Communication Key to SOCOM's Success.

• Author: Boozer, James C.
• Position: NDIA Perspective - Conference notes

The National Defense Industrial Association believes war-fighters must collaborate with industry throughout weapons system development to deliver capabilities that provide the U.S. with the competitive advantage it needs to win future conflicts.

Thus, reforming acquisition and accelerating innovation for conventional and special operations forces requires closely integrating operators into the acquisition cycle from conception through sustainment. NDIA's Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) provides indispensable inperson collaboration opportunities for operators and industry innovators, to deliver decisive advantage for our warfighters when defending the homeland and its freedoms. Why do this? Because we want the nation's warfighters to fight with a clear and overwhelming advantage.

When we fail to bring operators and innovators together, we risk misunderstanding, which can lead to opposition to collaboration. For example, employees from both Google and Microsoft recently expressed concern about their companies' engagement with the Defense Department. The opposition likely stemmed from a fundamental misunderstanding about the military's mission and the motivations driving its uniformed members to serve. While Microsoft's leadership made clear their commitment to support service members and actively participate in critical discussions about responsible technology use, Google responded to the pressure by declining to renew a defense contract.

A big part of NDIA's mission is to provide forums where operators and innovators can learn they share common values and to avoid situations where lack of shared experience and context leads to misunderstanding. Service members choose military service because they believe in the American creed of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and they regard equal opportunity and justice as civil rights. The people of America's high-tech companies choose their careers to help make their customers' lives easier, more interesting and more enjoyable. Fundamentally, the professional goals of both groups align; service members secure and defend freedom, and innovators help Americans make the most of their freedom. Bringing the two groups together helps them share information and ideas in ways that will protect and strengthen freedom for everyone.

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