PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Top enlisted leaders from three combatant commands and the National Guard Bureau met to discuss global integration at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo., Oct. 22.
Chief Master Sgt. Phillip Easton, command senior enlisted leader of U.S. European Command, Command Sgt. Maj. Sheryl Lyon, command senior enlisted leader of U.S. Cyber Command, and Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead of the National Guard Bureau met with Sgt. Maj. James K. Porterfield, command senior enlisted leader of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command.
A global perspective and integration between geographical commands gives leaders the flexibility and capability to respond to threat anywhere in the world. Minor contingencies can spread beyond the battlefield and into other regions, which makes global integration critical.
“Our successful homeland defense does not begin or reside only within U.S. borders,” said Porterfield. “Looking beyond functional areas and regional boundaries as well as having candid discussions with other senior enlisted leaders ensures we are prepared to deter competitors around the globe.”
The U.S. Department of Defense is making strides toward globally integrating information, assets and resources. NORAD and USNORTHCOM’s ongoing series of Global Information Dominance Experiments has been a driving force for integration across combatant commands. The most recent experiment had participation from every combatant command, increasing the DoD’s ability to integrate sensors and artificial intelligence-enabled information to defeat an adversary in conflict.
The third GIDE iteration was tied to live representative threats and real-world assets, allowing the participating organizations opportunities to exercise global integration.
“We must continue to synchronize our efforts and priorities toward being globally integrated and sitting down with fellow senior leaders today provided an opportunity to build on our ability to provide credible deterrence against threats,” Porterfield said. “This is integrated deterrence in action.”