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Shanahan: New Army Command is ‘The Future’

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A key line of effort of the National Defense Strategy is to build a more lethal force by restoring readiness and modernizing key capabilities, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan said, as he focused on modernization of the force before the Annual Association of the U.S. Army conference today.

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan speaks at a podium.
Shanahan Speech
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan speaks at the Annual Association of the U.S. Army conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., Oct. 10, 2018. DOD photo by Army Sgt. Amber I. Smith
Photo By: Amber I. Smith
VIRIN: 181010-D-SV709-0015S

Here are some highlights from his remarks:

1
Retooling for a New Era
Modernization is about retooling for a new era of great power competition, a muscle the Defense Department hasn’t had to use in a while.
2
Cyber and Space
The Defense Department must deal with two new warfighting domains – cyber and space – and an increasingly blurred line between competition and combat.
3
Develop Doctrine
To develop next-generation doctrine, organization and capabilities to deter the Russians and Chinese, the Army created Futures Command.
4
Lessons Learned
Getting ''the mix'' right is what Futures Command is all about, and in designing it, the Army has drawn upon lessons learned.
5
Change Was Due
For the past 17 years, DOD has focused on the fight against violent extremist organizations, a goal that has driven inefficiency and stovepipes with requirements, development, testing, acquisition and production all conducted separately.
6
Change Is Here
To modernize, DOD has restructured that system, and with Army Futures Command, it has integrated technologists, operators and acquisition professionals on cross-functional teams focused on one of the Army’s six modernization priorities.
7
Defining Success
To make Futures Command successful, DOD must focus on product and performance, and pursue only capabilities that will dominate great power competition.
8
Warrior Focus
DOD must focus relentlessly on the warfighter rather than on technology, and must recruit talented people.
9
Futures Integration
The Army and all members of the DOD family must integrate Futures Command into their processes, relentlessly hunt for the talent they need, remove obstacles from their path, and advocate and build momentum for them — within the building, throughout the government, on Capitol Hill and with industry — and focus on their output, not their process.
10
Looking Forward
The Army Futures Command is our future.

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