It is dark and breezy outside. Just a very gentle reminder of the winds to
come as Hurricane Irma makes her way north.
She is approaching the Florida Keys right now, and those to her east are
dealing with heavy rain, strong winds, and tornadoes. None of those are expected to impact my
little home on the western edge of the state.
Each day starts as a blank page, it will be filled with the
doodles of our lives. It is funny how
these pages turn out as we look back on them.
One of the first things I came across as I looked at social media was a
post from a couple of friends regarding President Trump’s nomination for Assistant
Secretary of the Navy for development and acquisition.
It was probably 10-12 years ago when I first met James
Geurts, at the time an acquisition officer in the USAF with the rank of
Colonel. He had come to United States
Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to serve as the program executive officer
for fixed wing aircraft. In that role
he, and his team were responsible for the acquisition and modernization of the
majority the of aircraft flown by Air Force Special Operations Command. As one of the people who wrote the
operational requirements for these aircraft I worked closely with him and his
team as they directed the necessary funding to various program offices. During
this time, he retired from the AF to become the deputy civilian leader for the
acquisition arm of USSOCOM, eventually rising to be its Director. He is a dynamic individual who both motivates
and empowers his subordinates and finds ways to cut through the red tape that
burdens the conventional defense department acquisition processes. Assuming his confirmation by the Senate, it
will be an interesting transition for both him and the Navy as he deals with a
whole new set of institutionalized bureaucracies. I wish him, and the Navy personnel who will
experience him, good luck and a following sea.
Today will be one spent in final preparation for the winds
and rain we should get tonight and tomorrow.
It shouldn’t take long as the forecast is not that dangerous, and when I’m
done perhaps, if it isn’t raining, I can get in some golf.
There are always other pens and other doodles I make as I
fill my page, but for now they will be my doodles. Perhaps someday I will share one of those doodles.
2 comments:
It sounds like you're not too worried about the hurricane; I hope your confidence is well-founded.
Winds gusts to about 30 knots, some light rain, and a dreary day. Otherwise unscathed. Thank you for your concern... the main part of the state and Georgia seem to be taking the brunt of the storm.
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