Monday’s Summit Bites

March 7, 2023

Here are some more notable moments Monday at the Defense Communities National Summit.

  • “If we end up having a conflict, the battlefield no longer starts overseas. It starts at Fort Hood, Fort Carson, pick your installation,” said Paul Farnan, principal deputy assistant Army secretary for installations, energy, and environment. “It starts in our communities.”
  • Gen Z youth have been told by their parents and grandparents that their only option after high school was to go to college, said Daniel Dailey, retired sergeant major of the Army and currently vice president for NCO and soldier programs at the Association of the U.S. Army. “We told them indirectly not to join the service, because we told them there was only one path to success.”
  • “When I talk to young people about joining, I’m pretty successful, but I’m not as successful as their peers,” said Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, deputy chief of staff , G-9 (Installations). “It’s also going to cost money for us to retain and acquire talent… because we are competing.”
  • “I’m not sure if Congress remembers how to spell ‘BRAC,’” said Todd Harrison, managing director of Metrea Strategic Insights. “I don’t think it’s going to happen this year.”

ADC photo of Harrison, right, by Will Noonan

March 7, 2023

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