ARTICLE: U.S. Strike in Somalia Targets Al-Qaeda Figure, By Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, January 9, 2007

Interesting timing for me personally on the Somalia strike by our forces out of Djibouti, because I spent yesterday afternoon briefing 100-plus command element officers of Combine Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa in their Mission Rehearsal Exercise (their prep before heading over) at Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, VA. I then went out for a long dinner with the senior-most officers, enjoying a great discussion.

What CJTF-HOA is doing is the most advanced expression of the SysAdmin concept, which is why I was brought in (although, as always, they demanded a name change, which always makes me laugh--like I care what they call it!). Abizaid has routinely described CJTF-HOA as the future of the Long War.

But what impressed me most about these men and women was how strongly they believed, and how cognizant they were, that they were making history by forging new levels and forms of interagency and international cooperation.

Naturally, it was very interesting to discuss with them their perceptions of the Chinese in Africa.

All in all, an amazing day that left me feeling proud and honored to have participated in my own grand strategic way (meaning, I was awfully high-level compared to the rest of the MRX, which is painstakingly specific in its training across a host of very complex subject matter, replete with a senior retired flag mentor with extensive in-theater experience). In that sense, I was sort of the strategic pep talk.

Sitting with the flags that afternoon during some of the detail work. I got a bit nervous that my stuff would seem too esoteric, but "pep talk" isn't a facetious phrase on my part, because it was a fairly rocking audience (admittedly, in part because of the humor, which is designed for mil audiences because it's been with them that I grew up intellectually) for a 1600-1800 brief after a day starting at 0800. But judging by all the smiles and vigorous handshakes afterwards, people were really psyched by the material, which on some level never ceases to amaze me.

I guess everybody who does this sort of stuff truly hungers to feel and understand the larger strategic implications of their efforts and sacrifices.

It is--in short--very deeply connecting.

Then again, the WAPO story is about guys getting very deeply disconnected, but that only emphasizes that the SysAdmin function will always include direct action as required (with those SOF guys who never go "off-season").