51 Vets’ Post

Join us during this episode of "Finding Your Purpose with HII" as our panel of professionals discuss HII's business operations, the impact of the military community on our company, resources available to assist in landing your next career opportunity, and why HII is the place you want to be.

Well said... And totally agree: open innovation is messy and not efficient...And that's the beauty of it. Your team has demonstrated that bottom-up (open innovation) is as necessary and can be as relevant as "directed" S&T innovation and probably more valuable. Adaptability is a #culture problem that technology will not solve. It's the speed to embrace change that will be the defining characteristic for relevant military organisations in the future. People create & sustain this culture and Project Mercury Innovators Forum is in my opinion an excellent enabler to facilitate this mindset.

Today our team, the Prismatic Unicorns, closed out the Project Mercury Innovators Forum Innovation Showcase alongside our Cohort-12 colleagues and defense community in front of a live audience of executives in professional military education, innovation leadership, and joint warfighting. We presented the operational problem set of the Pacific and the gaps and challenges with Agile Combat Employment, sensing far forward in the battlespace, and making meaning from that data quickly at echelon. Our mobile device enabled solution, called Echolink, provides *Redundancy and *Resiliency at an inexpensive, fast, and scalable *Rate, leveraging *Real existing technology against *Real problem sets. Extremely humbled to have our sponsor, 16th Air Force, join the showcase and issue some tough questions for us to defend the desirability, feasibility, and viability of the concept. Enlisting so many different experts and stakeholders throughout this 12+ week curriculum helped us address those concerns in confidence, even after a big pivot in week 6. I really hope we can transition this front-end innovation for back-end development and diffusion to the rest of the Joint Force and our Allies and Partners. To that last portion, and doing this journey with new-found friends across the Department of the Air Force, made this the most impactful professional military education #PME curriculum I have completed. It's learning strategy, creative problem solving, and entrepreneurship by doing the work firsthand as a practitioner. #militaryeducation Not just in a safe academic environment, but in the real world where you must put skin in the game, if nothing but reputational risk and unpaid time and energy. I learned that innovation is hard. It's inefficient and it takes discipline. You need to be intentional to find the hidden order and opportunity despite being in a complex environment, operating with ambiguous direction, and thinking divergently. Clausewitz would call this military genius. To see it through despite many quick, fast-learning failures, from interviews, to experiments, to sponsor pitches, you need persistence. Marine drill instructors would call this discipline and spirit - the hallmarks of a Marine.

On #CareerNotes, guest Bernard Brantley, CISO from Corelight, shares his inspiring career journey. Hear how Bernard overcame dropping out of the military academy and figured out how he could take the big dreams and aspirations he had as a child and turn them into something fruitful as an adult. Listen to his story: https://hubs.ly/Q02bMdC10

Transitioning from the military? At Boots In Business, we've got your six every step of the way. Whether you're navigating career options, educational opportunities, or entrepreneurial ventures, our support network is here to ensure your success. Together, let's chart a course for your bright future beyond service! #veteran #success #investing #realestate

Charles Christianson, from Carlson School of Management, is taking the skills he learned from serving in the Army to the corporate world. Read more about his story, and how you can make a gift towards the Carlson School of Management Veterans Fellowship fund today. https://bit.ly/47NIXHe

Each of us holds a unique narrative within, possessing the power to craft the journey that lies ahead. A significant chapter of my own story has been the journey of self-discovery, understanding my beliefs and values. In the realm of motherhood, it’s easy to lose oneself in the act of nurturing and providing for others. Now, the time has come for me to take the reins and embark on the next chapter of my life. I am thrilled to have met Dr. Chaunté Hall, who introduced me to the "Discovering Your Post-Service Identity (DYPSI)" program. This innovative 8-week initiative, designed to address the challenges faced by military veterans during their transition to civilian life, is a collaborative program brought to you by Centurion Military Alliance and Operation Military Family. As a veteran who transitioned in 2011, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate a new career field. That's why I'm excited to share that the DYPSI program is helping me craft my new story! Through one-on-one transition training sessions, I've been able to discover my post-service identity and empower myself on this journey. If you're interested in learning more about DYPSI and discovering your "why," I highly recommend checking out this program. Let's all take the reins and embark on the next chapter of our lives! Come learn from Mike Schindler and unlock your future! Dr. Chaunté Hall NPower Chris Manning (CNSS) Nathaniel Chaney, MRC #makingconnections #bridgethegap #buildingblocks #veteransupport

If you are 18 months+ away from transitioning out of the military and don't know what you want to do yet (don't worry ~38% of servicemembers don't). There is a course/community I highly recommend called PreVeteran. A roadmap to start and continue your self-transformation process Become more aligned to the private sector's needs and wants Know what industry, company, and job(s) best fit your requirements A model to continue iterating the process to refine your results Receive 10% off the program with coupon code "cassie" at checkout Time is running out to register! The next cohort starts in ONE WEEK, on May 27th, 2024

There are two great suggestions in the article that jumped out at me wrt putting future leaders in defense acquisition out into industry; 1) “there should be an equivalent program for top civilians who serve, or will serve, as acquisition leaders.” 2) “Congress should require that no acquisition manager can attain general or flag officer rank (or, in the case of civilians, enter the Senior Executive Service) unless that person has spent at least six months working in industry and two semesters at a top technology institute. “ I’ll offer up on point #2 that it should not be at a just any industry company it should be at one of the hundreds if not thousands of innovative startups on the bleeding edge of technology struggling to wind their way through the bzyantine DoD acquisition system. Until you’ve lived the life of a defense oriented small business wondering when the next contract is going to hit to keep the lights on and your team of talent employed you won’t really understand what it’s like peering into the “valley of death”.

Understanding the intricacy of the acquisition process is one of the most effective ways to increase your capture rate. With nearly two decades of experience across Department of the Navy acquisition commands, here are some ways Crown Spire can position your company for success.