USJFCOMLive

The American Forces Press Service just gave us some great coverage of Gen. Mattis’ testimony today. Check Army Sgt 1st Class Michael J. Carden’s handiwork.

Kevin F. Butler, the division chief of Military Strategic Partnership (J57), was recently named USJFCOM’s Senior Civilian of the 4th Quarter.

A former commander in the U.S. Navy, Butler loves coming to work everyday and making a difference.

“I’m excited about making a difference. We provide real support to the warfighter through better coordination with multinational partners. Gen. (James) Mattis (USJFCOM commander) always says that ‘we’ll always go to war with partners.’”

Read more about Butler here.

Just posted a new story about a change of responsibility ceremony conducted today for the Joint Warfighting Center and Joint Training Directorate.

Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Layfield replaces Army Maj. Gen. Jason Kamiya, who is retiring after 33 years of service to the country. Kamiya feels the JWFC is in good hands, saying:

There is much, much more work to be done and I will miss the thrill and excitement of working with all of you, but I leave knowing that the joint training community is in enormously capable hands.

Staff Sgt. Joe Laws has posted images and a Pentagon Channel video on Flickr from yesterday’s ACT change of command where Gen. Mattis relinquished command of Allied Command Transformation to Gen. Abrial.

Our colleagues at ACT have given us a great story looking at yesterday’s change of command with comments from both Gen. Mattis and Gen. Abrial on the historic occasion.

Mike Gooding from the Norfolk ABC affiliate WVEC also had a very nice video piece air on the news last night.

We’ll be posting some photos later today.

Today brings a new leader to our partners over at NATO’s Allied Command Transformation.

Later this morning, French Air Force Gen. Stephane Abrial will assumed command as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis.

Gen. Mattis will still be our boss on the Joint Forces Command side.

Keep an eye here for updates, both photo and story, as we move through this historic day

Our commander had some good things to say about the future of warfare when he spoke at LandWarNet 2009 earlier this week (thanks to Defense Systems).

“There’s no value in a joint ethos that subverts force culture. Each force culture has value because the different ways of approaching problem-solving confounds the enemy.”

This morning, we released a new vision for how the command will approach one of our key missions: joint concept development.

From the story on jfcom.mil:

The vision provides guidance about how USJFCOM can develop, test and validate new concepts more efficiently, and transition those concepts quickly into doctrine that benefits joint warfighters.

In the vision’s cover memo, USJFCOM Commander Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis said the objective is to set a high standard for official concepts without discouraging more exploratory conceptual work.

The memo continues by outlining some basic commander’s guidance such as:

• Concept development will be based on a thorough understanding of current doctrine.
• Concepts will provide a clear and testable alternative to that doctrine.
• Concepts validated through experimentation, practical experience, analysis, and professional debate will be transitioned systematically and expeditiously into doctrine.

This comes while we are doing just this type of work at the Capstone Concept for Joint Operations (CCJO) wargame up in McLean, Va.

Read more about the vision and the CCJO wargame at jfcom.mil

We’re starting with leadership this morning as Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms started the conference by stressing to the JWC 09 participants filling the tables in the main speaking area how the local Hampton Roads area is home to more military leaders than any other place than Washington DC.

Gen. Mattis started his speech off by discussing how today’s warfighters are defenders of a realm of ideas and stressed how there is a need for a grand strategy, something we have not had since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The challenge of implementing such a grand strategy means the joint force will figure how it will operate in an era of persistent conflict.

The general identified five areas which will affect the future of the joint force

• Everything we do requires the highest quality troops. Sustaining the quality of troops is a national priority.
• Must be able to fight and protect the population no matter what the character of warfare.
• The enemy gets a vote. We must adapt to changing enemy threats. We must improve our training for all levels including small unit leaders.
• You can not regulate a war. General guidance and commander’s intent will run tactical operations vice the huge plans which run today’s operations.
• Embrace and engage in the war of the narrative. We will work closely with our allies and all elements of national power to make the future joint fight work.

We’ll have more from the general later today on http://www.jfcom.mil

We’re on site at the Virginia Beach Convention Center at the Joint Warfighting Conference. Stop by booth 325 and see what we’re doing to support the joint warfighter of today and tomorrow.

Gen. Mattis will be delivering the keynote address at 9 a.m.  and the panels will flow after that with leaders from USJFCOM and across the Department of Defense and industry talking about a variety of issues.

This first day focuses on the environment our joint warfighters face and uses the Joint Operating Environment USJFCOM and its partners wrote as the basis.