Three Star General + Beer + Helicopters

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a recent meeting of the American Helicopter Society (AHS) where a former three-star general from the US Department of State spoke about counter-terrorism strategies. The conversation touches on the complexities of addressing terrorism, including socio-economic factors, and the experiences of attendees at professional society meetings.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shared their experience at an AHS meeting featuring a talk by Dell Dailey, emphasizing the sophistication of government approaches to counter-terrorism beyond just capture and kill strategies.
  • Another participant noted the existence of serious programs at the Pentagon and military academies aimed at understanding and mitigating the root causes of terrorism.
  • There is a suggestion that the job of addressing these issues could be seen as very appealing, especially if framed in a different context.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of addressing the root causes of terrorism, but there is no explicit consensus on the effectiveness or details of the strategies discussed.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects personal impressions and experiences rather than a detailed analysis of counter-terrorism strategies. Specific details from the speaker's talk are not disclosed due to the off-the-record nature of the meeting.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in military strategies, counter-terrorism, and the workings of professional societies may find this discussion relevant.

Cyrus
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I went to an American Helicopter Society (AHS) DC, chapter meeting tonight. It's full of people who are big in the government and industry. This months guest speaker was with Dell Dailey of the US department of state (He's a former chopper pilot, blackhawks, cobra, and hueys). He said whatever he said is 'off the record' at the start of the meeting, so I won't specifically go into what he said. But none the less, it was a very very interesting talk. He reports daily to the white house situation room. But overall, I was very impressed by what he had to say. The government is looking at counter terrorism in a much more sophisticated way than the media presents. Basically, they are well aware and working hard with allies to stem the problem of terrorism that isn't just capture and kill, but also to stop the problem from the root cause, which are socio-economic.

Not every day you get to meet a former three star general and have a beer with him. He was a very good speaker. That was one of the better meetings there.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/87639.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/23/AR2007082302031.html

Anyways, you're in good hands!

PS: Join professional societies, you get to meet some pretty cool people!
 
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Hi Cyrus! :smile:
Cyrus said:
PS: Join professional societies, you get to meet some pretty cool people!

Do you get free food? :-p
 
Basically, they are well aware and working hard with allies to stem the problem of terrorism that isn't just capture and kill, but also to stop the problem from the root cause, which are socio-economic.
There are a very serious programs at the Pentagon and within the military academies and specialty centers to look at the root cause and mitigating factors of terrorism.
 
Astronuc said:
There are a very serious programs at the Pentagon and within the military academies and specialty centers to look at the root cause and mitigating factors of terrorism.

It looks like the coolest job in the world! :biggrin:
(even more if you replace terrorism with some time independent term)
 

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