Briefing SECDEF's Defense Science Board
Dateline: SWA flight from BWI to PVD, 20 October 2004
Yes, it's hard for me to believe too, but here I am the second night in a row flying on a Southwest jet from Baltimore-Washington International to Providence. Yesterday I flew back from one trip (financed by one DC-based government client) and today I'm flying back after another trip (one-day'er funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense).
The trip that ended yesterday was supposed to end Monday night, but it got stretched to accommodate the request to brief the new Navy one-star admirals out in Shepherdstown WV. I might have simply stayed overnight for today's brief but I had long ago agreed to speak at the annual dinner conference/meeting of the Newport Council of International Visitors at the Grand Hyatt on Goat Island. Couldn't cank that one because it would have been bad form for a Naval War College professor, and I prefer to avoid such wrist-slapping meetings. But it meant I had racked up about 30 hours of work time by Tuesday night, putting well on my way to a 60-hour-plus week.
And you wonder why I get pissed when I'm asked if I'm doing enough for the College …
Today I flew back to DC to brief the Defense Science Board that directly advises the Secretary of Defense on future technology issues for the military. It's a very august body where members serve for no pay, just the prestige and access to such a powerful decision-maker.
No, I won't be telling tales from that classroom, because what you say there stays there, but I will say it was a far more receptive audience than I expected. The DSB had asked me back in May after the Wall Street Journal profile appeared if I could come to that quarterly meeting, but the heads up was only about 36 hours, and it just couldn't be made to happen. So about 6 weeks ago I was contacted again, and this time the date was open and so the trip was scheduled.
The brief occurred in one of the fabulous conference rooms deep inside the Pentagon, one that almost does justice to the typical Hollywood portrayals. I got 90 minutes, which is a huge block for such an audience, and it seemed to go well, to include some vigorous give-and-take in the Q&A.
In general, I walk out of DC offices with one of two impressions: either it's "How the hell did that jackass get an important job like that?" or "Now I know why a person like that gets a job like that." In other words, either I'm dismayed at the apparent lack of talent or vision or I'm deeply impressed. Not much surprise here: an august body on which just about anybody in my community would be honored to serve (no matter the flavor of the administration), and it's full of smart, dedicated, impressive people. Doesn't mean they always get everything right, but it does mean they're good fits for the task and they do their best with the info they have.
I have to admit though, serving on such boards would be hard for me, unless I grow in different directions as I get older (always possible), because I'm not much of a brief "taker." Frankly, I get nervous sitting in big leather chairs (and sleepy, which is hard to do at the same time) because I long ago grew accustomed to always being the guy standing up in front of the screen at the end of the long wooden table.
Then again, eventually I'll be one of the oldest in the room, instead of typically being the one of the youngest (yes, still at 42!), so I guess either I'll grow in such directions or I'll simply change directions.
Here's the catch I slap together today during the two plane rides:
■How much are global oil prices still fixed?■Why Syria's troops still being in Lebanon is bad
■Western Union's connectivity = good, but lack of rule sets bad
■Korea: when the South outsources to the North, who really wins?
■Every time I hold Vonne Mei Ling, I think of babies in the Gap
■Membership in the Core means nukes don't matter
■The faulty prewar intel on Iraq's infrastructure closed the 6-month window there