[RYAN ROBERTSON]
RECRUITING.
JUST LIKE IN COLLEGE SPORTS, RECRUITING IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF AMERICA’S VOLUNTEER MILITARY FORCE.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
AND, SIMILAR TO COLLEGE SPORTS, MILITARY RECRUITERS ARE FACING MORE CHALLENGES WHEN ATTRACTING THE TOP TALENT TO SERVE THE COUNTRY.
FROM MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN SECONDARY EDUCATION TO AN EVOLVING WORKFORCE THAT’S NOT REQUIRING A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE. YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE MORE OPTIONS THAN EVER BEFORE.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THAT’S WHY THE ARMY IS FOCUSING ON TRANSFORMING HOW IT RECRUITS THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOLDIERS.
[RYAN ROBERTSON UNDER VO/GFX]
ON THE SURFACE, IT WOULD APPEAR WHAT THE ARMY IS DOING WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING IS WORKING.
ARMY RECRUITERS EXCEEDED THEIR GOAL OF 55,000 NEW SOLDIERS IN 2024 BY HALF A PERCENT. THAT INCLUDED ECLIPSING THEIR TARGET FOR DELAYED ENLISTMENT RECRUITS BY 6,000 NEW SOLDIERS.
SOME ADDED CONTEXT THOUGH REVEALS THE NUMBER OF NEW SOLDIERS WAS LARGELY FLAT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WITH 54,000 IN 2023 FALLING 11,000 SHORT OF THEIR GOAL OF 65,000.
CONVERSELY, 11,000 PEOPLE ENTERED THE DELAYED ENTRY PROGRAM, WELL ABOVE LAST YEAR’S NUMBER OF ABOUT 4,600.
SECRETARY OF THE ARMY, [CHRISTINE WORMUTH], SAYS THOSE NUMBERS ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF ARMY LEADERSHIP PUTTING AN EMPHASIS ON CHANGING HOW THEY WENT ABOUT MAKING SURE THEIR RANKS STAYED FILLED.
[CHRISTINE WORMUTH]
“I believe that our success this year shows the promise of what is just around the corner, complete transformation of our recruiting enterprise. There’s still work to do to finish this transformation, but the army this won’t surprise you, is moving out aggressively.”
[MAJ. GEN. JOHNNY DAVIS]
“First and foremost, again, getting the talent right. And we started to see a big change in bringing the right talent of not only leaders, but also recruiters. Let’s assess our recruiters and make sure we select the right recruiters.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
PART OF THAT PLAN INCLUDED IMPROVING HOW THEY TRAIN RECRUITERS.
THE TRAINING WITH INDUSTRY PROGRAM OFFERS SOLDIERS THE CHANCE TO WORK WITH CIVILIAN INDUSTRY EXPERTS WITHIN THEIR FIELD TO LEARN THE COMPANY’S BEST PRACTICES AND METHODOLOGIES. TO KICKSTART THIS INITIATIVE, THE ARMY PARTNERED WITH COMPANIES LIKE AMAZON, DELOITTE, WELLS FARGO, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE TO PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERIENCES FOR RECRUITERS.
[BRIG. GEN. ANTOINETTE GANT]
“It is truly about the recruiter making sure that the recruiter has in his access that things that they need to be able to make sure that they can actually do what they’re supposed to be doing, and that’s prospecting, prospecting and nurturing the leads, of which they actually receive.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
“Stand up!”
“Nats”
“All ok jumpmaster”
“Nats/music…”
[BRIG. GEN. ANTOINETTE GANT]
“Everybody was like, oh my god, I’m so glad you’re going back to ‘Be All You Can Be’. Really wasn’t a go back to it. What it was was that was what resonated not just with those who had served, but those that were wanting or considering to serve because of the fact that this is saying we want the best you that you can actually be.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON CONT VO]
ANOTHER AVENUE OF SUCCESS FOR THE ARMY, THE INTRODUCTION OF A PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO HELP POTENTIAL RECRUITS THAT HAVE TROUBLE INITIALLY QUALIFYING FOR SERVICE.
[CHRISTINE WORMUTH]
“For young Americans who had the desire to join the army but not the test scores, we created the Future Soldier prep course to give them a path to meet our standards.”
[MAJ. GEN. JOHNNY DAVIS]
“A simple course to really invest in them, not just from academic and physical, but hey, let’s invest in them. Show them how you know, camaraderie, how to eat, all of the different how to exercise. And what we’ve seen within two weeks is transformational, and they’re going on to really lead our force as they do graduate and go off to basic combat training and to the first units of assignments.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THE INITIAL RESULTS ARE IMPRESSIVE. THE FUTURE SOLDIER PREPARATORY COURSE GRADUATED 16,000 STUDENTS INTO BASIC TRAINING IN 2024.
[CHRISTINE WORMUTH] SAYS TODAY’S HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS REPRESENT MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE ARMY’S ANNUAL ENLISTMENTS, BUT THEY REPRESENT ONLY 15 TO 20 PERCENT OF A LARGER PROSPECT POOL THEY NEED TO BE RECRUITING.
ONE AVENUE TO THAT WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SOLDIER REFERRAL PROGRAM. AN INCENTIVE FOR ACTIVE DUTY, GUARD OR RESERVE SOLDIERS TO REFER NEW RECRUITS TO JOIN THEIR RANKS. LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD, THE PROGRAM HAS ALREADY YIELDED 77,000 REFERRALS, AND 5,000 NEW SOLDIERS.
WITH THE SUCCESS OF THESE INITIATIVES, THE SECRETARY UPPED THE ANTE DURING THE OPENING CEREMONIES OF THIS YEAR’S AUSA NATIONAL MEETING.
[CHRISTINE WORMUTH]
“Looking ahead to fiscal year 2025 I am announcing today that General George and I have set a new goal to recruit 61,000 new Soldiers, 6000 more than this year.”
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
IT’S AN AMBITIOUS GOAL TO BE SURE, THE LAST TIME THE ARMY REPORTED MORE THAN 61,000 NEW RECRUITS IN A YEAR WAS 2019 WHEN A LITTLE MORE THAN 68,000 NEW RECRUITS PUT THEIR NAME ON THE DOTTED LINE.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
IN THE MODERN BATTLESPACE, DRONES ARE BECOMING AS UBIQUITOUS AS ARMORED VEHICLES, FIGHTER JETS, AND AIRCRAFT CARRIERS. AN ESSENTIAL PIECE OF ANY MILITARY FORCE’S PLAN OF ACTION.
WHILE DEFENSES AGAINST TRADITIONAL MEANS OF WARFARE ARE AS TRIED AND TESTED AS THE VEHICLES THEY AIM TO STOP, COUNTER-DRONE DEFENSE IS A NEW, BUT RAPIDLY EVOLVING, PIECE OF ANY MILITARY’S BATTLE PLAN.
THAT’S WHY THE ENFORCE-AIR-2 FROM D-FEND SOLUTIONS IS OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK.
A QUICK SEARCH OF PRACTICALLY ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM WILL YIELD HUNDREDS OF CLIPS OF UKRAINE’S DRONE OPERATORS DEALING DEVASTATING DAMAGE ON TROOPS AND EQUIPMENT.
IT’S THAT KIND OF DESTRUCTION THAT COUNTER-DRONE MANUFACTURERS ARE WORKING TO MITIGATE. ENTER D-FEND SOLUTIONS AND THE ENFORCE-AIR-2.
[JEFFREY STARR]
“What we’re known for is the actual RF cyber takeover. We’ll take over the drone. The drone now has a new master, if you will, and it’s landed safely in a pre-designated zone and in a military environment where, of course, that is allowed and performed by qualified staff.”
IT’S A NOVEL SOLUTION TO AN INCREASINGLY REAL PROBLEM. COUNTER-DRONE DEFENSES USUALLY FALL INTO ONE OF NINE CATEGORIES:
- EMP OR HPM TECHNOLOGY
- DIRECTIONAL JAMMERS
- GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SPOOFING
- HANDHELD JAMMERS
- KINETIC SOLUTIONS
- LASER BASED SYSTEMS
- OMNI-DIRECTIONAL JAMMERS
- RADIO FREQUENCY JAMMERS
- R-F CYBER-BASED TAKEOVER TECHNOLOGY
THAT’S WHAT THE ENFORCE-AIR-2 BRINGS TO THE TABLE.
[JEFFREY STARR]
“It’s based on a deep understanding of the communication protocols of the drone. So an unauthorized or hostile drone enters the protected area, we can immediately detect it, and we set off an alert at that point to all the operators, and then it moves into from that point on, we’re tracking it closely. We’re not tracking only the drone, but also the pilot and the takeoff position.”
[JEFFREY STARR]
“We’re identifying what is this drone? What is the make, the model, the manufacture, the serial number, but more importantly, its capabilities to understand and is this friendly? Is this authorized, is this unauthorized? So you have this identification things, and then ultimately you move into mitigation.”
STARR TELLS ‘WEAPONS AND WARFARE’ THIS APPROACH NOT ONLY PROTECTS FRIENDLY FORCES, IT ADDS THE ABILITY TO GATHER INTEL ON ADVERSARIES.
[JEFFREY STARR]
“You can capture the drone. You can capture the intelligence associated with the drone too. And so obviously, you capture it very, very surgical, very precise. You don’t have the collateral damage dangers, you don’t have the disruption dangers, you don’t have the operational disturbance. You, above all, have continuity.”
ANOTHER SELLING POINT OF THE ENFORCE-AIR-2 IS ADAPTABILITY. RANGING FROM TACTICAL, VEHICULAR, OR STATIONARY DEPLOYMENT. IT CAN EVEN OPERATE FROM A BACKPACK.
[JEFFREY STARR]
“The backpack version is our latest version. We’ll continue that, getting a smaller footprint and getting that portability. Otherwise it’s a never-ending cat and mouse and leapfrog game. As new drone dangers emerge, we of course, have to overcome them.”
ACCORDING TO STARR, D-FEND SOLUTIONS IS OPERATING IN 27 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES PROVIDING COUNTER-DRONE PROTECTION IN DEFENSE, HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY’RE ALSO WORKING TO HELP PASS LEGISLATION THAT WOULD MAKE THEIR TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES RIGHT HERE IN THE U-S.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
IT’S TIME FOR COMMS CHECK AND THIS WEEK WE HAVE A TWO-PARTER FEATURING A ‘WEAPONS AND WARFARE’ FAVORITE, THE F-35 LIGHTNING II.
A REPORT IN ‘AIR AND SPACE FORCES MAGAZINE’ SAYS LOCKHEED MARTIN IS MAKING GOOD ON ITS PREDICTION OF DELIVERING THEIR FIFTH-GENERATION FIGHTER AT A CLIP OF 20 JETS A MONTH.
A REP FOR THE LONG-TIME DEFENSE CONTRACTOR SAYS LOCKHEED DELIVERED MORE THAN 60 JETS IN THREE AND A HALF MONTHS, PROMPTING THE COMPANY TO REVISE ITS DELIVERY ESTIMATES FOR 2024 FROM A MINIMUM OF 75 JETS TO A MINIMUM OF 90. THAT ADDS UP TO DELIVERIES OF BETWEEN 15 AND 23 MORE JETS PER MONTH BY DECEMBER 31.
THIS IS ALL ON THE HEELS OF THE RESUMPTION OF DELIVERIES THIS SUMMER AFTER THE D-O-D DECLINED TO ACCEPT NEW AIRCRAFT WITHOUT THE FULL TECH REFRESH 3 UPGRADE. IN JUNE, THE PROGRAM’S EXECUTIVE OFFICER LIFTED THE HOLD ON DELIVERIES AFTER DETERMINING A TRUNCATED VERSION OF THE TR-3 WAS STABLE AND SAFE FOR FLIGHT.
AND REMEMBER THE F-35 THAT FLEW FOR 64 MILES AFTER THE PILOT EJECTED? THAT MARINE CORPS PILOT WAS RECENTLY RELIEVED OF COMMAND.
COLONEL CHARLES DEL PIZZO TOLD THE MARINE CORPS TIMES HE WAS THE PILOT WHO EJECTED FROM THE F-35-B OVER CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, ON SEPT. 17 OF LAST YEAR. HE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD RECENTLY BEEN RELIEVED OF COMMAND OF MARINE TEST AND EVALUATION SQUADRON 1 AT MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, ARIZONA.
THIS ALL COMES AFTER A CRASH INVESTIGATION FOUND COLONEL DEL PIZZO’S PRIMARY DISPLAYS AND COMMUNICATIONS CUT OUT AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN THE RAIN AT JOINT BASE CHARLESTON. THE RECENTLY RELEASED REPORT ALSO DISCLOSED THE AIRCRAFT’S STANDBY FLIGHT DISPLAY AND BACKUP COMMUNICATION SYSTEM “REMAINED BASICALLY FUNCTIONAL.”
WHILE INVESTIGATORS FOUND DEL PIZZO FOLLOWED PROCEDURES AND WAS NOT DERELICT IN HIS DUTIES, THEY ALSO CONCLUDED HE COULD HAVE CONTINUED FLYING THE JET AND HIS DECISION TO EJECT WAS A MISTAKE.
FOLLOWING HIS REVIEW OF THE FINDINGS, THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS, GENERAL ERIC SMITH, ORDERED THAT DEL PIZZO BE RELIEVED OF COMMAND.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
ALRIGHT, THAT’S GOING TO DO IT FOR US THIS WEEK ON WEAPONS AND WARFARE. AS ALWAYS, PLEASE LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE TO ALL OF OUR SOCIAL FEEDS…AND SHARE THEM WITH YOUR FRIENDS. SHARING IS CARING AFTER-ALL.
SO, FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS IN THE U-S…WE’VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT HOW PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP WOULD END THE WARS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE AND PREVENT FUTURE WARS FROM STARTING.
HERE’S WHY I HOPE ENDING THE WAR IN UKRAINE DOESN’T MEAN ABANDONING UKRAINE.
IF YOU’RE A FAN OF THE SHOW, YOU’VE HEARD ME SPEAK BEFORE ABOUT THE UNITED STATES’ TREATY-BOUND OBLIGATIONS TO DEFEND UKRAINE. ABOUT IT’S DUTY AS THE WORLD’S LEADING DEMOCRACY TO HELP SUPPORT OTHER DEMOCRACIES.
THOSE THINGS ASIDE–THE U-S SHOULD SUPPORT UKRAINE BECAUSE IF RUSSIA WINS–EVEN IF IT’S JUST A STOP IN THE FIGHTING AND THE KREMLIN GETS TO KEEP THE LAND IT SEIZED–
CHINA WILL SEE THAT AS WEAKNESS IN THE WEST–AND USE IT AS ONE MORE REASON TO TRY AND TAKE TAIWAN.
AND FRIENDS– IF YOU LIKE LIVING IN THE 21ST CENTURY WITH ALL THE MODERN CONVENIENCES AND LUXURIES WE HAVE–THE THOUGHT OF CHINA TAKING TAIWAN SHOULD BE ALARMING.
BECAUSE FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS OR SO–THE SMALL ISLAND HAS BEEN THE WORLD’S CAPITAL FOR MICROCHIP MANUFACTURING.
AND BOY—DO WE USE A LOT OF MICROCHIPS.
THEY’RE IN EVERYTHING. CARS. CAMERAS. COMPUTERS. PHONES. TVS, TOASTERS, ELECTRONIC BARCALOUNGERS–IF THE THING PLUGS IN OR USES ELECTRICAL POWER IN ANY WAY–ODDS ARE IT HAS AT LEAST ONE MICROCHIP IN IT.
REMEMBER DURING THE PANDEMIC? WHEN CAR LOTS WERE EMPTY AND THOUSANDS OF ELECTRONICS WERE ON BACKORDER? COVID HIGHLIGHTED PLENTY OF PROBLEMS IN THE SUPPLY LINES–BUT MAYBE NONE SO CONSEQUENTIAL AS MODERN SOCIETY’S RELIANCE ON SEMICONDUCTORS.
OUR MILITARY IS ALSO VERY RELIANT ON THE FLOW OF CHIPS FROM TAIWAN TO STAY FLOWING.
THROUGH PRESIDENT BIDEN’S CHIPS ACT–THE U-S IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING MORE DOMESTIC CAPACITY TO MAKE MICROPROCESSORS–
BUT IT’S NOT THERE YET.
WE’VE HEARD LOTS OF TALK ABOUT TARIFFS AND HOW THOSE CAN BE USED AS A ECONOMIC LEVER AGAINST CHINA–BUT TAIWAN CAN ABSOLUTELY BE USED AS A LEVER AGAINST THE U-S AND ITS ALLIES IF A HOSTILE ACTOR SEIZES CONTROL OF THE ISLAND.
THE BEST WAY TO DETER CHINA–OR ANY ADVERSARY–IS TO CONVINCE THEM THE COST OF THEIR ACTIONS OUTWEIGH THE BENEFITS.
IF RUSSIA IS NOT DEFEATED IN UKRAINE–CHINA WILL SEE THE COST TO AN OPPRESSIVE REGIME TAKING ON THE WORLD’S DEMOCRACIES DOESN’T AMOUNT TO MUCH.
THAT’S WHAT I THINK, ANYWAY. WHAT ABOUT YOU? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW OR SEND US AN EMAIL TO WEAPONS AND WARFARE AT S-A-N DOT COM
FOR SENIOR PRODUCER BRETT BAKER, VIDEO EDITOR BRIAN SPENCER, AND GRAPHICS ARTIST DAKOTA PITEO–I’M RYAN ROBERTSON WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, SIGNING OFF.
