Balancing Long Term Success Over Short Term OpTempo

Blog Entry, 17 August 2010

Balancing Long Term Success Over Short Term OpTempo

Normally my Blog entries are keyed off current events, today will be different.

There can be no denying the danger of Afghanistan, the peril of Iraq or the global financial uncertainty. There is still a dither about the PSYOP/MISO name change and SecDef Gates has announced that he would like to leave the job in 2011.


Today’s message to the community that even though the storms are swirling around us we need to step back for a moment and examine long term goals and we need to do so with a perspective shaped by our history and legacy.

Senior leaders and NCOs are the stewards of our craft, they are responsible for insuring that influence operations, by whatever name, continues to serve the Warfighter and evolves as the environment and enemy resolves. Issues that deserve our collective attention include (not necessarily in priority order):

1. How can we be more effective in having the President and Congress understand the importance of what we do at the strategic, operational and tactical levels?
2. How can we insure the personal welfare of our soldiers and their families during these times of high OpTempo?
3. How do we prepare for the ‘drawdown’ that will come sooner or later?
4. How do we engage with our peer disciplines such as CNO and PAO to dominate the information battlefield?
5. Are there novel ways to deal with the chronic shortfall of competent linguistic skills?
6. What is the optimal level of emphasis on the Internet, Smart Phones and technology of the future in our media mix?
7. How can service differences be synergized rather than be divisive?
8. Is it time for SOCOM to step up to the plate and be a joint proponent and sponsor of influence operations across the board?
9. How can we streamline the influence operations chain of command and insure appropriate standards across the force?
10. How can we employ distance learning, cross service training, civilian higher education and skills training to create an innovative, dynamic and rewarding career path?

I look forward to lively dialogue with the community. Regimental Week is in October, let’s insure we make the most of it.