This commentary reflects on three years leading the Directorate of Strategic Operations (DAMO-SO) within the Army's G-3/5/7 during one of the largest institutional transformations in a generation. Writing for fellow cyber and electromagnetic warfare practitioners, and the industry and academic partners who support them, I argue that the central challenge confronting the modern Army is not a deficit of talent or technology but a deficit of integration. Capabilities in cyberspace, space, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the information environment are developed by specialized communities whose very experience can unintentionally create the blind spots and seams that ultimately work against the intent behind transformation. The piece describes how DAMO-SO worked to close those seams by 1) building deliberate governance forums that let the institutional Army think and act as one; 2) reuniting fractured electromagnetic warfare efforts under one coherent strategy and synchronized enterprise; and 3) relentlessly advocating to translate tactical needs into resourced programs. Throughout, the guiding principle was delivering strategic capabilities for tactical impact. Looking ahead, I offer three reflections. First, the Army must ensure the integration model is institutionalized so it outlasts leadership transitions. Second, sustained advantage depends on investing in integrators and sharing information at the lowest possible classification. Finally, the Army must continuously streamline its administrative processes to match the rapid tempo of modern conflict.
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doi.org/10.55682/cdr/qcb5-x2j7
The Cyber Defense Review
Volume 11, Issue 2