, joined the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Guillaume “Will” Beaurpere and Defense One host Patrick Tucker during a panel Oct. 10. The panel discussed a broad array of topics that affect the warfighter and how to better equip them for mission success. #datascience

The loss of an eye affects stereopsis, visual field, and overall quality of life. So, it is perhaps surprising to find that many of history’s most celebrated military commanders had monocular vision – typically the result of trauma. This article explores how Chuck Yeager, a US test pilot almost lost an eye 💭🔗👇🏼 https://bit.ly/3U3xCzC #eyecare #eyevision

So many great statements from the Airpower course's air superiority panel that I'm not allowed to give credit where credit is due because of non-attribution but a few provocative statements... 1) Autonomy is not going to be the panacea we think it is going to be 2) Costs to sustain the fleet will determine the size of the fleet 3) We need to rethink centralized control so that lieutenant colonels are JFACCs 4) And something sure to stir up the Marines...does the Navy's army really need an Air Force? 5) Autonomous planes don't change the laws of physics (re size of aircraft, limits of some hoped-for cost savings, etc) 6) There are only two types of war theorists: Clausewitz and wrong 7) What is the USAF theory of victory? What should it be? 8) When you're a captain at the table and the only outlier you are probably wrong. When you're a colonel at the table and the only outlier you are probably right. 9) To get a new idea read an old book, both what worked and what didn't work 10) Being steeped in theory helps you criticize the emptiness of many buzzword concepts

One of our big initiatives this year at #theairpowerschool, USAF Air Command and Staff College, has been to create more opportunity for concept application in simulated warfighting contexts. This year we concluded our #Military Theory course with a #wargame that allowed students to apply the big ideas of military theorists from across millennia to a contemporary war scenario. Big kudos to Dr. John Minney, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Walters, and Dr. Jon Hendrickson for their work creating this opportunity. If we don’t create the space for theories and concepts to be applied and evaluated for the purpose of warfighting advantage, then we aren’t doing all we could to prepare our warfighters for the challenges ahead. Discovering the value of various theories now, in the academic environment, only increases the likelihood they can be recalled later when the situation demands, as aids to judgment.

If you want an example of abuse of the word "honor", look no further than this photo. Civilians who want to join the USAF attend Basic Training at Lackland AFB and those who go on to be Security Forces Airmen have their Tech School at the same base. This "hall of honor" is there. What do we notice? We notice that the colors display violates AFI 34-1201, which states ❌staffs in the same display are to be the same length. It also states that ❌flag spreaders are prohibited. ❌The national colors are lower than the org. ❌Wrong staffs. ❌Stands are to be silver. But, slap on the word "honor" and it covers a multitude of violations, right? ⚠️You'll be moving the POW to the far viewer's right after Memorial Day, right SF HQ? That's where it belongs the rest of the year except for the 5 holidays. I bet you thought this display was like flying it outdoors on a federally owned flagpole. It's not. Totally different protocol for an indoor colors display and an outside flag display. If anyone is going to start whining about how it's not the Airman's fault in the photo. No kidding. He's done a fine job in starting his USAF career. He just happens to be in the photo. Concentrate on the subject of the post. From recruiter @ssgtcormier • • • • • 🔆Education is 🔑! . 🔹Read your manuals! Download them free at the Resources page here: www.thedrillmaster.org . Prov 1:7b, Fools despise wisdom and instruction . 🔹https://lnkd.in/e6u7K8v2 . 🔹I educate, train, & certify cadets, military, judges, & 1st responders . 🔹Ask about a professional critique of your performance . 🔹If you choose to, you can learn more about D&C with my books on Ceremonial, Regulation, & Exhibition Drill: https://lnkd.in/ebVva2E . #honorguard #ceremonialguard #JROTC #AJROTC #MCJROTC #NJROTC #AFJROTC #SFJROTC #YoungMarines #CAP #CivilAirPatrol #SeaCadets

🔒 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼! Discover the strategy behind excelling at trade shows like Navy Gold Coast. Dive into a world of opportunities as we share tips for connecting with Navy, Army, and Space Force buyers. Elevate your business today! 💼 #DefenseIndustry #NavyGoldCoast #BusinessGrowth

Five years ago, U.S. Navy leaders faced a massive strategic challenge: to get more of its fighter aircraft ready for takeoff. Harvard Business Review #strategy #challenge #strategicchallenge #culture #learning #cultureoflearning #newsletter #transformation #organizationaltransformation #experience #USNavy https://lnkd.in/dMqvMG9K

🌟 Exciting Update from the C4ISR USA Conference! 🚀 🎙️Mr. Joseph Welch, Director, C5ISR Center, provided remarks at the C4ISR USA Conference, hosted by the Institute for Defense & Government Advancement, 15-16 NOV in Pentagon City, VA. The conference is one of the most prestigious strategic forums for the U.S. military and its partners, bringing together more than 200 senior decision-makers from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Joint Staff. Mr. Welch’s remarks detailed how the C5ISR Center supports the Army’s modernization and transformation priorities and how the Center partners with Joint and industry stakeholders on critical experimentation efforts, including Project Convergence Capstone and the Network Modernization Experiment. Key to the success of these events are Live-Virtual-Constructive experimentation activities that leverage both lab- and field-based risk reduction. US Army | Army Futures Command | U.S. Army DEVCOM | ASA(ALT) | #C4ISRConference | #MilitaryInnovation | #DefenseLeadership | #C5ISR | #NetworkModernization | #StrategicCollaboration

It's not often you get to quiz military chiefs, much less about C2 and modern warfare. Yet Dr Peter Roberts did exactly that on the final episode of the Command and Control podcast live at DSEI in London and available now for download at https://lnkd.in/eZ_BGvt7 Royal Navy Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Andrew Burns CB OBE, Commandant Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Major General Zac Stenning and Group Vice President of Systematic Andrew Graham answered questions from the global audience on command and control, providing their expert opinion and knowledge. The panel couldn’t get through all the challenges thrown their way but did major on the big themes: What will C2 look like in the future? Will C2 survive in its current form? What’s the role of the commander in the future? And do we train and educate our future commanders well enough? Do you agree with their answers? Let us know in the comments below 👇 #defence #defencepodcast #expertknowledge #C2 #C4ISR #defense