Memorial Day: Honoring Men and Women of Character, Strength, and Honor
“Precision brutal death is not the result of soldiers’ conflicting words but that of nations’ arsenal and leaders’ decisive actions.” – Leticia Matlock
On this day, let us honor the fallen and the men and women serving with character, strength and honor.
Vice President addressed West Point class of 2023, “You have the skills, knowledge, and character…” Straight away, as you find yourself in darkness eyeing yourself in the mirror, lie you cannot. Gaming and training you may obtain, but few embody character. Let me enlighten you…
John Henry “Dick” Turpin, one of the first African American Chief Petty Officers in the U.S. Navy and
Carl Maxie Brashear, U.S. Master Diver and Navy sailor – Men of Character, Strength and Honor.
Admiral Linda Fagan, Coast Guard, the true Guardians of the Sea for more than two centuries.
VP spoke of cadets “using AI to predict the movement of our adversaries.” Harris may be confused. I think she meant to say Israeli Defense Force (IDF) alongside its start-ups and American tech companies.
Israel teamed up with Nvidia to “build generative AI cloud supercomputer.” Speaking of “skills, knowledge, and character,” I present Isaac Ben Israel.
Isaac Ben Israel, retired IDF Major General, referred to as “the father of Israel’s cybersecurity business” literally wrote the book, “Cybersecurity in Israel” and offers insightful ideas on Artificial Intelligence.
VP stated “our soldiers the most lethal warriors in the world.” Harris, be quick to realize your statement is not valid. Let me enlighten you as to actual Lethal Warriors. Cyber warriors, as Grunts on foot and Navy fighters, need to heed three lessons:
“A machine can hunt, but it cannot think.”
Key lies in the power of your radars, as the documented “speed trap” deadly midair collision between an F-4 Phantom and commercial airline exhibit. Incident serves to corroborate lessons learned from former U.S. Navy fighter pilot Dan Pedersen.
Pedersen, first officer in charge and co-founder of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School understands the first lesson, “In combat, what you don’t see will kill you” and “The Pilot will always be the key factor.” Combat or not, a pilot’s eyes and early detection are critical.
U.S. General John Allen (Retired) “Have real-time plan strategically in a military manner…that kind of connectivity knows no boundaries.”
Francis J. “Bing” West, Marine combat veteran and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, “The United States possessed precision firepower, with sensors that tracked any individual out of doors.”
U.S. Navy SEAL, “Admiral William H. McRaven (Retired) served with great distinction in the Navy. In his thirty-seven years as a Navy SEAL, he commanded at every level. As a Four-Star Admiral, his final assignment was as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces.”
James N. Mattis, General and Former Secretary of Defense, “Every warrior must know his weapon, his job, and his comrades’ reactions so well that he functions without hesitation.”
Indeed, great men and women have served in the past with high distinction. As for the future, liken to Artificial General Intelligence, U.S. Defense can imitate but not replicate humans. Field operatives need to confront Imitation v Replication.
Isaac Ben Israel reminds us that “Balance is usually based on experience. You cannot copy a model when you are inventing a system.”