President's Commentary: Bridging Continents at Speed and Scale

A bridge is only as strong as the people and technology used to design it, build it, maintain it and ensure it remains secure under the weight of constant use and, more importantly, constant change.

Coming off the heels of four AFCEA forums in rapid succession, one theme emerged loud and clear from each engagement: moving at speed and scale, today’s security challenges do not stop at national borders, nor are they recognized in organizational stovepipes. They are interconnected, evolving and increasingly global in nature. Having served as the Army’s chief information officer/G6, and in a joint role as J6/director of cyber in European Command, I have a special appreciation for the formative discussions at TechNet Augusta, where leaders tackled the U.S. Army’s efforts to modernize and rapidly integrate its cyber, data and electromagnetic warfare capabilities to achieve decision advantage and operational effectiveness in a rapidly changing battlespace.

At the Intelligence & National Security Summit, members of the intelligence community examined how artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, quantum technologies and commercial innovation are reshaping intelligence operations; AI is increasingly essential to making sense of rapidly expanding volumes of data and turning that information into decision advantage at mission speed. At the same time, participants emphasized that moving faster cannot come at the expense of human judgment, trust, rigor or resilience.

At TechNet Europe, AFCEA chapters and partners emphasized the importance of strengthening transatlantic security through societal resilience, defense innovation, cyber readiness and military preparedness. Those discussions reflected a growing recognition that hybrid threats require coordinated responses across governments, industries and allied nations. We even heard a statement from one senior official that “the era of conventional conflict is over.” Regardless of where you stand, this was a thought-provoking observation. 

And finally, most recently at TechNet Indo-Pacific, which AFCEA proudly co-hosted with our Hawaii chapter, I came away energized by the discussions on decision superiority through AI integration, information advantage and allied interoperability. Leaders from government, military, industry and academia examined how cyber, data, space and information-sharing capabilities can enhance resilience, readiness and deterrence across one of the world’s most strategically important regions.

And here is why I mention each: As we transition from the information age to what has been described by many as the “algorithmic age,” what connects these conversations is a recognition that no nation, service, agency or organization can address today’s security challenges alone. The same is increasingly true of intelligence itself. In an era of unprecedented volumes of government, commercial and publicly available data, no single organization—or nation—can credibly claim an “all-source” picture on its own. Success increasingly depends on the ability and willingness to partner and share information across allies, whole of government and between the public and private sector, to operate from a common understanding of the environment and make decisions at the speed the mission requires.

We are already seeing this principle put into practice. Just months ago, Australia, India, Japan and the United States launched the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration, integrating surveillance capabilities to improve regional awareness and threat mitigation. At the same time, the INDOPACOM Mission Network is creating secure, interoperable environments that allow partners to share information and collaborate more effectively across multinational operations.

Similar efforts are taking shape across Europe. From strengthening military mobility to improving cyber resilience and information-sharing, our allies are investing in the infrastructure, networks and partnerships necessary to move people, equipment and data seamlessly across borders. These initiatives recognize a fundamental truth: interoperability is a strategic necessity.

This is where AFCEA’s role remains as important as ever. We serve as a bridge between mission requirements and technological innovation, but also between the people and organizations responsible for securing our future. AFCEA provides a trusted forum where government, military, academia and industry can engage in candid dialogue about operational challenges, emerging technologies and the investments needed to maintain our collective advantage.

None of us really know how historians will describe the last five years and the next ten, but what I do know is that once scarce information is now a commodity. We all have more questions than answers, which is a good thing when thinking about what this all means. Above all, my sense is that future readiness will depend on our ability to transform information into actionable decision advantage.

The strongest bridges are built from trust, collaboration and shared purpose, all of which begin with people. As the security environment continues to evolve, our ability to connect people, ideas and capabilities across nations and organizations will remain one of our greatest strategic advantages. And as threats move across borders at machine speed, we must build and strengthen the partnerships needed to meet them just as quickly.

AFCEA is proud to help build those connections, strengthen those partnerships and ensure the bridge to the future remains strong for those who depend on it.