00;00;00;06 - 00;00;02;20 Alex Technically speaking. 00;00;02;22 - 00;00;05;18 Chelsie Welcome to our technically untechnical Technology talk. 00;00;05;20 - 00;00;07;25 Alex A NIWC Atlantic production. 00;00;07;28 - 00;00;14;19 Joe And an award winning podcast with your hosts Chelsie Holloway and Alex Jackson. 00;00;14;21 - 00;00;34;14 Chelsie So, Alex, since we last recorded, I think I had mentioned that I was going on a family vacation. Well, we did that. It was a lot of fun. We got to enjoy the some tropical weather, some beautiful water. We went on a cruise. My three year old son loved the water slide on the boat. That was definitely his highlight, and my highlight was that we got to swim with stingrays. 00;00;34;19 - 00;00;36;15 Chelsie We even got to give him a little kiss and everything. It was fun 00;00;36;15 - 00;00;41;15 Joe Ewwww kissing stingrays. Alex That sounds really cool. 00;00;41;17 - 00;00;43;11 Chelsie Joe it was so cute. 00;00;43;13 - 00;00;56;25 Alex That sounds like a lot of fun. I'm glad you all had a great time and since we last recorded, I've just sort of been enjoying waiting for spring weather to come around. I'm not ready. I don't like this cold weather and ready for it to warm up a little bit more. 00;00;57;00 - 00;01;02;14 Chelsie It'll hopefully it does seal it. I know it's coming. It's coming, Alex, I promise. Right. Knock on wood. 00;01;02;15 - 00;01;03;16 Alex Absolutely. 00;01;03;18 - 00;01;21;04 Chelsie It'll get there for you before it gets there for us up here in DC, that's for sure. All right. So we are going to change course. No more talking about the weather, our vacations. And we're going to talk about something a little bit more serious. War more importantly wartime readiness. So NIWC Atlantic is under the Department of the Navy. 00;01;21;04 - 00;01;25;18 Chelsie So this topic is at the forefront of all of the technology that we create. 00;01;25;20 - 00;01;51;15 Alex Coming up, we've got an interview with Jen Shauger who is the competency lead here at NIWC Atlantic as well as one of the wartime readiness champions. She's going to explain exactly what we are doing to be wartime ready here at the command, and also why we are currently taking this posture. Then we have our military moment with NIWC Atlantics Command Master Chief Matthew Keller, who speaks with me about his career in the Navy. 00;01;51;17 - 00;01;55;21 Alex Get comfy, turn up that volume and let's get started. 00;01;55;23 - 00;02;17;13 Chelsie So technology is going to be a large asset and tool in the defense of the United States in any future conflict, and to help us prepare for a possible war in 2027, Narvik Atlantic has stood up a wartime readiness posture. John Hauger sits down with us to explain exactly what we mean by this. 00;02;17;16 - 00;02;32;25 Chelsie Thank you so much for joining us here to chat about this very important topic. And we're going to start right off with, can you just please provide some content for why we, as the Department of Defense, Department of Navy are stressing readiness. 00;02;32;25 - 00;02;57;02 Jen Shauger Yeah. So I would just say that from a Navy plan perspective. Right. We're really focusing on two strategic ends readiness for the possibility of war with the People's Republic of China by 2027. So that's less than 700 days, right. And enhancing the Navy's long term advantage also need to understand, right. As far as readiness, we are not going to be in this fight by ourselves. 00;02;57;04 - 00;03;06;23 Jen Shauger So part of that is that joint warfighting ecosystem. So whoever those right our allies are going to be, how do we work together to make sure that we're ready. 00;03;06;27 - 00;03;13;17 Chelsie So some people might be surprised to hear that we're preparing to go to war with China. So what is that based on? 00;03;13;17 - 00;03;32;25 Jen Shauger Yeah. So XI Jinping from China put out a document that said that he plans to invade Taiwan by 2027. And so what we're trying to do is be ready so that every morning that he wakes up and he has to decide, is today the day we want to ensure that today is not the day? So that's how we're working together. 00;03;32;25 - 00;03;35;16 Chelsie And we are allies with Taiwan. So we would defend. 00;03;35;19 - 00;03;51;05 Jen Shauger Yes. And so again, that's how we're trying to plan anticipate. Right. What that could look like, what that distributed maritime operations. What that joint warfighting concept. How we would do that. From that perspective, how do we be ready? How do we plan. 00;03;51;08 - 00;04;03;28 Alex In speaking of that readiness? What can we do as we are nearing that 2027 date, to make sure that the warfighter is prepared and is able to ensure that the mission can be completed? 00;04;04;01 - 00;04;37;25 Jen Shauger Yeah. So, you know, we have to think about I think a number of folks will have different definitions for readiness. So from my perspective in this context it's really preparing for conflict. It's also trying to get back in the fight. Any preps for war or conflict. We know that there could be damage if you will. So I think how do we prepare from ensuring that our workforce is ready trained, cross trained, that our sailors and our and our Marines are ready, that we have the systems and services that we can ensure, that they can complete the mission with whatever that looks like. 00;04;37;25 - 00;05;00;11 Chelsie And you mentioned that term readiness. It's interesting because if you are active duty or a veteran, you know, you all you need to hear is readiness, right? But our civilian workforce might need to hear the term wartime readiness because that's what we're doing. But to those veterans and those active duty out there, that's what readiness means. So when we refer to readiness, it's like like you said, readiness for conflict, readiness for wartime. 00;05;00;13 - 00;05;07;19 Chelsie And nowadays that looks different, right? It's a different environment. And that's where and I think Atlantic plays a crucial role in it. 00;05;07;19 - 00;05;26;19 Jen Shauger Yeah. So the other thing I would say is, you know, we've had some of these conversations with our with our veterans and they certainly know readiness. I would also say we're learning today in the Red sea conflict how that environment does look different kinetic non-kinetic effects, the impacts of cyber. We're seeing it even just in our personal. 00;05;26;22 - 00;05;35;19 Jen Shauger So those kinds of things we have to view differently and potentially even how we prepare and how we counter that is going to be different. 00;05;35;19 - 00;05;52;16 Chelsie Yeah. And we are an information technology command. So cyber software systems, that's our wheelhouse where we are going to contribute with this readiness. And so how is our our workforce, how are our teams shifting that mindset to prepare tangibly? 00;05;52;16 - 00;06;15;01 Jen Shauger So first I would also say sometimes we view things right in peacetime. And I could argue today that we're not in peacetime. So things like, you know, Admiral O'Connor, right, had shared that she canceled a number of instructions. What are those barriers for us as far as processes? Policies. Right, so that we can prepare and be ready today? 00;06;15;03 - 00;06;40;12 Jen Shauger I just lost my thought on some of the stuff that you asked about. Oh, for, you know, some of our engineers and technicians that sometimes have to, you know, travel or deploy, right, to support those warfighters. How do we ensure that they're travel ready? I mean, some simple things as, some of the training, some of the passports, what are those things having access to the various classification systems, because we won't be fighting and we're communicating on Nipper net. 00;06;40;14 - 00;07;06;10 Jen Shauger I would also say from a personal perspective, back to the technology. We rely on our phones for things like maps for points of contact. I don't memorize phone numbers anymore. Right. Because we have access to that on our phone. So how do we think about it in denied communications, whether that be from a personal perspective or wartime? So we have to assume and we're planning that that communication is not going to be available. 00;07;06;17 - 00;07;18;18 Jen Shauger So how do we make sure that our sailors can fight in a denied comms environment? How do we as families, as coworkers, as friends, communicate if we don't have that comms, that internet, whatever that may look like? 00;07;18;26 - 00;07;28;11 Chelsie So you're encouraging that personal preparation too, right? So I should buy a bunch of, like, freeze dried food and put it in my, in my garage. Is that is that what we should be doing? 00;07;28;11 - 00;07;57;01 Jen Shauger He stuck it up. Well, I go back to. Right. That kind of information warfare. It, you know, it is more than. I mean, just think of of how much that has changed, right, in the last few decades of our reliance on that. So I think we want to focus on that professional and workforce readiness. But I do believe there is an aspect of personal, because because there are things that we personally need to anticipate that we need to prepare. 00;07;57;01 - 00;08;15;22 Chelsie For and whatever prep means for the individual family, for any type of situation. But the mindset here is, listen, technology is important and technology is going to play a key factor in this future war. So whatever that means for preparedness for yourself, do and then we are taking care of it from the workforce side. 00;08;15;24 - 00;08;39;12 Jen Shauger Yeah. And lately, you know back to that that mindset. I've been viewing everything from a pace priority alternate contingency and emergency, you know, so things like, I mean, we'll use the example of even today coming into the office, getting on the, on the internet. Right. If, if your hard wired doesn't work, that's your priority. Next you're going to try wireless right. 00;08;39;12 - 00;09;04;08 Jen Shauger That could be your alternate your contingent. Maybe it's your iPad your iPhone. And then the emergency. I guess we're going back to you know, I'm walking around the halls and and trying to engage with folks. But I think that also mindset on, you know, how we do our jobs, how we support the, the warfighter from that pace, how we prepare them from a pace perspective, I think that's also an important consideration, if you will. 00;09;04;11 - 00;09;18;28 Alex We've been talking about the readiness from, workforce, you know, standpoint. But what can families do? People who are connected to us outside of the government workforce? In terms of being prepared and being ready. 00;09;19;00 - 00;09;52;27 Jen Shauger So I thought some of this and maybe, you know, Chelsea, when we chat before about how she automatically thinks about that, I thought about it from a family where an example, maybe it was Chelsea's. Right. You know, we have that. If something were to happen, we all know we're going to to meet at a certain location or how do we prepare for things like, I don't know, I'm thinking about, you know, financial I'm thinking about, do we have things written down, right, so that we can make sure that that if there's things that we need to do or have to have contact with, we have it written down and we can refer 00;09;52;27 - 00;10;07;06 Jen Shauger to that. You know, I don't want to be the doom and gloom because I do believe that being ready, though, right. It's all about the planning. Yeah. And how then we execute, get those sets and reps. So probably didn't answer your question that well. 00;10;07;08 - 00;10;21;15 Alex That that is helpful though. It gives us an idea of where to start. And it may seem that it's a little bit overwhelming, but as long as you have these steps in place and are prepared, then things will come together, in the way that will help us all. 00;10;21;20 - 00;10;36;22 Jen Shauger I think some of it too, is just having the conversation that has. That was a concern in the beginning, but I think having that discussion about what we're anticipating, what we're planning again, doesn't have to be in the doom and gloom, but it can certainly be something from a preparation perspective. 00;10;36;22 - 00;10;56;12 Chelsie It and to not be too doom and gloomy. So if we were to get a cyber attack or some sort, there are so many defenses in place that we are currently working even here at Navigate Panic to get us back up and running in a sense. So when you're prepping personally, it's not like a forever years and years and years power outage scenario. 00;10;56;15 - 00;11;23;25 Chelsie The recommendation is prep. You know, for maybe a couple weeks, which would still be a long time, but have that prep, have that cache, have a gas can nearby. You know, those are some simple things, like even if you live in a hurricane zone, that's something that you would do, right? So yes, not trying to spread too much fear or doom and gloom, but the idea that if the Department of Defense is preparing for war in 2027, that would include cyber. 00;11;23;27 - 00;11;40;01 Chelsie It's not a bad thing as a person, for your family to kind of prep for a cyber, a small ish cyber attack if there's a small one, down the road. So I think that's kind of what you are going toward, right? Not like a apocalyptic scenario. 00;11;40;05 - 00;12;05;09 Jen Shauger Right. And, you know, if we again, think about what we do here at land, it is about not just, defensive but offensive, right? So you talk about cyber. So things that we're being proactive about doing sets and reps we've been doing and supporting exercises and tabletop exercises for a few years now again, to prepare. And so as we're learning, as we're adapting and our adversaries are doing the same. 00;12;05;09 - 00;12;07;12 Jen Shauger So, so we too need to continue. 00;12;07;16 - 00;12;11;23 Chelsie So what does that look like that readiness in terms of our technology at a high level. 00;12;11;28 - 00;12;38;19 Jen Shauger So I think back to how we're designing our systems and services, how we're also leveraging. And we can talk about our technical focus areas, right, on artificial intelligence, machine learning. For our Navy enterprise service tasks, we're leveraging AI, to help with our knowledge management. For those sailors anywhere from we talked about, cyber security. We've been for some I feel like it's been five years or more. 00;12;38;22 - 00;13;04;27 Jen Shauger Model based systems engineering. Right. How we can design that, model it, play scenarios, and then even focus on some of the software defined hardware. Zero. You know, zero trust those kinds of technologies where those capability gaps and how we and AI Wicklund are addressing those, as quickly as we can. Admiral O'Connor was definitely saying go fast. So how are we as a command addressing that? 00;13;05;04 - 00;13;15;12 Jen Shauger And certainly a number of areas that and we're looking at how to do that either via nice, via our, engagement with our sponsors. However, we can do that. 00;13;15;14 - 00;13;17;05 Chelsie And for those who don't know, what is nice. 00;13;17;12 - 00;13;42;04 Jen Shauger So nice is naval innovative science and engineering. And it is funding, that we can leverage to support some of those capability gaps, whether via grassroot proposals. We have things called strategic investment areas, right, where we can get at technology, to support things like workforce development, applied research, maybe tech transition and even rapid prototyping. Right. 00;13;42;04 - 00;13;48;13 Jen Shauger Again, some of those things to how we get fast and how we get at some of those hard problems to support our warfighter. 00;13;48;14 - 00;14;01;13 Chelsie Great. Well, I love that as a command, we are definitely taking an approach to make sure we're ahead of the game. We're on top of what we need as far as readiness and prep for the potential conflict. In 2027, against China. 00;14;01;17 - 00;14;21;18 Jen Shauger Yeah. And I would just remember too, it is a global fight. And so back to having those allies thinking about where we know a client should be for deployed, right. May not be in the areas we are today. So we need to consider that as well. But back to the readiness. It's all about the planning. Where do we see that? 00;14;21;20 - 00;14;23;25 Jen Shauger We as a client can be a part of that. 00;14;24;00 - 00;14;30;21 Alex Thank you, Jen, for joining us on the podcast, and we appreciate what you and your team are doing for NIWC Atlantic, thank you. 00;14;30;21 - 00;14;35;28 Jen Shauger I appreciate it and appreciate being asked to come here and speak with y'all. 00;14;36;00 - 00;14;43;26 Chelsie As always, Alex, NIWC Atlantic is staying ahead of the game and preparing our technology as well as our workforce for the possibility of war. 00;14;43;28 - 00;17;21;16 Alex Yes, readiness is at the heart of not only our civilian workforce, but also our military members as well. Next, we have our military moment interview with Command Master Chief Matthew Keller, where he shares his experiences with other shipmates within the Navy. 00;15;00;18 - 00;15;05;13 Alex Thank you. Command Master Chief Keller for joining us today. Can you please tell us what you do for North Atlantic? 00;15;05;15 - 00;15;13;21 Master Chief Keller Yes. I am the currently the command master chief for NIWC Atlantic and Across the 13 UICS associated. 00;15;13;27 - 00;15;16;27 Alex And what was the reason that you wanted to join the Navy? 00;15;16;29 - 00;15;32;24 Master Chief Keller I originally joined the Navy in 1999. I had a young child and, wanted to provide better care, health insurance and different things for her to, be healthy and strong and and provide a a good leadership role for her to look up to. 00;15;32;27 - 00;15;41;08 Alex And over your career in the Navy. What has been one of your biggest accomplishments or something that you have enjoyed? As part of being in. 00;15;41;10 - 00;16;00;15 Master Chief Keller A lot of things I've enjoyed about the Navy, I'm very passionate about it. But, I would say overall, probably being a chief in the Navy, because, the experience being able to be in different leadership roles, such as this role here, has got to show me a different side. So I'm an engineering background. So this is a lot different than what I'm used to. 00;16;00;15 - 00;16;10;06 Master Chief Keller So it's kind of show me a different perspective of the Navy. And those opportunities are something that you only get in in a senior enlisted leadership role. So I would say that's probably my favorite part. 00;16;10;08 - 00;16;15;25 Alex And what, what's been your one of your favorite locations or tours of duty that you've been on? 00;16;16;01 - 00;16;34;05 Master Chief Keller So I would say probably I was on a frigate, did counter narcotic drug operations for four years. That was probably my I call it the Pirate Navy because it was we were chasing drug ships and, fishing and growing beards, and it was just a different navy. So I would say that was probably my favorite part. 00;16;34;08 - 00;16;40;22 Alex That sounds interesting. What kind of advice would you give to someone who may be interested in joining the Navy or the military? 00;16;40;24 - 00;16;58;04 Master Chief Keller I would say, don't get stuck on the job that you get when you come in the Navy. I didn't come in the Navy, as a CMC, and I sure didn't come in the Navy as an Ma. I came in and designated so I was able to try out different things before I chose what path I wanted to go. 00;16;58;07 - 00;17;15;26 Master Chief Keller So look at different opportunities. Don't don't spend a lot of time, fixated on that one thing, because there are opportunities for you to cross rate to go into a commissioning program, to make chief different programs you can go into. So get a feel of the Navy and, and see where you want to fit in. 00;17;16;02 - 00;17;18;11 Alex Well, thank you so much for your time and thank you for your service. 00;17;18;11 - 00;17;19;12 Master Chief Keller Thank you. I appreciate it. 00;17;21;18 - 00;17;26;19 Alex Chelsie. It was a really great chat with the command Master Chief, and I'm glad he was able to share his experiences with me. 00;17;26;21 - 00;17;44;18 Chelsie Yeah, I really enjoyed hearing how his daughter inspired him to join the Navy. He believed his role in the military would help him be a role model for her. So I thought that was very sweet. All right. So coming full circle, we spoke about readiness and war time and also how service in the military can provide care and role models to the next generation. 00;17;44;22 - 00;17;46;14 Chelsie What a great episode, right, Alex? 00;17;46;15 - 00;17;48;20 Alex Yes, it was as always. 00;17;48;23 - 00;17;57;19 Chelsie And of course, to learn more about anything we've mentioned in the podcast, check out our social medias under NAVWAR or our NIWC Atlantic website. Links are in the description. 00;17;57;20 - 00;18;10;25 Alex This wraps up another episode of Technically Speaking. Thank you for listening. If you have a simple story that you think should be included in this podcast, please contact us at our Public Affairs email address, which is listed in the description. 00;18;10;28 - 00;18;28;00 Chelsie Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, also known as NIWC, is the East Coast branch of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command within the Department of the Navy. We develop a range of technologies that provide state of the art capabilities to the United States military.