A Call to Action for Secretary Pete Hegseth: Unleash Exponential Discovery Through Future Defense Tech Innovation Forums

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth , you’ve already set the Department of Defense (DoD) on a revolutionary path. Your bold mandates—like the Software Acquisition Pathway directive issued on March 6, 2025—demonstrate a clear intent to slash bureaucracy, accelerate capability delivery, and embrace disruptive technologies. Now, as we stand at the cusp of an era defined by exponential discovery, it’s time to double down on that vision. The DoD must lead the charge in upskilling its workforce and harnessing future technologies through mandatory, weekly Future Technology Innovation Forums (FTIFs). This isn’t just an incremental step—it’s the paradigm shift we need to outpace our peer rivals in a race that will define the 21st century.

Exponential Discovery: The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher

Exponential discovery isn’t a buzzword; it’s the reality of our time. Technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, autonomous systems, and biotechnology aren’t advancing linearly—they’re compounding at unprecedented rates. Our adversaries, particularly China and Russia, are exploiting this dynamic, leveraging long-term planning unhindered by democratic constraints to close the gap. As you noted in your February 7, 2025, Pentagon town hall, these autocracies “can plan 15, 20 years and then drive that plan without consequence.” The U.S. must counter this with agility, adaptability, and a workforce that understands and masters these breakthroughs in real time.

The DoD’s 3.5 million-strong workforce—military and civilian alike—is our greatest asset, but only if it’s equipped to think, innovate, and act exponentially. We’re in a revolutionary period, and half-measures won’t suffice. The Future Defense Technology Innovation Forums must become the backbone of a grander strategy to upskill this force, ensuring every soldier, engineer, and analyst grasps the implications of these technologies and how to wield them.

Future Defense Tech Innovation Forums: A Bold, Disruptive Move

Your leadership has already shown a penchant for disruption—streamlining software acquisition, prioritizing lethality, and cutting through red tape. Now, let’s apply that same ethos to workforce development. The FDTIFs should be mandatory, weekly events—not monthly, as slow cadences risk falling behind the exponential curve. These forums must be bold, adaptive, and agile, mirroring the rapid acquisition model you’ve championed. Here’s how they can make a disruptive impact:

1. Accelerate Awareness and Mastery: Weekly FDTIFs would immerse the workforce in cutting-edge concepts—AI-driven warfare, drone swarms, quantum encryption, and beyond. This isn’t about passive learning; it’s about hands-on experimentation and real-time problem-solving, ensuring our people don’t just understand these tools but can innovate with them.
2. Break Silos, Spark Collaboration: Bring together warfighters, technologists, and industry pioneers. Your emphasis on tapping commercial solutions, as seen with the Defense Innovation Unit’s approaches, should extend here. Weekly forums would foster a melting pot of ideas, bridging the gap between Silicon Valley’s pace and the Pentagon’s scale.
3. Drive a Cultural Shift: You’ve called for a return to the “warrior ethos” and a focus on meritocracy and readiness. FTIFs can instill a culture of relentless curiosity and adaptability—key traits for a force that must outthink, not just outfight, its rivals. Make it clear: mastering exponential tech is as critical as marksmanship or tactics.
4. Invest Big in FE&T: Future and Emerging Technologies (FE&T) deserve a massive budget push. Your rapid acquisition memo cut middlemen to deliver software fast—apply that same logic to FTIFs. Fund prototype labs, live simulations, and partnerships with tech giants and startups. This isn’t a cost; it’s an investment in deterrence and dominance.

A Race We Can’t Afford to Lose

Our peer rivals aren’t waiting. China’s AI advancements and Russia’s asymmetric warfare tactics show they’re betting on exponential tech to challenge us. You’ve already signaled a shift away from bloated, slow-moving programs—your February 7 town hall hinted at slashing systems that fail war games. FDTIFs align with that vision, refocusing resources on what works: a workforce that’s agile, tech-savvy, and ready to pivot as threats evolve.

Weekly forums aren’t just a training program—they’re a strategic weapon. They’d signal to adversaries that the U.S. isn’t resting on past laurels but is actively building a force that can adapt faster than they can plan. As you’ve said, “We’re going to move fast, think outside the box, be disruptive on purpose.” Let FDTIFs embody that ethos.

The Call to Action

Secretary Hegseth, you’re guiding the DoD through a revolutionary period. Mandate weekly Future Technology Innovation Forums starting now—March 2025—and back them with significant FE&T funding. Make them mandatory for all ranks and roles, from privates to Pentagon civilians, SES and Flag Officers. Tie them to your rapid acquisition framework, ensuring insights from the forums feed directly into procurement and deployment. This is how we upskill at scale, shift paradigms, and win the race against our rivals.

The clock is ticking. Exponential discovery waits for no one. Let’s seize this moment and build a DoD that doesn’t just keep pace but sets it.

Great NEWS, we have laid out the groundwork with DTIP and DLIF to show what the art of the possible looks like and its looking disruptive.

In the name of GOD, our Lord Jesus Christ--------I PRAY HARD for our NATION------- all we do in unison,

AMEN

Nino Marcantonio

CEO & Director, Marcantonio Global

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