Tony Nash

Amos Fox, Ph.D. wrote a great critique of the Army’s transition to Mobile Brigade Combat Teams (MBCT). I enjoy how he identifies how “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) propelling transformation rather than a clear operating concept or vision how we will fight. The Army seems to feeling FOMO in jealousy of the Marines’ littoral combat regiments. My best understanding is that the Army wants to mimic the Marines by pursuing light forces to conduct some sort of island-hopping campaign in the Pacific. Let the Marines worry about that unlikely scenario. The Army should focus on contributing to deterrence by denial (in accordance with the NSS and NDS) by demonstrating that it can fight and win the decisive battle in Taiwan. The MBCT does not do that. Worryingly, while the Army has stripped recon, security, fires, and engineering assets from brigades, the People’s Liberation Army has expanded those capabilities in their brigades. We risk a “missing middle” in our Army, in which divisions hoard assets and companies receive new capabilities, but brigades and battalions are unable to shape the fight for those companies or develop the situation for them. I am unclear of the operational framework how how we would employ these units in a future fight.

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Peer support can be the bridge between transition and true reintegration for our nation’s veterans. In my latest article for the National Veterans’ Training Institute, I explore how peer support programs not only help veterans navigate employment and training services but also build the trust, confidence, and community connections that make lasting reintegration possible. From real-world examples to best practices for service providers, this piece highlights why peer support isn’t just a “nice-to-have” — it’s an essential part of veteran services. Read it here: 🔗 The Role of Peer Support in Veteran Reintegration https://lnkd.in/eAsZqNDj If you work in veteran services, workforce development, or community-based support, I’d love to hear your thoughts: 💬 How have you seen peer support make an impact in your work? #Veterans #WorkforceDevelopment #PeerSupport #NVTI #Reintegration #VeteranServices

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The Army Transformation Initiatives can be summarized in two words: #AgileMindset In this article, I explained what Agile Mindset means from organizations and individuals perspectives.

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Today’s the day. The Standdown Framework and The Workbook are officially live. After 17 years in Naval Special Warfare and years leading teams in high-stakes environments, I distilled everything I know about stopping drift into a framework leaders can actually deploy. This book is for you if: →  You’ve watched a strong team slowly lose alignment →  You’ve felt pressure building, but didn’t know how to reset without creating chaos →  You’re leading through uncertainty and need a structured way to realign and move forward THE STANDDOWN FRAMEWORK  9 steps. Battle-tested. Ready to deploy. ✔️ Recognize drift before it costs you trust, talent, or revenue ✔️ Realign leadership when everyone’s rowing in different directions ✔️ Execute resets with precision—not endless meetings ✔️ Embed change so it holds under pressure and turnover This framework began with a single conversation, sharing how the military handles drift. What followed was a full operational reset for more than 150 people across an international manufacturing division. It worked because it was systematic. Now it’s available to any leader facing the same challenge. 📘 Book: https://lnkd.in/dgxt4gDp 📋 Workbook: https://lnkd.in/dMh4C2z5 The book gives you the framework. The workbook provides the tools you need, with templates, assessments, and planning guides, to run your first Standdown with confidence. To everyone who supported this work before it ever became a book, thank you.   And to leaders discovering it today: drift may be inevitable, but staying there is not. Let’s reset the standard. #TheStanddownFramework #Leadership #OperationalExcellence #BookLaunch

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#PersonalIdea One of biggest issues I see is the clog in getting contracts awarded and funded. I propose DoD moves to competitive grants that don’t require a contracting officer to award. A contracting officer certifies the call for proposals and the proposals to ensure no laws are broken. A 3 person review panel with no OCI issues selects the winners. Funds are then transferred to the selected teams via a Govt version of Venmo that just has contains approved companies. Why Grants? Grants have less requirements and you just expect a product. By using competitive grants to multiple companies then the government uses competition to get expected product. At the end of the grant, the government inputs a Amazon-like review of the company and the product. Any companies that have 3 or less stars becomes ineligible for future grants. Feel free to comment and tell me what you think. #DoD #MDA #federalfunding

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Leadership isn’t a title - it’s a decisive advantage. A recent Military Review article makes a point that applies far beyond the military: in complex, fast-changing environments, leaders turn potential into performance. In the Army, leadership builds cohesive, disciplined teams that can operate under pressure. In business, the challenges look different, but the requirement is the same: Strong leadership creates clarity, trust, and adaptability. Key cross-domain takeaways: - Cohesion beats capability. Aligned teams outperform well-resourced but fractured ones. - Culture drives execution. Values, accountability, and trust are force multipliers. - Adaptability wins. Decentralized decision-making and rapid learning matter more than rigid efficiency. Whether on the battlefield or in the boardroom, leaders shape the environment and outcomes. Curious how others see these principles showing up in their organizations. Article here - https://lnkd.in/e76TPVgG #Leadership #OrganizationalCulture #TeamCohesion #AdaptiveLeadership

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The U.S. Coast Guard is getting twice the funding it asked for in FY26. This surge supports Force Design 2028: – New civilian leadership – Agile force reorg – Investment in people – Modern tech + logistics – Streamlined acquisition Big shifts = big GovCon opportunities. Thanks to Neil McDonnell for the insight.

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Why Unified Command doesn’t belong inside the Planning P OK, script readers — strap in for this one. 🤯 Unified Command, agency briefings, delegations of authority… Important? Absolutely. But they are not planning — they’re policy. Those elements being added to the Planning Cycle were likely, in my opinion, policy additions, largely driven by wildland fire governance, including: - multi-jurisdiction authority - land management responsibilities - cost and accountability requirements Valid needs! Different purpose! Planning is an entirely different conversation — and far less complicated than we’ve made it. Planning is about: - deciding what needs to be done - how we can do it safely - in what timeframe - with what resources... to achieve objectives That’s it. You can do that: - before—or without—Unified Command being implemented! - without an agency briefing, because it’s not required to begin forward planning if the initial IMT is still working it! - without a new delegation, because authority may already exists with the initial IMT! - without a room full of green vests, because UC is unrelated to the planning process itself! Unified Command answers a different question: Who has authority for the incident? Planning Cycle answers: What work needs to happen next? They may intersect somewhere along the journey — but they are not the same thing. When Unified Command was embedded into the Planning P, planning quietly shifted from: “How do we organize the work?” to: “How do we run a meeting with a bunch of agencies?” And that’s where things went sideways. So when we say: “Don’t worry about Unified Command… yet.” We’re not dismissing it. We’re putting it back where it belongs: - as a policy process - a governance decision not a planning trigger If you teach people the components of ICS — and how they actually relate to each other — you stop working in muddy water. That’s not breaking ICS. That’s explaining it properly. 😉 Dynam-ICS™ Training Solutions

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Most people misunderstand the role of a field-grade officer. At the tactical level, leaders focus on execution. At the strategic level, leaders focus on vision. But field-grade officers live in the uncomfortable space between the two. We are expected to move fast. But also think deeply. Translate broad guidance into concrete action. While managing the friction that naturally exists inside large institutions. Done poorly, two things happen: Velocity without vision creates chaos. Vision without velocity creates irrelevance. The job of a field-grade officer is to ensure neither happens. It means absorbing uncertainty so junior leaders can focus on execution. It means translating intent into plans that units can actually execute. And it means protecting momentum while still asking the hard questions that prevent organizations from drifting. Over time, I’ve come to believe that this space, where vision meets velocity, is where field-grade officers provide the most value to the profession of arms. Grateful to have these thoughts published in the Field Artillery Professional Bulletin. “Where Vision Meets Velocity: Rules for Field-Grade Officers.” 🔗 Article: https://lnkd.in/ec7cwST2 For those currently serving as field-grade officers What lessons have shaped how you operate in this space between vision and execution? #Leadership #MissionCommand #FieldArtillery #USArmy #ProfessionOfArms

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The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson AFB is forecasting a $17.3 million multi-year IDIQ for Information Technology Services Support (ITSS). This effort will provide comprehensive IT, cybersecurity, and platform integration services across AFRL HQ’s research and operational missions. With a deep scope that spans everything from help desk support to advanced data analytics and DevSecOps, this is a prime opportunity for small and mid-sized businesses with defense IT experience. #airforce #businessdevelopment #coaching #contractproposal #dod #govcon #ostglobal #ostglobalsoutions #procurement #proposals #sba #sbir #sttr #usairforce #webinar #webinars #winmorebd

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A great read for field grade leaders and others framing the shift from individual to organizational leadership - from Kevin Brensinger

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🚀 Master Your Next Mission: Professional Skill Development Workshop 🎖️💼 Transitioning to a civilian career is more than just finding a job; it’s about translating your military leadership into data-driven impact. On September 16, 2026, join us for an intensive, full-day deep dive into the "civilian mission." Whether you are a transitioning service member, veteran, or military spouse, this workshop provides the tactical tools needed to signal your leadership from the first impression. 📅 Date: September 16, 2026 🕗 Time: 0800–1600 (8:00 AM – 4:00 PM) 📍 Location: Joint Base Andrews (JBA) What you will master: Resume Mastery: Learn to translate military skills into metrics that civilian recruiters understand. Dress for Success: Professional attire tips to ensure you project executive presence from day one. Salary Negotiations: High-impact strategies to advocate for your worth and secure competitive compensation. LinkedIn Optimization: Turn your profile into a searchable showcase that actively attracts recruiters. Don’t leave your career progression to chance. Join a network of fellow builders committed to reimagining what’s possible. 🔗 How to Register: To secure your spot, visit the Military and Family Readiness Center (MFRC) booking site: jba-mfrc.timetap.com. #MilitaryTransition #ProfessionalDevelopment #VeteranHiring #JointBaseAndrews #CareerSuccess #LinkedInNetworking #MilitarySpouseJobs Katie SpinazzolaJeff CarsonSteven StankovichCindy Edwin, MSM, PMP®, AFC®Jessica Cecil, MBALouie DM Perkins (CFJST/CFCC) Adela WilsonCyndi MiracleAdam RosenlundLeon (Slim) Rogers Jennifer Burks, PHR 🎭 Roderick Williams, MBAVonzell MattocksPatrick Foreman (USMC, RET)Rosalina (Rose) LabadessaDaniel Collins, MBA, PMPJames ColemanJames WestAmy Rozek, M.Ed.Angela SchmidtBrittany MartinJon Allen, PMPAdam RosenlundT’Aira Dickerson-HolderPaul Volpe - Forward March Inc.Jennifer Ross, MBA, MOL

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What Happened to Command Accountability and Responsibility ... Where have we as an organization drifted in the last quarter century when it comes to addressing command accountability and responsibility in our newly structured “Enterprise” components and the focus on a static understanding of “efficiency” in an organization that exists, ultimately, for combat “effectiveness.” John C. Harvey, Jr., Admiral, USN (Ret). "The warfare community Enterprises that exist today essentially employ consensus-driven decision-making in pursuit of greater efficiencies. At times, how this consensus was achieved and then implemented across many organizational C2 boundaries to achieve the hoped-for efficiencies is neither clear or unambiguous. And for a Fleet commander, the ultimate bottom-line is effectiveness, mission accomplishment, not necessarily efficiency. The inherent tension between the results of Enterprise cross-organizational collaborative behavior driving policy and controlling resources and the singular accountability of a commander for assigned missions can be significant. In addition to the possible institutional lack of focus and the below-the-radar impact of the long-standing Fleet organizational mis-match - a Fleet that is neither fully unified or fully separated - that either yields or overlooks sloppy C2 (a key contributor to the mission failures mentioned earlier - the Red Hill fuel leaks, the BONHOMME RICHARD fire and the FITZGERALD/JOHN S MCCAIN collisions), there also appears to be an accompanying issue of eroding command accountability. These two issues go hand-in-hand - if you can’t clearly identify who is responsible for the mission, then neither can you identify who is accountable for accomplishing, or failing to accomplish, the mission. And how can you assign or delegate authority if you cannot determine responsibility? https://lnkd.in/eANJ6r_J

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U.S. COAST GUARD - RFI - DUE MAY 8 - COAST GUARD WANTS CONTRACTORS TO PROVIDE AND OPERATE DRONE SERVICES FROM CUTTERS, SHORE-BASED SITES - The technologies and services would be intended to help with the surveillance, detection, classification and identification of maritime “targets of interest." - Coast Guard officials are trying to identify contractors that can provide drone equipment and services to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. - The effort is being led by the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program Executive Office that was established last year to support the organization’s modernization efforts laid out in Force Design 2028. - The technologies and services would be intended to help with the surveillance, detection, classification and identification of maritime “targets of interest” including small, low-profile vessels like go-fast boats and self-propelled semi-submersibles used by drug traffickers, contraband, and people in the water who need to be rescued. - Operating locations could include up to a total of 35 shore-based sites in the Atlantic, Pacific, Alaska and Arctic regions, as well as national security cutters, offshore patrol cutters, medium endurance cutters, icebreakers and arctic security cutters, according to the RFI. - Performance specifications for a variety of anticipated platforms were included in attachments to the RFI. - Industry responses are due May 8. - https://lnkd.in/et4rwq3V

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