Blog

Much discussion has taken place recently over the desire and ability of the US government to “rebalance” our security forces to the Pacific. While the idea of increasing US platforms in the region spurred a brief renaissance in forward basing and operational tempo, it remains unclear if real presence can be increased from a pure numbers perspective. Against this US-centric backdrop, few have looked at a more significant, and troubling, trend in the Pacific. Countries from India to Indonesia are buying, operating, and arming unmanned aerial vehicle systems at an unprecedented pace. And they are not ours.

The short answer is yes.  Change the culture.

“Cyber defense of DoD systems is [my] highest cyber priority; if DoD systems are not dependable in the face of cyber warfare, all other DoD missions are at risk.” – Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, April 18, 2015

“Nobody wants to hear how rough the water is, just get in the boat and start rowing.”  At least that’s what my little league coach used to tell us kids.  It’s also one of my favorite leadership quotes.  We were the original Bad News Bears, but we ended up in first place anyway. 

I hate traveling.  There, I said it and now I feel better. 

There’s nothing glamorous about red-eyes, getting patted down in security lines, eating airport food (none of which seems healthy) or living out of a suitcase. 

I think the single common characteristic found in senior leaders is they almost all have exceptionally high emotional intelligence.