Notes From the Current Strategy Forum

It was an interesting day in Rhode Island. I have to say, the Naval War College Foundation does a fantastic job with this event, they really can't get enough credit. If I had one suggestion, it would be that they need to invite the US Naval Institute to set up a booth and sell books, in particular to include the professional reading lists. I wish I could take credit for that idea, but it was actually an idea mentioned by more than a few NWC professors I talked to at different points throughout the day.

As good as the conference is, the highlights of my day were the discussions I've had with so many very insightful individuals throughout the day, whether it was Bryan McGrath, Capt. Mark Montgomery, and LCDR Mike "Moose" Mosbruger. I know, I know, all these N3/N5 guys who probably spend 90% of their time briefing N3 and I'm trying to pick their brain on N5, but that is my interest you know...

It was a pleasure meeting ADM Roughead and introducing him to my wife, for all 15 seconds or so. The more interesting conversation with an Admiral I had today was a bus ride discussing LCS with RDML Jim McManamon, who is working on a number of challenges getting USS Freedom (LCS 1) through the first in class trials and errors. I do get the impression the CNO wants to get LCS-1 into a short deployment, and I don't think this is purely for PR purposes nor as an operational requirement, rather as a way of getting a more realistic understanding of the needs of the new platform.

Two things on the sessions. First, the topic of demographics has come up in each session, and I think the consensus opinion regarding what changing demographics means for the global security environment is "we don't know." One thing I think is noteworthy... in all the discussions of demographics not a single person has mentioned the Georgia-Russia war last year in the context of that discussion. I just thought that was odd.

Second, the economic focus of the first day was refreshing. Even ADM Roughead got into the act on that describing the economic focus of the US on the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas, and really nailed his presentation down when he made clear the Navy will operate in those places to stay aligned with national economic trends and interests.