EXCALIBUR Research and Development LLC…..is what exactly? Frankly, I don’t know. I know what it’s not: it’s not the status quo. It’s not about using an existing business model. It is about change and challenge. It is about a willingness to break china, accept risk, look at things differently, and it’s going to be about collaboration and innovation. And it’s all about national security. It is about creating a process, establishing a network, and eventually an advanced facility staffed with innovators and youth.
On another forum, people have asked some questions and they and many more are unresolved: is it a think-tank? A consulting company? Will it be an online community? An alternate command post? Is it a blog? How will I get paid? Will I get paid? Or is this about volunteering? How do you vet the people? Check their ideas? Filter out the nuts? Maybe the “nuts” have great ideas?
Change is inevitable and the massive tectonic shift of information and the media is the best example of that. Do you DVR or Tivo your shows to include the news? Do you get your news from a paper or from the internet? What do you think of viral videos, will they change the political scene? No one knows.
Let me use an illustration: A few months ago, I attended an address by a 4-star equivalent member of the DOD (position and service are irrelevant) the speech was organized by a traditional DC think-tank, sponsored by a traditional large defense company (with GREAT food and drink), and held in a major DC hotel. There were about 50 attendees with many service members and I chatted with a retired Colonel now working at a major defense firm, and I tried to explain EXCALIBUR as best I could. I said look around this room: it’s almost all male, over 50, white, and mostly retired military. I said our primary threats are coming from youth, often foreign born, and they are communicating via cell phones and e-mails while we are fumbling around trying to understand it all. The speaker said the purpose for being here was to communicate with the American people but also hear our concerns too.
Now, contrast this address with the 2nd Annual Milblogs convention. Admittedly, intended for a much larger purpose, but nonetheless, according to Andi of Andisworld.com she estimated the following were in attendance:
--200-250 participants on site
--40-50 “livebloggers” (that is bloggers on their laptops chatting away
--new and old media including CNN, Fox News, Time.com, Wired Magazines Blog Dangeroom, Defensetech.com of Military.com, the Pentagon Channel, and the John Pike of globalsecurity.org
--watching via a live streaming video hook up were 871 online watchers
--finally, she has no numbers, but estimates with the liveblogging and above, that thousands participated. Now contrast this to the previous address, where that decision maker could have better spent their time? The retired Colonel I spoke with at the earlier event, after I described my concept, a look of alarm flashed over his face and he said “hey, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!” and I think I saw his “career obsolescence light” flicker in his eyes.
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