Institute For Defense And Business

BRINGING TOGETHER GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR, AND ACADEMIC EXPERTISE FROM LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD TO IMPROVE THE BUSINESS FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND MILITARY SERVICES, AS WELL AS OTHER AREAS OF GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS.

STRATEGIC BROADENING SEMINARS: IDB'S STRATEGIC BROADENING SEMINARS, CREATED ORIGINALLY AT THE REQUEST OF THE U.S. ARMY, ARE A COLLECTION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO EXPOSE COMPANY-GRADE OFFICERS, WARRANT OFFICERS, AND SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS TO STRATEGIC AREAS OF STUDY TO EXPAND THEIR PERSPECTIVE WHILE HONING THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS. THESE PROGRAMS PUSH PARTICIPANTS TO THINK DIFFERENTLY, GAIN EXPOSURE TO NON-U.S. MILITARY PERSPECTIVES, AND BE PREPARED TO OPERATE IN AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE. THE CHALLENGES OF 2020 STIMULATED INNOVATION IN IDB'S PORTFOLIO OF STRATEGIC BROADENING SEMINARS (SBS). UNABLE TO DELIVER THESE MULTI-WEEK PROGRAMS IN-RESIDENCE, IDB AND THE ARMY'S SBS OFFICE WORKED TOGETHER TO REWORK CURRICULA AND PIVOT TO VIRTUAL DELIVERY. THE COVID-IMPOSED TRAVEL AND GATHERING RESTRICTIONS CONTINUED INTO 2021, FORCING VIRTUAL PROGRAM DELIVERY UNTIL LATE IN THE YEAR WHEN IT WAS SAFE TO RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM.STRATEGIC SECURITY STUDIES SEMINARS INTRODUCE PARTICIPANTS TO THE SECURITY AND GEOPOLITICAL CHALLENGES OF A SELECTED REGION. STUDENTS ACHIEVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE REGION'S SECURITY ENVIRONMENT, THE WAY THAT MILITARY POWER FITS INTO A LARGER APPROACH TO DEALING WITH KEY CHALLENGES, AND THE ROLE OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES IN ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES. IDB OFFERED ONE SECURITY STUDIES SEMINAR IN 2021 FOCUSED ON LATIN AMERICA. THE VIRTUAL PROGRAM WAS DELIVERED OVER 8 WEEKS TO 16 PARTICIPANTS.INDUSTRY BASED BROADENING (IB2) STRATEGIC BROADENING SEMINARS ARE TRAINING WITH INDUSTRY PROGRAMS IN THE SBS PORTFOLIO OFFERED BY IDB. THESE PROGRAMS HELP TRANSFER BUSINESS EXAMPLES INTO THE MILITARY THROUGH NUMEROUS TARGETED VISITS WITH INDUSTRY SUPPLEMENTED BY ACADEMIC SESSIONS AND GROUP WORK. THE INDUSTRY BASED BROADENING-LOGISTICS (IB2LOG) PROGRAM RAN ONCE IN 2021 (VIRTUALLY) WITH 33 PARTICIPANTS.THE IU-IDB CYBER RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE IDB'S SBS PORTFOLIO IS DESIGNED TO INTRODUCE PARTICIPANTS TO THE MULTIFACETED STRATEGIC CYBER RISKS FACING THE UNITED STATES WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON HARNESSING THE BENEFITS, WHILE MITIGATING THE RISKS, OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY CONTEXT FROM A NONMILITARY LENS. DEVELOPED AND DELIVERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INDIANA UNIVERSITY, THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR VIRTUAL DELIVERY. THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY-IDB TEAM DELIVERED THE CYBER RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ONCE IN 2021 TO 34 PARTICIPANTS.THE IDB DENSE URBAN STUDIES STRATEGIC BROADENING SEMINAR IS A TWO-WEEK INTENSIVE EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR U.S. ARMY STUDENTS TO EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND URBAN GEOGRAPHY OF CITIES, THE TECHNOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL CONNECTEDNESS OF CITY NETWORKS, AND THE CULTURE AND BEHAVIOR OF PEOPLE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT IN DENSE URBAN AREAS. DELIVERED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021, THIS PROGRAM MARKED THE RETURN TO IN-PERSON DELIVERY FOR STRATEGIC BROADENING SEMINARS. THE DENSE URBAN STUDIES PROGRAM EXPLORED NEW YORK CITY FOR TWO WEEKS AND WAS BASED IN FORT HAMILTON, NEW YORK.

AVIATION INDUSTRIAL READINESS PROGRAM (AIR-P): INSPIRED BY THE SUCCESS OF ITS DEPOT AND ARSENAL EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (DAELP), AND IN RESPONSE TO NEEDS IDENTIFIED BY THE U.S. NAVY, IDB DEVELOPED THE AVIATION INDUSTRIAL READINESS PROGRAM (AIR-P) AND IT LAUNCHED IN 2018. THIS PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. NAVY FLEET READINESS CENTER EAST AND FACULTY FROM NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY. THE CURRICULUM PROVIDES LEADERS FROM AVIATION-FOCUSED DEFENSE ORGANIC INDUSTRIAL BASE FACILITIES WITH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS ACUMEN TOOLS THROUGH ACADEMIC, BENCHMARKING, AND CORPORATE RESIDENCIES.TWENTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS FROM THE U.S. NAVY, MARINE CORPS, AIR FORCE, AND ARMY COMPRISED THE SECOND AIR-P COHORT, WHICH BEGAN ITS IN-RESIDENCE STUDIES IN JANUARY 2020, AND THEN WAS SLOWED TO A CRAWL BY COVID. THE COHORT COMPLETED CORPORATE RESIDENCIES VIRTUALLY AND WAS FINALLY ABLE TO COMPLETE IN-RESIDENCE ACADEMICS AND GRADUATION IN JUNE 2021. IN OCTOBER 2021, AIR-P COHORT 3 WAS FIELDED WITH 39 PARTICIPANTS FROM THE U.S. NAVY, MARINE CORPS, AIR FORCE, AND ARMY. ACADEMIC AND BENCHMARKING RESIDENCIES WERE ACCOMPLISHED IN PERSON THROUGH THE END OF 2021. CORPORATE RESIDENCIES WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE WINTER AND SPRING OF 2022 AND THE COHORT WILL HAVE ITS FINAL ACADEMIC RESIDENCY AND GRADUATION IN JUNE.

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN LOGISTICS AND TECHNOLOGY (LOGTECH) EXECUTIVE EDUCATION: LOGTECH WAS INITIATED IN 2000 AND IS THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAM OF THE IDB. LOGTECH ACTIVITIES INCLUDE RESEARCH, TWO COMPLEMENTARY WEEK-LONG EXECUTIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT (SME) FEEDBACK FORUM. THERE WERE SIX LOGTECH EXECUTIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN 2021: FIVE OFFERINGS OF THE ADVANCED PROGRAM IN LOGISTICS AND TECHNOLOGY AND ONE PROGRAM FOR EXECUTIVES IN LOGISTICS AND TECHNOLOGY. OF THESE, THREE OF THE ADVANCED PROGRAMS AND THE EXECUTIVE PROGRAM WERE DELIVERED IN-RESIDENCE. THE TWO EARLY-2021 ADVANCED PROGRAMS WERE DELIVERED VIRTUALLY (FEBRUARY AND MAY).THE LOGTECH SME FEEDBACK FORUM CONTINUED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE IN 2021, ON PROGRAM ELEMENTS AND OBJECTIVES, AS WELL AS CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND DEVELOPMENTS IN LOGISTICS AND TECHNOLOGY. THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE SME FEEDBACK FORUM INCLUDES LOGISTICS LEADERSHIP OF THE DOD, THE MILITARY SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, ACADEMIA, AND COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY.