Can you guess what the focus is for this issue by looking at the interlocking circles on the cover? Capt. Jon Greene, commanding officer of NSWC Dam Neck gave me the idea. He said that relationship building and working cohesively with partners is one of his most important objectives, and for many effective leaders, this is true. He also credited CHIPS with being a useful channel to connect Navy and Defense Department users and leaders for that relationship building that is so important for any project to succeed.
It's a great compliment and one that illuminates how the Navy and joint force work every day partnering and building relationships with each other, as well as with other government agencies, nongovernment agencies and coalition friends, in experiments, exercises and training events.
"Think of the potential when we start saying, I am working on this and you are working on something very similar, what's the best of breed? Where can we do better for the warfighter and the taxpayer?" Greene said.
To that end, we explore the power of partnerhips with a look at NSWC Dam Neck; Phoenix Express; DoD's Interoperability Communications Exercise (DICE); Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2008-3 (JEFX 08-3); Trident Warrior 2008; Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID); and Combined Endeavor. You will see how building relationships and working together through training, exercises and experiments are essential to mission preparation and execution.
In June, the CHIPS staff participated in the DON CIO's exhibit at the Joint Warfighting Conference which was held at the same time and location as the DON IM/IT Conference in Virginia Beach, Va. If you didn't attend, you missed a marvelous opportunity to connect with technology and acquisition professionals and leaders across government, academia and industry.
DON IM/IT Conference sessions, led by subject matter experts, were informative and provided a forum for serious discussion on the Department's IT programs and policies.
The next DON IM/IT Conference will be held in San Diego, Calif., Feb. 9-12, 2009. Go to the DON CIO Web site for more information at www.doncio.navy.mil.
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