"I’d Lay My Life Down For My Country, But Not For My Program"
Here’s what I don’t understand: Warfighters are brave enough to sacrifice their life for this country, but not brave enough to shake up their department?
General and flag officers: Is your career trajectory worth more than America’s ability to achieve full military power potential? Didn’t you swear to put country first?
?
?
Individual inactions accrue and the DoD-wide aversion to risk is perpetuating a status-quo with scarce innovation adoption, ridiculous bureaucracy, fiscal waste, mediocre leadership, and a lack of technical and strategy expertise where it’s most required.
The country cannot afford to continue like this. With a three-front war an imminent possibility, there is nothing more urgent than preparation.
What's standing in the DoD's way? The DoD.
Who's brave enough to fix it?
PS. Please don't start with another study or commission. Just do the thing.
Love this.
Chairman of the Advisory Board TAC, Special Advisor VIRSEC, Chair of the Advisory Board NCG National Cyber Group, Managing Partner Modirum Defense, Senior Advisor Cyberspace Solarium Commission
7 个月Gentry Lane you a beacon of truth on this matter so vital to our defense and liberty. Thank you!
Creating Strategic Emergence | PhD in Political Science | Senior Professor Strategic Leadership Studies
7 个月Gentry my friend, you have a way with words. I love the directness of your posts and how you raise the tough issues from the morass to the level of discourse. Acknowledging that there are those who walk the "compliant path" and avoid conflict, there are many others who rage within the system to make it better. I offer a counterpoint to make it a bit spicier. Perhaps it is the leaders within the policy system which needs to change, the ones where they implemented procurement rules that lead us (by regulatory guidance) to the useless single ply TP, ridiculous entry barriers and beauracratic apathy that results in processes that makes the ice age seem like a NSCAR race. Every democratic system I've examined has similar issues, they choose regulation to impose ethical standards versus simply applying the leadership competency of holding people accountable. I agree this is a leadership issue. I do not think the full proponderence of weight is borne by our military leaders. There is a system of systems that they, and right minded policy makers, are pushing to change. I think the question we should be asking is how 'we the people' can help them make the necessary changes. Thanks for the excellent food for thought.
Collaborative leader, relationship builder and problem solver.
7 个月Love this! Bravery does not just occur on the battlefield.
Here’s an old Infantry man’s description of fiscal waste. Did you know the DoD purchases single ply toilet paper to save money?This is by far the sh*tiest toilet paper one has ever used (see what I did there). However, someone please raise their hand if that single ply ever got the job done in one swipe?! Nope, it takes multiple layers to execute flawlessly. In the end, you are most likely utilizing more resources than the GOV initially intended, which costs as much as buying the better stuff anyways. But somewhere, somehow, some PhD logistician thought this would save money. Maybe we could truely save money if we went european style :)