TechNet South Coverage

Coalition and interagency partners have a lot of hard work ahead of them if they want to operate better together in the future, but with the right attitudes enabled by the best technology, the way ahead has plenty of promise.

Several themes emerged during the second day of TechNet Land Forces South in Tampa, Florida, but the most dominant topic was the budget. Lt. Gen. Bradley A. Heithold, USAF, vice commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), discussed the implications the funding cuts will have on special operations forces (SOF). As one of the people involved in drafting the new budget, he assured the audience that every choice was made carefully with focus on critical objectives. The SOF budget grows under the new plan as force numbers increase toward 12,000 forces.

From the WikiLeaks scandal to border security, the key theme of TechNet Land Forces South day one was that in the interagency environment, trust is a critical element of success.

The nation’s critical infrastructure may be in more peril than anticipated as its new technology capabilities increase network vulnerability. A similar threat may extend to longtime military networks that suddenly are not as certain to be available when needed.

Quote of the Day:
“Cyberspace mirrors the maritime world both in the way it serves us and in the peril it brings.”—Rear Adm. Danilo M. Cortez, AFP, acting flag officer in command, Philippine Navy

"Fundamentally, the network's core is rotten. It's optimized for criminal activities."--Marcus H. Sachs, executive director of government affairs for national security and cyber policy, Verizon, describing cyberspace

"You can't command and control that domain [IT] unless you can see into it, sense inside it and control it."--Adm. Robert F. Willard, USN, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command

Despite years of discussion on the topic, the U.S. Defense Department is keeping its focus on interoperability. However, the department has undergone a shift from efforts directed primarily at developing the technology necessary to make broad intercommunications possible to work that concentrates on establishing the policies and doctrine necessary for communicators to use available resources.

SIGNAL’s Online Show Daily
TechNet International 2006
Day 2

Quote of the Day:

"The terrorists can knock down our buildings … they can kill our citizens … but they won’t win because they can’t change us as a society."
        —Gen. Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), former secretary of state.

Gen. Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), former secretary of state, kicks off day two of TechNet 2006 with a dynamic Tuesday plenary address.

He cited some examples from his military and government careers as how information technology enabled him to get inside of a competitor’s or adversary’s decision cycle. This could be a key factor in defeating terrorism, he offered.

SIGNAL’s Online Show Daily
TechNet International 2006
Day 1

Quote of the Day:

"Any requirement not based on the joint operating concept will run into heavy weather."
          —Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., USN, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., USN, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, kicks off TechNet 2006 with Monday’s plenary address.

TechNet International 2006, AFCEA International’s annual conference and exposition being held June 19-20 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., began with an address by the second-highest ranking military officer in the U.S. Defense Department. Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., USN, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a crowded audience at the Monday morning plenary session how communications and information sharing play key roles in enabling jointness.

The Defense Department is changing the way it approaches acquisition of information technology and systems. But these changes are not merely procedural. Adm. Giambastiani explained that cultural changes are among the most important elements of a new approach to acquisition. Much of this work involves process engineering.

He called for efforts to identify which military regulations are driving acquisition costs, along with their magnitude. Key performance parameters often are not cost-drivers, the admiral pointed out. For effective acquisition reform, planners must understand the cost drivers.