DC Velocity - August 2012

create an alternate way to get equipment and supplies into Afghanistan.

Lo and behold, as you mentioned,
last November, Pakistan closed our
two major borders into Afghanistan.
The Torkham gate and the Chaman
gate closed, where we were bringing
through a good amount of our sup-
plies for Afghanistan. We had to rely
on alternate means. We ended up
using the northern distribution net-
work. [Editor’s note: In July 2012,
Pakistan reopened the Torkham and
Chaman gates.]
though we are a pretty big organiza-
tion. We can’t change overnight, but
we can and do take a look at differ-
ent courses of action and do our
best to have multiple approaches to
get at the same problem.

astate the military, but as you have seen, it didn’t. You have to be prepared to shift and be flexible as different challenges come up.

QThere has to be a lesson in there for private-sector logisticians. What can we learn from the military’s readiness for an unanticipated event?

ARemain agile and flexible. The big thing is to pivot, to shift and change your current operations based on the constraint you are facing. The military is able to, even

QWhat I heard you describe, though, is not just being flexible and agile, it is also finding the time and the resources to be looking over the horizon and try to see what might be coming and being prepared to respond. Is that fair? AYes. It is very important that we are all talking and that we understand what is coming up. Planning is not just the next day or the next week but the next month, the next three months, and possibly the next year. We have to look out. We can’t just react to what happens today or tomorrow, or we will never succeed. With the closure of the Pakistan border, people thought it would dev-

QYou’ve had the opportunity to serve directly under two respected senior leaders in the DOD (and previous DCV Thought Leaders), Vice Adm. Alan Thompson and Alan Estevez, when he was the assistant secretary of defense (logistics and materiel readiness). Are there any particular lessons you learned?

AI saw that you really can trust your instincts. They both had many years of experience and had been in different situations; that allowed them to think on their feet, and they drew on that every day.

You need to trust your instincts. If you see something that you know isn’t going the right way or notice a good practice that you want to pick up for the rest of your command, you should grab it. Trust that your instincts will carry you through and help you succeed.

Another thing they both do very well is acquaint themselves with the capabilities of subordinate commands and units. They took the time to get out and learn about their subordinate organizations and their subordinate units’ capabilities.

They also spent a lot of time listening to their subject matter experts. They both were willing to bring in the specialists and hear them out and have them help formulate ideas as part of the decision-making process. You can’t know everything, no matter how much you have experienced in your career. You really need to use those specialists to help you make better decisions.

QAre there any additional thoughts you’d like to share with us? AIt is a great time to be a logistician in the Army. We train hard back in the United States and across the different military installations to tone our specialties, our crafts. When we get the call to deploy and help fight for another country’s freedom and to show them how the military and the United States of America are able to assist them in gaining their goals—it is just an amazing opportunity. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to serve my country, and to be the commander of the 3rd ESC here in Afghanistan has been an absolute honor for me. ;