I would like to highlight today the role that the Afghanistan Mission Network or called AMN has played in translating the theory of network-enabled operations into reality. The AMN has proven to be a ‘’force multiplier,” with its value recognised by several commanders in ISAF. It is not often that you see a letter from a four-star general asking for NATO Ambassadors for more helicopters, and – in second place – a network, recognising that if you want to beat an adversary that is connected, you need to be connected as well!
In 1914, Robert Frost, a great American poet, issued his poem called Mending Wall. It is about a stone wall separating the speaker’s property from his neighbor’s. In spring, the two meet to walk the wall and jointly make repairs. The speaker sees no reason for the wall to be kept—there are no cows to be contained, just apple and pine trees. He does not believe in walls for the sake of walls. However, his neighbor resorts to an old adage: “Good fences make good neighbors”. Efforts to achieve network interoperability have been plagued by this ‘good fences’ mentality. Although nations have embraced the technology of interoperability, true network interoperability has been hampered by an underlying need to protect each network. Good fences, indeed. The true breakthrough in AMN was to topple these traditional fences and replace them with a different type of fence.
In the next 20 minutes, I would like to provide a brief history of the evolution of AMN and highlight the factors that facilitated true network interoperability. As my Agency plays a central role in the design of the AMN and supports nations in the process of joining the AMN, we have been part of this process from its beginning. Finally, because currently we are just in the middle of the AMN effort, I will provide a brief look to the future as we continue to evolve this capability.
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General Manager speaks at AFCEA Conference