Hey Yaniv, 

 

Once again thanks for your ongoing efforts, coordinating the IDF Senior Leaders Seminar this coming Fall. 

 

Following up on the meeting earlier today with MG Veruv, here are the main takeaways from the meeting:

 

(1)   Location, Location, Location - MG Veruv made a point saying that he has to justify flying out 15 IDF senior officers to D.C the experience in DC in our eyes can't be sitting in conference room for the majority of the time. If we do sit in conference room – let's make sure that the location of the rooms create the "experience" the General is looking for, for example:

a.       Half a day in the Pentagon. Talking to acting officials (Mr. Rood / Mulroy / Joint Staff CoS/J5/J3/Director/Vice Chairman…).

b.      Going to major industry and discuss the economic power of the USA – places like Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman hold HQ's in the DC area, and can demonstrate the lobbying, budget request, rapid procurement processes, testing and etc that will be very special and unique.

c.       NDU – we are looking at this as a "learning seminar"  so going to the place that educates GOs is adequate.

d.      DARPA.

e.       The ISR embassy.

f.       Museums.

g.      Etc,

(2)   The General wants to hear more from acting and officers and officials that are currently serving,

(3)   The officers need more interaction – can we add a panel?

(4)   The case studies are great – the General loves the idea and would ideally want every day to end with a case study.

(5)   The Judicial and Executive branches are an important topic to touch.

(6)   The IDF works closely with the US Armed forces, so there is no need to talk and teach about the structure and roles of the different COCOMS, yet we should use the COCOMS as an example for US strategy, i.e:

a.       CENTCOM – US policy from leading wars, to leading from behind.

b.      EUCOM – presence in EUROPE, REGIONAL INFLUNECE and European ASSSURANCE.

(7)   The eternal politics in the US and Party polarization topics that ISRAELI officials have no clue in.

 

At the end of the day, we have to remember we are taking 15 GO's out of their offices for almost two weeks. They have to come back saying this was an experience that could have only be done in D.C and not via VTC or in Israel.