Deeply honored that the United States Senate confirmed me tonight to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower & Reserve Affairs. I'm excited to soon serve our President, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Navy, and the American people. America is worth defending!

This is why

For ~$9.6B of outside capital, SpaceX has launched a rocket into orbit over 320 times. For $11B of taxpayer money, California built 1600ft of a concrete bridge. Let that sink in.

My first civilian job between the military and b-school was with an airline startup. The co-founder and my boss was a guy named Dan Caine. He took a bet on a dude who cold emailed him. LtGen Dan Caine is now the nominee to be Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. This is an INSPIRED pick and signals a new way forward for DoD uniformed personnel selection: > The Golden Path to military promotion is (positively) disrupted > A tested, private sector entrepreneur may lead our military - with deep implications TRANSMUTING GOLD A nominee like this was simply not possible 10 years ago when I worked for civilian Dan. It was unthinkable for a Reservist - much less an entrepreneur - to ascend to the highest military role in America. His military qualifications are distinctive - LtGen Caine is exceptional and a combat tested warrior. He was an early career officer when scrambled to intercept a civilian airliner in an F-16 on 9-11 over the skies of DC. After his civilian career (more about this later), he went back and was a SpecOps leader against ISIS. You don’t go from being an Airedale to winning the trust of ground guys without having something Serious and special about you. FOUR STAR FOUNDER MODE Lots of folks will focus on his Air Guard background as unusual - but his civilian time is the true differentiator. LtGen Caine spent 9 years in the trenches as an entrepreneur and business builder. No CJCS has ever had that background. Dan raised capital and built for profit businesses from the ground up. He’s tried new business models, made investment decisions, wrestled through their challenges, and was personally accountable for the consequences of success or failure. Living with the consequences of your leadership decisions is somewhat novel for flag officers who take the proscribed, Golden Path for career progression. That high agency, accountability oriented mindset is likely what got him previously promoted amidst peers who didn’t live the entrepreneurial crucible. A leader with an unusual Talent Stack will better identify and promote others who break the mold - creating strategic advantage in a chaotic world. He will have a broadened toolkit other Flag Officers lack. Finally, as private sector innovation collides with military reality at an accelerating pace, someone who has excelled in both arenas is a boon for American military leadership. Dan set the standard as a boss - a sage mentor with high, outcome based expectations. To be honest, I haven’t found the equivalent level of excellence across other civilian orgs I’ve worked for. The nation will hopefully experience what I lived a decade ago. Personnel is policy. It starts at the top. This is how we win.

A founder once told me “a unit of risk scales better than a unit of hard work.” One of the secrets of the universe.

Dude in my church just had his 7th and 8th kid baptized this morning. I went to look at his bio. Unreal. > Rhodes Scholar > 82nd Airborne, Bronze Star > Magna Cum Laude Harvard Law > SCOTUS Clerk > Won a SCOTUS case this year Pro-Natalism wins with high status examples.

At TED in 2018, Gwynne Shotwell estimated Starlink would cost ~$10B. Within 36 months of first deployment, there were 2.2M subscribers. In 2021, the government authorized $42.5B for rural high speed internet. 36 months in, ZERO homes are connected. Let that sink in.

How it started // how it’s going

At the risk of being kicked off X and blacklisted from Silicon Valley, I need to directly challenge three of the most influential voices of our age – @elonmusk, @joerogan, and @pmarca. Their understanding of fighter aviation is misinformed. In many areas they’re ahead of the curve – and have profoundly (positively) impacted my view of reality. But when it comes to aviation dominance, they have work to do. So – who in the world am I? Although I compiled 1500 hours in F/A-18s, including 30+ combat missions and 300+ carrier landings, I’m actually one of them. I tried to spearhead an innovation insurgency in the DoD before it was cool – risking my career in the midst of two failing wars to more closely link the Pentagon with Silicon Valley. In 2012, I wrote passionately about the coming age of drone warfare alongside other reformers. I was laughed at…until Ukraine broke out. I have deep reservations about the F-35 and the shortsighted approach to modern warfare institutionalists insist upon. I believe in Defense reform and a rethinking of how we conduct war. I’ve devoted my career to investing in these emerging technologies so that America retains its position as the most important secular driver of human flourishing in world history. Heck, I even interviewed Marc Andreesen in 2016, in what was the most intellectually intense hour of my life. And I intimately know fighter aviation – the good, bad, and the ugly. So I can spot when simple statements miss deeper realities. Here’s three things I’ll tackle: 1) The state of AI in manned aviation (Rogan) 2) The role of high-end fighters on the modern battlefield (Musk) 3) The underappreciated difficulties with thousands of unmanned, long-range platforms (Andreessen) AI vs. manned fighters (Rogan callout) In short, the DARPA AI vs human dogfighting challenge was great for PR but left much to be desired. Here’s the dirty secret (and one I picked up on from reading open source reporting only): The AI platforms were given the answer keys in ways that would never be available in the real world. What do I mean? Sensory input is critical in dogfighting. Take a situation where two fighters are “cross circle” from each other, neither having a radar lock on the other. The only real-world inputs are visual sensors (eyeballs in the case of a human) that must perceive things like airspeed, adversary g’s, nose angle, etc. and then react to account for what the opponent is doing. My understanding is that in the DARPA tests, the human aircraft data was fed, via datalink, to the AI aircraft – it had perfect information. Of course it knew the perfect angle to place it’s lift vector (the key element of dogfighting) and quickly kill the human pilot. In the real world, that information would never be sent to an enemy fighter. There are few, if any, 360 visual sensors that currently could be integrated to perfectly discern the necessary information to make “perfect” decisions. Without that data feed, the AI aircraft cannot maneuver to a “kill” solution. Add in hazy weather, sun, and all sorts of other environmental considerations and the problem becomes immensely more complicated. We’re seeing this challenge across the AI-aviation ecosystem. There are 3+ companies trying to build full autonomy aviation stacks for the much easier commercial and cargo applications. All are struggling to crack the code. Will there eventually be a breakthrough? Of course – and I genuinely hope they do. But the question is when. My sense is we will not see true dogfighting AI in the short term – at least within the Davidson Window. The relevance of high-end fighters (Elon callout) I’m a long-time critic of the F-35 – not because of its capability, but because of its cost overruns, multi-mission approach, and 20+ year roll out period. But now that it’s here, and in massive numbers, all the reports I’ve heard from every pilot who has flown it is that they would never want to go back to anything else. It’s clearly filling a capability gap – addressing counter-electronic warfare, air-to-air engagement, suppression of enemy air defenses, and numerous other combat challenges. The Israeli’s have used it for real – and the results over the past months speak for themselves. This doesn’t mean that it solves all warfighting issues. It doesn’t. Drones are here and will continue to play an outsized role. But drones are relevant because we have likely dominance of the sky. The enemy must go to a place where the US doesn’t have supremacy – and that is the arena of low-cost, attritable systems. Adversaries do so because we’ve mastered more traditional approaches to warfare and we’ve left them to find new approaches. There is deep risk here – we must adapt. And the F-35 solves specific battlefield problems drones cannot yet address. The F-35 has its shortcomings in range, payload and a host of other factors….but no drone has come anywhere close to filling those gaps (yet!) Procurement vs. O&M in sustaining thousands of long-range aircraft (Andreessen callout) As a battlefield commander, I would love to have thousands of low-cost, “loyal unmanned wingmen” to augment my high-end fighters on Day One of a conflict. But here are the problems yet to be solved: > There is a huge magazine shortage – thousands of systems don’t matter if you don’t have enough missiles to fire from them to clear the battlespace of enemy fighters. Give me thousands of AMRAMMs and aviation-modified SM-6s first. And give me enough so I can conduct operations for weeks and months…not just days. > I’d want these systems when the flag goes up – but I don’t know what to do with them before then. If I procure 5000 of these Very Large Things and the war doesn’t happen for 2 years…or it never happens…where do I park them? How do I test them? How do I plan for and conduct routine maintenance on them while I’m waiting for war to happen? The Procurement and R&D Budget of the DoD is about 33% of spend…Operations and Maintenance accounts for ~37% of spend. Old things far outnumber New things. And New things become Old VERY FAST in DoD. There is a reason that sustainment is a critical bottleneck – it’s hard to keep things flying and fighting after the new car smell wears off. Quantity has a quality of its own at the moment of battle – but until then, it is a painful burden that must be sustained, incurring painful financial and manpower costs. Conclusion America needs defense reform badly. We need unconventional thinkers from Silicon Valley to provide new approaches and solutions. The current movement in that direction gives me hope for the protection of Western Civilization. And operational complexities are such that shotgun blasts without deeper insight can miss hard truths that could drive generational change. I hope Elon, Marc, and Joe keep shouting from the rooftop on these issues – and I hope they continue to add to their knowledge.

Two Americas: > The Bears fired their coach for misplaying the last 0:30 of a football game. > No senior military or civilian officials have been fired for the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal. Accountability matters.

Peter Thiel, a Christian, via Founders Fund, invested $20M SpaceX in 2008. This funding was a major reason SpaceX survived tough early days. SpaceX is mankind’s best hope for a becoming multi-planetary in our lifetime. Many anti-space decels are anti-religion secularists.

If you’re a guy in your 20s, get married and have kids. Go into debt if you have to.

Young men: By meditating on these two images, and the time between them, you can unlock the secrets of the universe. The road is fraught with peril. But you have it within yourselves to tame the dragon. Build.

American Dynamism.

One of the promises of 3D printing was that you could create incredibly complex parts not possible via traditional manufacturing. Turns out the real - and more valuable - opportunity is doing the exact opposite.

I’ve been there multiple times. That has not been my experience.

Was just in a room where Palmer Luckey and Isaiah Taylor were duking it out over the amount of accessible fissile material in the solar system and I realized how far ahead the best in our society are compared to the rest of us.

If you’re a startup founder that doesn’t have a case on their iPhone…send me your pitch.

who did this

If you are a founder and can accurately describe these three things without using the Google, I want to talk to you: > an O’Neill cylinder > a von Neumann probe > a Dyson Sphere

This is what American ingenuity looks like.

New competitor for best startup swag just dropped.

It’s shocking to me how few Americans know how good we have it

PSA: If you are a defense tech startup, your entire eventual market is not the "$850B defense budget." The number of pitch decks I see with that would blow your mind.

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

This quote from Freedoms Forge about the American vs European mindset goes so hard.

If we send 18-25 year olds to die in foreign lands, we can send the best of them to build in Washington DC

If youre a founder who changes your own oil, send me your pitch.

I’m deeply grateful to President Trump for nominating me to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. If confirmed by the Senate, I’m excited to work with @SECNAV Phelan, and many others in DoD, to ensure strong, capable warfighters, civilians, and their families are ready to meet the Navy and Marine Corps mission with excellence. A thought-provoking military philosopher once said something I think about often: “Terrain doesn’t wage war. Machines don’t wage war. People do and they use their mind!” Talent is America’s competitive advantage in war and peace. If confirmed, I’m committed to ensuring our Dept of the Navy active duty personnel, reserve personnel, civilians, and families are ready no matter what the future holds.

“We have ~7 years to fix American manufacturing or we’re cooked.” I sat next to an Old Guard manufacturing CEO last night at dinner. He dropped deep wisdom. Here are 5 things we must do to win: > Make Skilled labor High Status again > Unite the Generations > Rethink Higher Ed and Apprenticeships > Stop hemorrhaging IP > ACT NOW SKILLED LABOR Talent is the biggest issue - he’s losing older dudes every day with no replacements. We must raise the Status of hands-on manufacturing jobs in America. Young people need to know and BELIEVE that building things for America is worth their talents. UNITE THE GENERATIONS There is a ton of energy in Gen Z for manufacturing - but they haven’t experienced the realities of building factories. There are many experienced Old Guard manufacturing CEOs who know the pitfalls. Right now, there is little cross pollination and mentorship. Bringing Enthusiasm together with Wisdom will have compounding returns. RETHINK UNIVERSITY / APPRENTICESHIPS Mechanical and Industrial Engineers used to spend a year in the shop before winning the right to use Computers. Now, many leave with a degree never having gotten their hands dirty. Universities need full scale and diverse manufacturing floors to drive real world collisions between companies and young talent. STOP FREELY GIVING IP China is dumping vast resources into their manufacturing capacity. But they’ve also got all the US manufacturing IP after decades of outsourcing. US engineers build plans - and then send them direct to manufacturers in China to store on their databases. We’ve freely handed over the fruits of our distinctive advantage - the minds of our people. WE MUST ACT We now have deep political and societal buy in for change. We must not squander it. Talk is not enough. Our government must work side by side with industry. It will be hard. It will be painful. But the future of our Republic hinges on Reindustrializing our means of production - fueled by the private sector. We must start now.

I’m in a room of 150 investors and builders doing a day long deep dive on nuclear energy. The day started by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. We. Are. So. Back.

Was on a call with two manufacturing execs and they told me about a recent visit to China. Even in small towns, many Chinese had CNC and lathes in their homes, sub contracting for bigger manufacturers. Manufacturing is a pervasive cultural norm. That’s the competition.

There’s a baby boom happening at our church of about 2500 attendees. This was curious to me given other societal trends. Until I heard Thiel talk about memetic impulse and anti-natalism on Rogan. > each month we do infant baptisms, where 8-10 families bring their newborns in front of the congregation. We collectively pledge to aid in their development…even if there is no real action, it’s front of mind > the nursery is so full, there are regular announcements from the pulpit asking for volunteers to staff it > pregnant women are everywhere > just today I heard from another guy that he wants more kids (number 4 is on the way) because he sees a prominent and successful man “fill a pew” with his kids. If you want change in the world, act. Others will follow.

I think the real Reindustrialization of America is happening under the noses of industrial VCs. Met a dude at lunch today who bought a scrap metal yard for $80k in 2014 and has now rolled up most of east Texas, pushing out millions of tons of metal a month. Wild stories: > roving bands of folks across DFW collecting old appliances and turning them in for tens of thousands a month > multiple trips to the bank each day to clear cash payments > daily, huge “energy discharges” in their car crusher, leading to 6-figure maintenance bills each month > daily spot price negotiations over the phone with counter parties with insane price swings > busted a multi-state gang of 25+ migrants that would break into metal yards wearing RFID vests to confuse security cameras Guy is younger than me. This is what makes America great.

You can just teach kids to Build in America. Yesterday my 10 and 7 year old sons got their first taste of industrial manufacturing. A good friend opened up his shop, taking them through a "Neurons to Bits to Atoms" experience. My sons got to: > Design something in CAD (with my friend driving) > Learn how to load a full print queue of their designs with the rest of the production batch > See the prep for an industrial 3D printer before production > Do some hands-on "archeology" with just-printed items in prep for final cleaning > Experience the safety requirements within a factory (my youngest was consistently admonished for having hands in his pockets!) > Learn why making things in America is so important At the end of the experience, my friend asked my sons, "What do men do?" My oldest son thought...and replied: "Build." My friend was instructing them to shake hands upon departure, but both of us were pleased with the unexpected answer! On the way home, both boys insisted we get a 3D printer at our house and excitedly told my wife about their day during dinner. Education starts at home - and in the Industrial Parks all around us. I'm deeply grateful for this man investing in my sons...and the future of American manufacturing talent. This is how we Win.

The fastest way to get an accurate answer on the internet is to say something incorrect

I spent today in the Midwest with a bootstrapped manufacturing Founder. He's never taken a dime in 30 years. It's been excruciating...and his company is starting to break out. He's delivering critical capabilities for the DoD few know about. Here's what I learned about Reindustrialization from the Heartland: > Silicon Valley founders have the Memes and the Vibes. The energy is infectious and important. And entrepreneurs have been building manufacturing companies for decades, trying to squeeze Blood from Stones. > Marketing and distribution is a huge bottleneck for folks with exceptional technology, but limited free cash flow to reinvest. Builders aren't always the best marketers. > The manufacturing firms creating jobs for 30, 40, or 50 people are Rocks of smaller communities. The salaries they make are small compared to coastal standards, but drive outsized economic impact and dignity in places American elites overlook. > The deeply subsidized Defense manufacturing base is highly volatile and 0 or 1. If a contract hits for a Prime, it sustains smaller subs for years. If it doesn't hit, layoffs down the chain are catastrophic. > Smaller manufacturers are waking up to the reality of needing to build relationships in Washington. This is uncomfortable and hard for executives with decades of experience growing a steady book of business the old fashioned way. > There is so much technical innovation on the geographic edges, that if capitalized correctly, would have a profound impact on American Industry. But VCs won't touch it and PE wants to hollow the companies out. > This 60-year old founder cares deeply about his employees in a way I've never seen from a VC-backed founder. Tenure and culture are paramount. He sees a duty to his community. This is in contrast to a large neo-Prime they've worked with that has explosive growth, but with people moving around every few months, creates difficulties in providing services. Both have their place - but its hard for them to work together. > We need to get Silicon Valley aerospace founders to this city and show them the incredible, state-of-the-art capabilities hiding in plain sight. Don't just get out of the building - get out from the Coasts. You'll be amazed at what you find.

As a LT in 2012, I wrote an intemperate article that went viral expressing frustration with the slow pace of tech adoption in DoD. Instead of firing or punishing me, the 4-star in charge of the Navy asked me to build an innovation cell and find other young misfits to staff it. It changed the course of my life. You'd think the military would be the place most repressive of speech. Yet a culture of discourse thrives, especially in times of War - and it's one of our distinctive battlefield advantages. Leadership matters.

If you’re a founder who can accurately recite the whole NATO phonetic alphabet from memory, send me your pitch.

We need to Reindustrialize - and it will be HARD. The CEO of @67Designs is a patriot and deeply wants to source US-made things. It's almost impossible to do so and stay in business. Here's the summary he cites below of just one part: Time to Quote: > US: 24 hours > China: 8 hours Time to get parts in hand: > US: 9 days > China: 7 days Cost: > US: $18.50 > China: $6.00

If you're a manufacturing CEO of a small to medium sized company, and struggle with marketing (but lurk here), I have a challenge for you: Twice a week for the next 3 months, take a picture of something cool happening in your factory. Do a SHORT, authentic write up about it and post it here. Folks in American are eager for visual and authentic content that speaks to Reindustrialization. People across generations are paying attention. Something has deeply shifted in the public consciousness. Take advantage of the moment! You've built something incredible; people need to know about it. Don't overcomplicate it. Share cool images, quickly explain whats happening. That's it. After 12 weeks of consistent posting, I'll bet you'll see meaningful impact.

As someone who was institutionalized into believing the output was what mattered, my advice to young people: > take the coffee meeting > take the dinner > take the call The asymmetric upside of relationships far exceeds perfecting that PowerPoint

Military flag officers salivate over the 30 year old tech founder with a disruptive tech but get angry when a 30 year old Lieutenant says something that challenges orthodoxy.

Imagine showing Silicon Valley this tweet in 2014. We are going to win.

The state of Reindustrialization in America h/t @aaron_renn for the find

My politics is to build more things that require massive shrouds around the propulsion system when revealed in public.

Fly fighters. Lead Marines. Drive ships. Jump out of airplanes. Live in a cramped apartment with other guys and build something crazy. Do hard things - and life fills with meaning.

Great day at the mothership.

If the US Navy can take a poli sci major and train him to land on aircraft carriers in two years… We can find a way to get Americans the skills they need to compete with the rest of the world.

GOP Vice Presidential candidate just publicly called for Reindustrialization. We are so back.

What I learned about startup founders from being the worst pilot in the AirWing. At the age of 25, I was sent straight from my F/A-18 training squadron to a forward deployed squadron aboard the USS Nimitz. The fastest way to build a reputation as the New Guy is safe and predictable carrier landings. The fastest way to be put on notice is to suck behind the boat. Within 2 weeks, I was solidly in the latter category. I struggled deeply, especially with night landings. At first, I kept catching the “one-wire,” meaning I was too low when crossing the back of the ship. Then, in later flights, to compensate, I started “boltering” a lot – meaning I’d put on too much power at the end, fly too high, and miss all the wires completely. Then I’d have to circle around for another attempt. There was one night where I went around 5 times before finally catching a wire and landing. I expended so much fuel in doing so I had to hit the airborne tanker to refuel about halfway through. I was ranked 98 out of 99 pilots in the AirWing after my first six weeks. I was on notice. Whenever I came in to land, all the senior aviators aboard the ship nervously watched to see what would happen. Then the bottom fell out. One night I landed the first time – but caught another one-wire. Over the common carrier frequency came the Voice of God. This was incredibly rare – the carrier CO never interrupted carrier ops. “Son, I can’t have you landing like that aboard my ship.” I was petrified – and what little confidence I had was destroyed. As I taxied off the landing area and was waiting for the plane to be chained to the deck, in the pitch black, I let my guard down and accidentally released the brakes. I almost ran over the plane captain – and was only saved because my back-seater screamed “brakes!” to me. When I returned to the ready room, I got reamed out by my squadron CO. I was benched. Those were the two longest days of my Navy career. I didn’t know if I would cut it. I saw no way out. Then the skipper sent me back up. I was terrified – but he knew the only way to get confidence back was to Do the Hard Thing. Again and again. And again. Eventually, I figured it out. I was never better than middle of the pack in landing grades – but I was safe and predictable. I also found other areas to excel in, like air-to-air tactics. This dark period in my life gave me a deep understanding of grit and resilience. In conversations with founders, I now know what to look for in how people respond to challenging situations. How one responds in dark moments – and which people believed in them enough to give them another shot. I also now have a desire to seek out the hard moments to walk beside high potential folks who hit the inevitable roadblocks in life. It’s in the those moments where thought partnership matters most – and where being there matters most. Do Hard Things. Keep moving forward. You will figure this out.

What was in the water during the 1960s? I’m here at Idaho National Labs doing a 2-day deep dive on nuclear power. Every 15 minutes they say “…and this was invented in the 60s.” Cracked engineering generation.

I did not have @elonmusk liking one of my tweets on my bingo card this weekend.

Since this tweet seems to be taking off, check out my wife’s race for TX State Board of Education. @jamiesue is committed to ensuring curriculum standards are suited for 21st century problems - not decel indoctrination. jamiefortx.com

I spent the day exploring nuclear power with inspiring builders & funders. I feel deeply cheated by folks 50 and older who insisted nuclear energy was dangerous and yelled “stop!” My kids shall know the untold abundance that should have been our generation’s inheritance.

50 years ago today my Great Uncle David was released from prison after 4.5 years as a POW in North Vietnam. When he was shot down in August 1968, he was one of the highest ranking officers in the Hanoi Hilton - and endured torture commensurate with his rank.

Turns out the biggest reason nuclear didn’t take off previously was because there wasn’t demand for more power. Now that there is insatiable demand, nuclear is economical. Markets work. Build things people want.

I wonder why all the tech companies want to build all the things in Texas

🫡

Kids are in bed. First week of school. Light night ahead. Let’s reminisce about fighter pilot callsigns and how they came about. I’ll start with mine: “The Professor”…eventually shortened to “Prof”

E/acc movement called out by name by @SecRaimondo at #RNDF 2023 - promotes strong guardrails against AI. Equates e/acc with “moving fast and breaking things,” which needs to be muted with AI. Which way western industry?

As a pilot who has participated in aviation mishap boards, here’s my take: > we don’t know what happened > we won’t know for sure what happened for some time > wait until the report comes out before making judgements In the meantime, grieve for those lost.

Reindustrializing America can’t happen without enthusiastic and skilled industrial talent. MIT professor Randall Briggs is leading the charge with his oversubscribed course on manufacturing, getting students to touch metal and learn the ropes. Join us tonight at 9pm CT for another edition of “From the Factory Floor!” nitter.app/i/spaces/1yNGaLM…

New John Nash just dropped

“From the Factory Floor” returns to X Spaces tonight at 9pm CT, with CEO Chris Power (@2112Power) of @HadrianInc We’ll explore: > Hard Things about Manufacturing > What the Reindustrialize movement means for America > What it takes to Win Audience participation encouraged!

Incisive point by @PalantirTech CEO Alex Karp at opening panel at #RNDF2023: Only three large companies have publicly supported Israel: Booz Allen Hamilton, Palantir, and @anduriltech

Noticed this too. And I shoot to be fast on the draw. Having also been “mid level” in the past, it’s also hard to respond quickly when you’re cranking on a detailed slide deck, writing up your findings, or spending all day in customer interviews. I think it’s less speed leads to wealth and more wealth allows you to respond with speed…since if you’re wealthy you’ve probably delegated a lot of really time consuming stuff to others.

On Thursday, I was honored to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee. I am deeply grateful to President Trump for nominating me to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. In my testimony, I emphasized a straightforward message and something I deeply believe: America is worth defending. If confirmed, I look forward to working with Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Phelan to accelerate a culture of warfighting excellence and high standards within the Navy. Thank you to Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reed, and the other distinguished members of the SASC for considering my nomination.

Yes - they are an incredible team. None of it happens without her holding down the home front!

Was just on a panel at the Russell Senate Office Building on Defense Tech and every speaker organically used the term “Reindustrialize” in their remarks. This is how movements are made.

Lost in the unveiling of Anduril's Barracuda was something even more mysterious and exciting...a hybrid F-14/15/22 / MiG-29 that is undoubtedly next on the roadmap.

A non-intuitive lesson for ambitious young people: Whoever writes the first draft of something has a disproportionate impact on the final outcome. If you want influence, take the pen.

Today is my last day in Uniform with the United States Navy. After 20 years of service, 11 Active and 9 Reserve, I’m officially “Retired.” For me, this is simply the end of the first chapter. I spent the first 9 years in the military Observing and Orienting: > Figuring out a philosophy of fighting and winning wars, informed by officers that were effective and those that weren’t > Getting my Wings of Gold and demonstrating tactical competence > Deploying to combat with 250+ other patriots, accruing 32 combat missions and 300+ carrier landings, then training the next generation of pilots to do the same I spent the last 11 years Deciding and Acting – often in ways that challenged the mindsets of more orthodox senior officers, and in roles that career managers told me were dead-ends: > Launching, alongside other mission-focused junior officers, what become known as the “virtuous insurgency,” empowering emerging military leaders to push critical battlefield innovations into a resistant bureaucracy > Co-leading the unofficial “2014 Navy Retention Survey,” surfacing candid personnel feedback that wasn’t previously explored by the Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Personnel > Using my reserve time to collaboratively build out defense innovation efforts with the Defense Innovation Unit, NavalX, and other emerging DoD organizations Much work remains – and over the next 20+ years, I’m committed to accelerating the generational transformation of US Defense. In the words of a frequent Navy and civilian co-conspirator, “we are going to win.” It takes men and women willing to step up and lead to do so. As I close out this chapter of my life, I have one final request. My young kids only peripherally know of my time in uniform. If you served with me, and have a memory of our service together, I’d be honored if you’d leave a short story or snippet I could share with them as they grow older. I want them to know that service to our nation, and the legacy they inherit, matters.

Everybody mocks VCs for being herd animals. But founders can be too. And that’s okay. A few years ago hard tech was a fringe movement. It took a few pioneers to give “permission” to others. Now I’m seeing former SaaS founders and execs go all in on Reindustrialization: Shipbuilding Metal cutting CNC machining Injection molding Aerospace of all types Robots Energy generation Energy storage Rocket motors Microchips Satellites Humans evolved to be memetic creatures. A self-reinforcing ecosystem is a powerful thing.

You can just Reindustrialize America

12 years of immersion in defense acquisition prepared me for this moment. Navigating the Tokyo subway system.

Had a conversation with a young founder in manufacturing today who just completed an arduous and long first fundraise. I asked what he learned from the process. He said “I wish I had picked something else to build that VCs understood.” I paused, then gave these thoughts: > The most world changing companies usually start when few understand the opportunity - I commended him for tackling something unusual but mission critical for our country. > VCs are good at pattern recognition - if something falls outside their pattern, they can’t discern Good from Bad. In my case, I don’t do fintech. I wouldn’t be able to spot a world changing product among all those fintech companies pitched if it smacked me in the face. Even an exceptional founder may be passed on outside an area of knowledge. > industrials are new to many VCs - and reforming a long term, sleepy industry lacking in innovation for a century is hard to grok for those investing in rockets and AI. > innovation isn’t just a new thing - it can be a 10x cost or quality improvement on things we’ve had for decades. It’s harder for VCs to tangibly accept that sometimes - but it’s just as important of an opportunity as a brand new thing. > in the end, he found 2 strong investors to back him after six months of pitching. Sometimes thats all it takes. Now he can get back to building - and deliver proof points that will convince more folks to fund his vision. Each day in this job, my respect for founders increases. Especially in industries like manufacturing where I express a lot of easy to say enthusiasm while others actually do the hard work of building it. I hope the founder left encouraged and proud of the road less traveled he chose.

A young engineer building for defense was recently accepted to YC. He asked me how to make the most of the program. I told him to spend at least half the program length in DC finding PEOs with aligned budgets and supportive Congressional offices. He hadn’t heard that before.

At a moment in time, technology is static. It’s what you do with it that matters. Human creativity and unpredictability is a distinctive American battlefield advantage.

1) had a long conversation with one of the leads with DARPA ACE this weekend - AI planes have a long way to go 2) everybody loves to talk about thousands of planes in combat…no one wants to talk about maintenance and storage of them for years on end before combat happens

People need to know the folks behind the uniform!

On Sundays at 9pm CT, I'll be hosting a weekly X Space called "From the Factory Floor" in partnership with @newindustrials Three great folks to start: > 1/26: @JoshuaSteinman of @GalvanickCo > 2/2: @codyaims of @TryOpenX > 2/9: @2112Power of @HadrianInc Join us as we discuss what it will take to Reindustrialize America.

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Let’s talk “frothy” defense tech valuations. I’ve gotten a number of calls and texts from defense tech founders and other VCs about recently announced Anduril and Saronic rounds. On balance, I’m deeply encouraged. Here’s why: Defense tech has a double bottom line purpose: civilizational preservation and financial return. The round sizes and associated valuations show a collective National Seriousness we have not seen in ages. This Seriousness cuts across Government, Private Capital, and the Career Choices of Exceptional Talent. Government is giving meaningful, long-term contracts to new capabilities and business models. Private Capital is voluntarily investing generational wealth in national defense. Exceptional Talent is moving their life's work from apps to aerospace. That remarkable intersection creates Strategic Doubt in our adversaries. Increased Doubt increases the probability of deterring catastrophic wars. If deterrence fails, Serious investment in Serious capabilities enhances the chances of winning. Obviously, defense tech startups alone are not the only factor in Deterrence. Their capabilities are built upon a strong foundation of decades of time and Trillions of dollars already spent on existing capabilities and personnel. But single percentage points of probability on the margins can drive a “go / no-go” invasion decision. When the wealthiest and most talented members of our society shift their attention to national security, adversaries take notice. The Gray Zone is as much about messaging and national mindset as objective, physical capability. It’s possible Anduril and Saronic will not justify their valuations (although with generational founders in each, I wouldn’t bet against either). But even in the downside investment scenario, that timing occurs at the end of the Davidson window [the highest probability timeframe in which China might attack Taiwan]. If war hasn’t broken out and they do happen to fall short of expectations, we’ve traded private capital losses for increased deterrent probability (and possibly a total avoidance of war). This is a bet with huge asymmetric upside for our society, with private capital bearing the cost. Companies, Capital, and Combatants are making credible and Serious investments in areas many of us have been clamoring for across the past decade. Let them cook. This is how we Win.

8 year old wanders into our bedroom and finds himself in front of bookshelf. Looks pensively, then picks a thick sci-fi paperback off the shelf. Begins reading. 3 minutes later: “Dad, what is…terra-forming?” We are so back.

statista.com/statistics/1369….

For those unaware, Joe was one of the founders of Airbnb - and key to their elegant design and seamless user experience. When you attract exceptional talent to government and let them cook, remarkable things happen.

Hard to have a future without families or kids.

Things that will fade in meaning: > your tenth trip to Cabo > your fourteenth trip down the Veil slopes > your 323rd first date > your 4th luxury vehicle > your 3rd cruise around the world by yourself Things that won’t: > the day your child is born > the day he first throws up > the day he first smiles at you > your first, and all subsequent, Christmases with a kid > the day his sister is born > the day he first walks > the first time you empty your bank account to send him to school > his first day of school > his first communion > his first piano recital > his first girlfriend > his first breakup > his first car crash > the first fight you have with him > the first time you ask forgiveness from him > his high school graduation > his first day at college away from home > the day he graduates college > the first time you dislike his post college girlfriend > the first time you meet your future daughter in law > the first time you complain about their wedding choices > their wedding day > the moment they tell you you’re about to be a grandfather > the day you meet your first grandchild > the first time you hand off your grandchild to their parents because she’s crying too much > the first day of school for your grandchild > the first day you have Christmas with your grandchildren > the first vacation you buy for multiple generations of family > the first time you see your grown child in the hospital > and the last moments of your life, surrounded by those you’ve sacrificed so much for, realizing they were the most important thing you ever did.

Who is building the defense tech startup that bolsters our citizen’s Will to fight and win wars?

America always does the right thing…at the last possible moment

I once declined a founder who insulted Elon Musk in the opening pitch meeting. Today is why.

A new world requires new leadership characteristics

A key mimetic unlock for nuclear is new the wearhouse-style designs. The old school cooling tower is now seared in the public consciousness as “dangerous.” Warehouses are boring, safe, and fade into the background. Marketing matters.

Stop whatever you are doing and buy land here

One of my good friend’s dad was brutally murdered by Kaczynski when she was a young teenager. A small bomb in a package that used razor blazes, nails, and other bits of metal to nearly tear his head off while his young family was in the house with him. And it turns out the victim was the “wrong” man, as he didn’t even work on the project Kaczynski wanted to bring “retribution” for. Kaczynski May have said some interesting things, but he physically tore apart the lives of many, leaving a wake of destruction during his crusade. Actions speak louder than words. Even eloquent ones.

Project 2025 mandates all public school students read the Lord of the Rings

No one tells you this but you can just sponsor the Reindustrialization of America.

No one tells you this, but you can just read the NDAA. Need to validate a defense tech TAM/SAM/SOM? Its all there. By line item. By program. By priority. Apply your projected future based on where you think the puck is going, sure. But its the easiest calculation in VC.

“We have a 5* General on our board of advisors.” (True story)