SOCAFRICA Commander Shares Unique Mission With NPS Students
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U.S. Navy photo by Javier Chagoya
SOCAFRICA Commander Shares Unique Mission With NPS Students
By Javier Chagoya
Special Operations Command – Africa (SOCAFRICA) Commander Brig. Gen. Donald C. Bolduc provided a window into his world during a guest lecture with NPS defense analysis students in Glasgow Hall, Sept. 4. A packed house of students from every branch, including members from allied forces, listened intently as Bolduc detailed the challenges associated with countering violent, extremist organizations on a continent twice the size of the U.S.
“What we’re doing right now is optimizing our force efficiency in a region that happens to have a larger extremist insurgency than Iraq and Syria. That is no joke,” stressed Bolduc. “Only with excellent planning to neutralize and degrade al Shabaab and Boko Haram, can we enable our partners to contain and ultimately defeat this threat.”
Bolduc described how his organization’s integration of policy, strategy, campaign planning and resources all rely on one single element for success, collaboration and coordination, what he calls the “new C2.”
“After four years of working, learning and understanding all of the players involved – including all of my [military] bosses – the only way to make inroads to the problem is to observe the new C2, collaboration and coordination,” he said.
Bolduc also commended the military scholars in the audience, recognizing that a more intelligent force is a more capable force back in the field.
“NPS is one of the finest of institutions to get the knowledge you need to operate. Then, we need you back in the field to boost our level of effort in the right direction with our partners,” said Bolduc.
Special Operations Command – Africa (SOCAFRICA) Commander Brig. Gen. Donald C. Bolduc provided a window into his world during a guest lecture with NPS defense analysis students in Glasgow Hall, Sept. 4. A packed house of students from every branch, including members from allied forces, listened intently as Bolduc detailed the challenges associated with countering violent, extremist organizations on a continent twice the size of the U.S.
“What we’re doing right now is optimizing our force efficiency in a region that happens to have a larger extremist insurgency than Iraq and Syria. That is no joke,” stressed Bolduc. “Only with excellent planning to neutralize and degrade al Shabaab and Boko Haram, can we enable our partners to contain and ultimately defeat this threat.”
Bolduc described how his organization’s integration of policy, strategy, campaign planning and resources all rely on one single element for success, collaboration and coordination, what he calls the “new C2.”
“After four years of working, learning and understanding all of the players involved – including all of my [military] bosses – the only way to make inroads to the problem is to observe the new C2, collaboration and coordination,” he said.
Bolduc also commended the military scholars in the audience, recognizing that a more intelligent force is a more capable force back in the field.
“NPS is one of the finest of institutions to get the knowledge you need to operate. Then, we need you back in the field to boost our level of effort in the right direction with our partners,” said Bolduc.