Decision Advantage

About Decision Advantage

Decision Advantage is a content series centered on how to achieve decision advantage and dominance for the United States military.

Publisher

Jonathan Pan

Category

government

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Sept 2025

Latest episode

27 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

15 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Apr 2026

   Keith Brawner: Modeling and Simulation | Decision Advantage #15

   Keith Brawner, PhD is the Program Manager of the USC Institute for Creative Technologies UARC and Senior Engineer, Artificial Intelligence Area, Soldier Effective Directorate, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command - Soldier Center. In this episode, Keith provides an overview of the importance of modeling, simulation, entertainment, games, and synthetic environments for the Army. 00:58 - Introduction, military simulation and entertainment 03:21 - University affiliated research center 04:54 - Core competencies of ICT 06:30 - Defining simulation, modeling, and wargames through communities 11:28 - List of major modeling and simulation stakeholders/communities 13:30 - DEVCOM Soldier Center 15:30 - "All but war is simulation" 17:50 - Virtual reality 20:10 - How does AI fit into modeling and simulation 23:45 - The importance of terrain 26:45 - Ender's Game 30:57 - Exciting technology developments

2. 

   26 Apr 2026

   Serj Kazar: Adapting Commercial MLOps for Intelligence and Defense | Decision Advantage #14

   Exia Labs CTO Serj Kazar provides an end-to-end blueprint for building modern MLOps architecture for the military and intelligence community based on commercial systems and best practices.

3. 

   26 Apr 2026

   Doug Small: C2 vs. C5ISR, Separating the Decision from the Tools | Decision Advantage #13

   Rear Adm. Doug Small is a native of Birchwood, Wisconsin. He is a 1988 graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He also holds a doctorate degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.Small’s operational tours included mechanical division officer and main propulsion assistant on USS Camden (AOE 2), in which he deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm, as well as combat systems officer (plankowner) on USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7). During Operation Iraqi Freedom he served as the first technical director of Joint Crew Composite Squadron (JCCS) 1, assembled by the Navy to assist with defeating then-prevalent radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (IED). An engineering duty officer since 1997, Small had a number of tours in acquisition, starting at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division and then the Missile Defense Agency. Moving to the Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS), Small was the electronic warfare assistant and then the major program manager for above water sensors (PEO IWS 2), overseeing the development of improvements for the Navy in electronic warfare and radar. Following this tour he served as the executive assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. Small’s first flag assignment, in 2016, he was the program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems, where he led the team responsible for development, delivery, and sustainment of all surface navy combat and weapon systems. He assumed command of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command in August 2020, leading a global workforce of 11,000 civilian and military professionals who design, develop, install, and support Navy’s networking, communications, information, and cyber capabilities and systems.Small’s personal awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star; unit awards include the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation and various campaign and service awards. Small retired Aug. 9, 2024. #decisionadvantage #decisiondominance

4. 

   26 Apr 2026

   Exia Labs Congressional Briefing: Working with Taiwan & Allies to Counter PRC Aggression | Decision Advantage #12

   Panelists: Philip Yu, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (ret) U.S. Navy, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Indo-Pacific Security Initiative, Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Dr. Michael A. Hunzeker, Director, Taiwan Security Monitor at George Mason University Fanny Chao, Non-Resident Fellow, Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology Moderator: P.J. Huang, co-founder, General Resilience

5. 

   26 Apr 2026

   Exia Labs Congressional Briefing: Gaming and AI for Defense Strategy | Decision Advantage #11

   Panelists: Jonathan Pan, CEO of Exia Labs and Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University James Ryseff, Director of Defense, Special Competitive Studies Project Moderator: Judy Kurtz, Columnist, The Hill; Correspondent, DC News Now and Sunrise on the Hill

6. 

   26 Apr 2026

   Serj Kazar: Warfighting Data Layer | Decision Advantage #10

   Exia Labs CTO Serj Kazar provides an end-to-end blueprint for building a modern data ecosystem for the military based on commercial systems and best practices.

7. 

   11 Oct 2025

   Stuart Williams: Sustainment at the Tactical Edge | Decision Advantage #9

   Stuart is a career Army officer with over 25+ years of distinguished service, blending deep expertise in logistics, sustainment, and strategic planning. Most recently, he commanded the Army Field Support Battalion – Charleston (AFSBn-CHS), home of the Army’s Prepositioned Stocks (APS-3) program, where he led a 600-person organization responsible for maintaining and deploying combat power positioned aboard ships worldwide. His career has spanned tactical, operational, and strategic levels. Stuart has commanded at company and battalion levels, deployed multiple times to Iraq, Korea, and Europe, and served in elite assignments including Regimental S4 for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) and SAMS planner for the XVIII Airborne Corps. He holds master’s degrees in business administration, Military Arts and Science, and Military Operations, and is a graduate of the School of Advanced Military Studies. #decisionadvantage #decisiondominance 02:18 - Stuart introduction 07:17 - School of Advanced Military Studies overview 11:14 - Why sustainment is such a critical, but overlooked component of Army operations 16:41 - How is the role of the logistician evolving in an era of contested logistics 21:41 - Why should people pay attention to sustainment at the tactical edge, not just headquarters? 26:20 - AI-enabled sustainment at the tactical edge 29:56 - How Stuart defines "AI" for defense 32:45 - Where sustainment is going in the next 5-10 years 36:00 - Great books for sustainment 37:10 - Superbowl prediction! Referenced in the show -https://www.amazon.com/Logistics-Falklands-War-Expeditionary-Warfare/dp/1473899044 -https://www.amazon.com/Engineers-Victory-Problem-Solvers-Turned/dp/0812979397 -https://armyuniversity.edu/cgsc/sams/sams

8. 

   6 Oct 2025

   Kent Park: The Paradox of Combined Operations | Decision Advantage #8

   Colonel Kent Park has served in the U.S. Army as an Infantry officer for over 25 years. Most recently, he was the Joint Base Commander of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, leading one of the Army’s largest and most complex installations. During his career, Park commanded at every level and deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of combat operations. Park served in key strategic assignments, including U.S. Army Pacific and Combined Forces Command, Republic of Korea, where he advanced U.S.–ROK military cooperation and combined defense planning. A graduate of West Point, the U.S. Army War College, and Harvard Kennedy School, Colonel Park has shaped Army modernization, installation management, and international security policy. His leadership has spanned combat operations, strategic planning, and institutional reform, reflecting a career dedicated to national defense and the profession of arms. 00:12 – Introduction 01:10 – The next major war 02:35 – The paradox of combined operations: combined, fast, precise 04:06 – Why segregating different national armies into separate areas doesn't work 04:27 – Interoperability challenges as the root cause of failure of combined operations; types of interoperability 07:20 – Examples of cultural interoperability 08:53 – Solutions for interoperability challenges 13:36 – Crisis action SOP 17:50 – What's needed at the tactical echelon to help with cultural interoperability Referenced in the episode: -https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45319/the-charge-of-the-light-brigade -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Balaclava

9. 

   6 Oct 2025

   Serj Kazar: The Technology Behind Decision Dominance | Decision Advantage #7

   Serk Kazar is Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Exia Labs. 00:12 Decision advantage definition 01:43 What technology is required to generate feasible courses of action 02:43 Spatial awareness proof of concept Referenced in this episode: https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.08545 https://mapeval.github.io/

10. 

    6 Sept 2025

    Brian Steed: Narrative War | Decision Advantage #6

    Brian L. Steed is a retired US Army lieutenant colonel with more than thirty two years of civilian and uniformed experience in artillery, armor, cavalry (reconnaissance and security), international engagement, and professional military education. He is a practitioner, student, and writer of military theory, Middle East culture, and history. The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. 00:22: Brian introduction 01:33: 9/11 story 05:23: Foreign area officer, Middle East experience 09:30: Debating the center of gravity for ISIS 10:45: Big ideas of Narrative War 13:40: Narrative space as a geological metaphor: space, terrain, landscape, shape 16:33: Narrative War well 20:13: Narrative War is how our opponents fight 21:20: The narrative environment: transient, enduring, societal 25:25: Narrative entrepreneur, governments, and political campaigns 27:55: Explaining how the Taliban navigated the Afghan societal narrative 31:26: TikTok as a mechanism to make Americans hate and fight each other 31:53: All war issues are domestic 33:39: Currencies of Narrative war 36:60: Proactive story vs. counter-narrative 37:53: Operations orders as stories 41:04: Rules of Social Conflict 44:26: Consolidation of gains 46:52: Narrative Space Terrain 51:20: Narrative strategy: Domestic, Expeditionary, Third Party, Great Power 54:05: Narrative strategy during IPOE and Mission Analysis 59:00: Brian's contact information Referenced in this episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_O%27Neill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mosul_(2016%E2%80%932017) https://www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom-breaks-through-trolling-trump-his-own-meme-game-2114281 https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/Article/607722/three-approaches-to-center-of-gravity-analysis-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-th/ https://www.understandingwar.org/jaysh-al-mahdihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX_NZtMDd3A

11. 

    6 Sept 2025

    John Herrman: Agentic AI and the Future of Decision Dominance | Decision Advantage #5

    0:16 John's background 1:00 Framework for decision dominance 3:26 Understand: Carl von Clausewitz, not taking shortcuts on mission analysis 5:17 Visualize: George C. Marshall's canal-side vision for the Meuse-Argonne Offensive 7:40 Direct: Noncombatant Evacuation Operations planning in Sudan 8:16 Assess: Spotting HIMARS flaw through data Referenced in this episode: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/29/world/europe/us-ukraine-military-war-wiesbaden.html https://blog.exialabs.com/p/exia-welcomes-john-herrman-jay-miseli https://www.thehistoryreader.com/military-history/marshall-mitchell-meuse-argonne/

12. 

    6 Sept 2025

    Craig Broyles: Effective Military Decision-Making Frameworks | Decision Advantage #4

    Colonel Craig Broyles is the Commander of the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team. 01:40 Worshiping the MDMP process 04:32 Origins of the word "Decide" 05:30 John Boyd's OODA Loop 06:50 Focusing on what's worked in the past 07:40 Understanding that the context will evolve 08:10 METT-TC / S 13:28 Deep dive on terrain analysis 17:08 Adjusting the plan when the environment changes 19:05 Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment 21:20 Planning the mission from the opponent's point of view 26:20 Commander's intent Referenced in this episode: https://www.etymonline.com/word/decide https://www.usmcu.edu/Outreach/Marine-Corps-University-Press/MCU-Journal/JAMS-vol-14-no-1/Colonel-John-Boyds-Thoughts-on-Disruption/ https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/May-June-2023/Furthering-the-Discussion/

13. 

    6 Sept 2025

    Kent Park: AI for Tactical Decision Making | Decision Advantage #3

    Colonel Kent Park has served in the U.S. Army as an Infantry officer for over 25 years. Most recently, he was the Joint Base Commander of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, leading one of the Army’s largest and most complex installations. During his career, Park commanded at every level and deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of combat operations. Park served in key strategic assignments, including U.S. Army Pacific and Combined Forces Command, Republic of Korea, where he advanced U.S.–ROK military cooperation and combined defense planning. A graduate of West Point, the U.S. Army War College, and Harvard Kennedy School, Colonel Park has shaped Army modernization, installation management, and international security policy. His leadership has spanned combat operations, strategic planning, and institutional reform, reflecting a career dedicated to national defense and the profession of arms. 00:00 – Personal Experience in Mosul, Iraq 01:28 – Introduction 02:12 – Part 1: Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink 02:46 – The Getty Kouros 04:12 – John Gottman’s Marriage Prediction Studies 05:39 – Case Study: Mr. Amadou Diallo Shooting 06:58 – NCT Scenario Example 11:15 – The Limits of Human Cognition 11:33 – Insights from The User Illusion by Tor Nørretranders 12:55 – Thin Slicing and Summary of Blink 15:25 – The 10,000-Hour Rule from Outliers 18:52 – Introduction to AI in Military Contexts 20:11 – Project Maven Overview 20:28 – Palantir’s Role in Military Intelligence 21:56 – Exia Labs: Project Blue 22:24 – AlphaGo, Move 37, and Military Applications 24:46 – Centaur Chess – Human-AI Collaboration 26:31 – Adversaries and AI 27:57 – Exponential Progress & Future of Military Operations 29:42 – Tactical Recommendations for Modern Leaders 35:12 – Closing Referenced in this episode: Malcom Gladwell's Blink: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink:_The_Power_of_Thinking_Without_Thinking The Getty's Kouros: https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103VNP Gottman Institute Marriage and Couples Research: https://www.gottman.com/about/research/couples/ Case of Mr. Amadou Diallo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Amadou_Diallo The User Illusion by Tor Nørretranders: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/106732.The_User_Illusion https://deepmind.google/research/projects/alphago/ Malcom Gladwell's Outliers https://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930 Project Maven https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Maven

14. 

    6 Sept 2025

    Jay Miseli: Practical Applications of Maneuver Theory (How vs. What) | Decision Advantage #2

    Jay Miseli is a retired US Army officer and proven executive leader, founder, and innovator with 30 years of experience delivering results in military organizations and industry. Jay is Co-Founder of Red Thread X and has led Sales and Business Development for a $50M technology firm as a Senior Vice President. His military career spanned a broad range of responsibilities including large unit command, executive-level plans and operations, multinational and cross-agency coordination, US Army combat vehicle modernization, human resource and program management, and budget programming and execution. Jay continues to support strategic wargaming and analysis as a highly qualified expert for Army Futures Command. Jay attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Jay holds a master’s degree in operations research from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and he earned the academic title of Assistant Professor of Mathematics as course director for the advanced mathematics program at West Point.Jay lives and works in the greater Austin area where he can enjoy the many opportunities to mountain bike, hike, and be outdoors and working in the burgeoning tech and defense innovation sectors. 00:05 - Intro 00:34 - Controlling transitions 02:51 - Force the enemy's transitions 04:57 - Enemy SITTEMP 07:03 - Key Terrain 07:52 - Gettysburg 08:57 - When/where to dismount? 15:30 - COP - digital and analog 16:11 - Digital Fires and PTT Command Nets 18:49 - Graphic control measures and boundaries / FSCMs 23:13 - METT - TC variables and forms of contact 25:25 - Tracking and reporting Enemy BDA Referenced in the episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg,_third_day_cavalry_battles

15. 

    6 Sept 2025

    Jay Miseli: Maneuver Theory, Surfaces and Gaps, OODA Loop | Decision Advantage #1

    Jay Miseli is a retired US Army officer and proven executive leader, founder, and innovator with 30 years of experience delivering results in military organizations and industry. Jay is Co-Founder of Red Thread X and has led Sales and Business Development for a $50M technology firm as a Senior Vice President. His military career spanned a broad range of responsibilities including large unit command, executive-level plans and operations, multinational and cross-agency coordination, US Army combat vehicle modernization, human resource and program management, and budget programming and execution. Jay continues to support strategic wargaming and analysis as a highly qualified expert for Army Futures Command. Jay attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Jay holds a master’s degree in operations research from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and he earned the academic title of Assistant Professor of Mathematics as course director for the advanced mathematics program at West Point.Jay lives and works in the greater Austin area where he can enjoy the many opportunities to mountain bike, hike, and be outdoors and working in the burgeoning tech and defense innovation sectors. 00:05 Background 00:38 War of Words in the Kinetic Activity in North Korea 00:52 BCT vs. BN Fight 02:21 Bicycle Wheels 03:17 Maneuver Theories Intro 04:05 Move Strike Protect 04:06 JFC Fuller 06:32 Interior and Exterior Lines 06:52 Battle of LC X-Ray 07:40 Battle of Little Bighorn 08:10 Surfaces and Gaps 10:27 Maneuver Based Fires vs Fire Based Maneuver 11:24 Pacific Theater 12:05 World War II European Theater 13:20 ISD Methodology 17:32 Expanding Torrent Model 18:58 Boyd Cycle / OODA LoopReferenced in the episode: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/north-korea-and-the-war-of-words/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._F._C._Fuller https://lzxray.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Little_Bighorn https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/pacific-strategy-1941-1944 https://www.nationalww2museum.org/sites/default/files/styles/wide_large/public/2017-07/Pacific%20Strategy%20Map.jpg?h=33be4f59 https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/european-theater-operations https://web.archive.org/web/20181215223002/https://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/woundblstcs/chapter1.htm https://gacbe.ac.in/pdf/ematerial/18BDS62C-U3.pdf

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