#60 Chan Swallow on Air Force Studies, Analyses and Assessments

The Cognitive Crucible

During this episode, Chan Swallow discusses the Air Force’s A9 office, as well as how the Air Force builds capability while confronting technology acquisition tradeoffs. The wide ranging conversation also covers manpower and talent acquisition issues--especially the competition for talent which can take raw data and turn it into actionable insights.

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-60

Guest Bio:

Robert Chandler Swallow, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Principal Deputy Director, Studies, Analyses and Assessments, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He is responsible for the development of Air Force-wide policy, guidance, and analyses that inform Air Force leadership decisions concerning current and future warfighting capabilities.

Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Swallow was the Technical Director for the Joint Warfare Analysis Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. Leading the JWAC advancement of targeting analysis with a focus on providing future combatant commanders with more targeting options faster, he worked across the interagency to provide modeling and simulation, network analysis, wargaming, and operations research optimized weapons pairings that leveraged emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and directed energy to conduct conventional, cyber, information, space, economic, and gray zone warfare. Specific partnerships with U.S. Cyber Command, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Air Combat Command and the Joint Technical Coordination Group for Munitions Effectiveness, led to breakthroughs in threat representative network simulation and advanced weapons pairings.

Mr. Swallow gained experience in policy, strategy, military operations, counter-terrorism, cyber warfare, economics, infrastructure, operations research, and nuclear engineering while serving in the U.S. Navy. He concluded his military service in three joint assignments: Commander of the JWAC, Professor at the National Defense University teaching Economics of the National Security Strategy during the Great Recession and developing the Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands Fellowship. Mr. Swallow also worked in the Pentagon serving as the Senior Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs developing policy options for the Middle East, Russia, the Caucasus, Europe, Africa and NATO. His sea tours include operations around the world highlighted by commanding the guided missile frigate, USS Nicholas, that intercepted the merchant ship, BBC China, carrying contraband nuclear centrifuges to Libya exposing the illegal nuclear efforts of Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, and Libya; executing emergency relief efforts in Yemen after the terrorist attack on USS Cole; and driving the carrier, USS Enterprise.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

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