Elizabeth Hartman, ChFC®

There is no national security without border security. Border security policy is related to, but not the same as immigration policy. Terrorists, criminals and adversary personnel cross international borders. Unless and until that flow is substantially stopped, there is no realistic way to prevent the sort of mass casualty events that ISIS, Iran and others threaten. Let us agree on border security and separately figure out immigration policies. Without terrorists moving freely across our borders, it will be easier to achieve greater consensus on this social, economic, and humanitarian issue. https://lnkd.in/ek4tz4ec

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I never forget where I came from and see life as a progression of strength through adversity. There’s me on the far left with our team of aviation maintainers deployed onboard USS Abraham Lincoln during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2002-2003. I worked 14 hour night shifts. My uniform was a float coat, white jersey turtleneck, camouflage pants, tool pouch, steel-toed boots, gloves and a cranial. Our days at sea routinely consisted of heat indexes above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the balmy Middle East humidity. My primary role was launching and recovering the S-3B Viking, an anti-submarine warfare aircraft and the carrier’s in-flight refueling platform. It was an exhausting grind, a 290-day record long deployment, the longest since the Cold War. In my early 20s, I appeared as a brash, on-the-surface confident electrician. However, on the inside, I battled with myself. I worked in an environment where getting results (i.e., can you fix the “gripe”) was everything. I never felt I measured up compared to my peers. I delivered the best I could, and thankfully, a few people believed in me enough to convince me to apply for an officer program. These people saw something in me I could not see in myself. 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 I was not the best electrician. I was not the number one “go-to” person who could troubleshoot any discrepancy, but what I lacked in skill, I made up for in grit. I qualified on every piece of equipment my shop touched, from turning up the engines to launching the planes off the flight deck to starting up the jets so they were ready as soon as the pilots arrived. I memorized every fix to common problems and was counted on consistently to keep the planes running. I was 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 So much so that when my shop turned “toxic,” I begged to go to the tool room, but my Leading Chief Petty Officer denied my request and said I was too valuable, teaching me another lesson. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 When life gets tough, we must get tougher. After this assignment, each workplace problem was incrementally easier to handle because I knew struggle. I went from a “Lord of the Flies” environment to the politics of office life, but in each situation, I reflected, owned what was mine, and let go of the rest. You can, too. You must adopt the mindset of “nobody is coming,” and within you is everything you need to fix your life. This is because you likely faced something much harder in years past. If you got through that intact, you’ll make it through this, too. Then, along the way, you’ll find those cheerleaders and others who always believed in you. I know this because I have never forgotten where I come from or my gratitude for those who believe in me. This gives me the most significant sense of humility for the struggle and wonder of our shared human experience. #LifeReflections

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I wish I didn't have to write this, but the United States Department of Defense has got to get its act together when it comes to preparing for and adapting to severe #weather. As I testified two weeks ago before the Senate Budget Committee, there are innovative startups in the private sector that are fielding transformational capabilities to monitor and predict the #ocean and #atmosphere, as well as AI-enabled decision support tools. Examples include Lynker, Sofar Ocean, ClimateAi, and Tomorrow.io which can give our military the edge they need right now. Joe Linza Scott Rayder Rei Goffer Arun Chawla James Lyons Tosca Lichtenheld Tim Janssen Adam Rice Himanshu Gupta Naval Oceanography Air Force Weather https://lnkd.in/gxPpwMvw

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Today the ISR Task Force partnered with WTOP News, the Federal News Network, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, United States Space Force, and Planet Federal to discuss the critical topic of Broad Area Management and its impact on the safety and security of our nation. In the round table discussion, we touched on the imperative of #teamwork in Integrated Deterrence while also discussing some of the more tangible ways the services are investing in solutions to deliver enhanced situational understanding around the world. The US Army Intelligence enterprise, under the direction of Lieutenant General Tony Hale, is working hard to deliver horizontally integrated capabilities at a pace and scale that matches the tempo of the modern operational environment. To optimize these systems, we’ve been directed to develop strategies for wide-adoption and implementation of Artificial Intelligence capabilities into human-centric workflows. Soon the world currency will be measured in TPUs and GPUs. #Data centricity is a thing, and embracing it is what separates visionary leaders from everyone else. We wrap up this week with a conversation with Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA) - a partner on Capitol Hill who is “all in” on AI investments.

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GAZA PIER, U.S. MILITARY, USAID - (3 Clips) - 1. U.S. military says trucks have started bringing aid into Gaza over American-constructed pier - Trucks carrying desperately needed humanitarian aid have begun moving ashore into Gaza using a temporary pier built by the United States, the U.S. military said Friday, as Israeli forces pressed on with sweeping operations in the north and south of the enclave. - The aid trucks began moving into Gaza at around 9 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), the U.S. Central Command said in a post on X - https://lnkd.in/eVsPNq7u 2. USAID - Press Briefing Following Anchoring of Temporary Pier for Humanitarian Maritime Corridor in Gaza - https://lnkd.in/eM_sVSmT 3. What to know about how much the aid from a US pier project will help Gaza - https://lnkd.in/e4Kc9v6m

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National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/3ZOuRU4 1. Special Operations Chief Details Irregular Warfare Place in Defense Strategy 2. Special ops leaders eye alarming levels of adversary collaboration 3. How Memoirs by American Officials Leave the CIA Out of U.S. Policy in Burma 4. 2024 China Military Power Report 5. What the Pentagon’s New Report on Chinese Military Power Reveals About Capabilities, Context, and Consequences 6. Regional Basing of Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) 7. Army will trim 5% of general-officer jobs in coming years, chief’s spokesman says 8. What’s at risk if Congress doesn’t fund the government by Friday night 9. Countering Chinese Deception in Modern Military Operations 10. The US defence industrial base can no longer reliably supply Europe 11. Trump Signals Jones Act Policy Will Stay the Course 12. State Department 'censor' office finds lifeline 13. Congress demands answers on low testosterone issues among special operators 14. China’s Mosaic Warfare 15. The US military is sending counter-drone systems to New Jersey bases. Here's how the Dronebuster works. 16. Imagining a US Army Drone Corps 17. The Long Range Desert Group and the birth of special operations around the world

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"Beyond strategies, policy, and investment, the US military needs to create a command to develop national contingency plans to mobilize and sustain the materiel required by the joint force and, in the event of conflict, interdict adversary supply chains through partnerships across the government." Thanks to the Modern War Institute at West Point for running 𝑰𝒇 𝑯𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒔 𝑫𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝑨𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓, my personal take on the need for a more active approach to defense supply chains. This article and the ideas within have been years in the making. There are many who walked alongside me and I'm grateful! Special thanks to Greg Boschert, Matt Evers, CLTD, Joseph Whittington, David Sanford, David Martin, Sean W., John Barrett, Cody Retherford, Lyle Drew, Jason Okumura, Jon Millard, Peter Guinto, Margaret Sankey, and Chip Litchfield for their thoughtful inputs. As always, these views and any weaknesses related are mine alone! #weaponizedinterdependence #supplychains #warfare #logistics

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US forces to fully withdraw from Iraq, “including Kurdistan” - The planned withdrawal of US forces from Iraq will include all territories, including the Kurdistan Region, a senior military expert confirmed on November 17. - US and Western allied forces have had several bases in Iraq since the 2003 invasion of the country, which led to the downfall of Saddam Hussein and his ultimate execution. Despite saying on several occasions the US would leave Iraq, the government has changed direction following the war in Syria and, latterly, the rise of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). More recently, US forces in Kurdish areas have been under increasing attacks by Iranian-backed groups. https://lnkd.in/eHkDp8zq

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✊I stand with the people of Afghanistan! 🇦🇫 Today is an important day.....it marks the 3rd anniversary of the fall of Kabul 😑 "On August 15, 2021—just two weeks before U.S. troops were set to officially withdraw from Afghanistan—Taliban leaders enter the capital city of Kabul and swept back into power with little resistance. The Afghan government collapses, the country’s president Ashraf Ghani flees, and many desperate Afghan civilians are left behind, while the world watched our ALLIES falling from US military aircraft (in flight), as they tried desperately to escape." - https://lnkd.in/gkyjSahX What this administration has done and CONTINUES to do in Afghanistan (Sending $40 - $80 million a week to the Taliban) is unacceptable, and the evil that comes from it as a result, will haunt and stalk GENERATIONS of young Americans for decades to come. 😱 - https://lnkd.in/grYHGz6S I stand against the Taliban, ISIS-K, Al Qaeda, TTP, HQN, HIG and the Extremist Islamic Jihad which seek to destroy the peace loving nations of the world. The Afghan people deserve better, they deserve our support and they deserve accountability for the way we abandoned them during their time of need. 🤨 The GWOT generation bled for 20 years to ensure the freedom of both the American and Afghan people and we wont stop until we get accountability. - Never Forget 🙏 #istandwithafghanistan #GWOT #afghanistan #OEF #terrorism #accountability #operationenduringfreedom #military #freedom #veterans #neverforget #army #marines #airforce #navy #war #freedomisntfree #moralinjury #veteran #corruption

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“Civilians no longer control the military because civilians have, for the most part, lost their will and way.” Agree or disagree, this topic and book require our consideration as professionals. Two-time U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) alumnus (#AMSP and #asp3) Todd Schmidt, Ph.D. presents a compelling arguement and traces the contemporary theory and history of Civil-Military relations in the US. Our military is incredibly capable due to its expertise, placement and resources, but is our efficiency and effectiveness crowding out broader and more enduring solutions? My TOP takeaways: (1) We may all prefer strategy driving the allocation of resources so we are able to meet our strategic position, but how long can we sustain this model? (2) The military’s size, expertise and ability to plan produces a level of preparedness not readily matched by other government agencies. (3) Our societal “intolerance” of complexity narrows options and limits implementation of truly effective solutions. My TOP quote: “The process by which the United States copes with and confronts such challenges requires an array of competent actors from different communities, backgrounds, experiences, knowledge and expertise with the commitment, capability, and capacity to take ownership and remain engaged over the long term.” Marshall Scholars at the US Army School of Advanced Military Studies | The Army University | Army University Press | U.S. Army Combined Arms Center | US Army TRADOC

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Looking for a good Sunday long read? US Army Training and Doctrine Command has released an assessment of the environment in which the US Army would need to fight now and over the next decade. The large scale regional war in Ukraine has seen the need to reevaluate preparedness and both tactics and strategy to respond should the worst occur. The key three points that got my attention: 1️⃣ Balancing Mass and Precision. The Ukraine war shows both the effectiveness of precision but also highlights the dilemma of cost to kill ratio and that counter measures catch up. Million dollar missiles vs hundred dollar drones and HE rounds. Target selection and having a range of ways to treat the target in the arsenal will be vital. 2️⃣ Location, location, location. Long and large wars become a competition to manufacture and supply. Australia can't just consider our own needs but that of our allies - the tyranny of distance isn't as acute when the theatre is the Indo-Pacific. A supply chain that stretches across oceans and hemispheres will be vulnerable to greater disruption. Onshore industrial capability close to the fight can enhance national resilience and support our allies. 3️⃣ Don't dispose - reserve and repurpose. "Offset attrition of high end platforms by utilising legacy capabilities" - our capability management approach needs to evolve from the unipolar moment. Strategic reserves of equipment will help offset attrition and render a battlefield economic advantage - sweat your assets! The Mad Scientist Blog has a good executive summary of the key points and a link at the bottom to the full report. https://lnkd.in/gyGa_n9s

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It'scalled #PIPIR, #Partnership for #IndoPacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR), but it won't be same as how it works at #NATO. "Pentagon has been casting about across the world in search of new partnerships for weapons production. That desire has manifested in the Indo-Pacific in agreements like a joint #hypersonicmissile killer program with #Japan, a #trilateral #submarine pact with the #UnitedKingdom and #Australia and interest in new coproduction and sustainment with #SouthKorea." "the group will “work through common #acquisition and #sustainment issues, whether it’s co-development, coproduction [or] co-sustainment.” "the #Pentagon has to “set up a regular cadence” in the Indo-Pacific. And since the two regions’ needs are distinct, there will likely be differences in how the PIPIR effort plays out."

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The United States Department of Defense needs to change and change quickly. Some of the areas I am personally claiming as problems and working to formulate solutions for 2025 are below: Leadership https://lnkd.in/eFhMuMHe Increased political oversight of the military https://lnkd.in/ebwz2NTX Leveraging history to understand, forecast, and chart innovation. https://lnkd.in/eXWXz2kB Change agents at each echelon of the military to include civilian leaders. https://lnkd.in/e-q5D5KX

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