J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University’s Post

"Have you ever seen a Potter going about his work? First he carefully chooses the clay, poking it, pushing it, feeling it between the thumb and forefinger. After making his choice, he wets it just so, with the exact amount of clean water, kneading it into fine dough with just the correct consistency. He then puts it on his potter's wheel, and spins it at the right speed, then fastidiously fashions it into shape. Next he places it in the kiln, heated to the correct temperature. After the exact amount of time-not a moment before, not a moment later- he takes it out of the oven. Now the piece is ready. This is exactly how a soldier is made. How good he is depends on how good the potter is, how good his choice of clay was, how good his hand was on the wheel. A cadet in a Military Academy is like clay on the wheel. When he is shaped, he is let loose in the oven of army life. How good a soldier he becomes depends on the fire that bakes him every day of his life in the army." Pervez Musharraf's words reflect my own experiences. I was once that potter, carefully shaping cadets into soldiers. It required precision, patience, and a deep understanding of the process. Now, when I see those soldiers standing proud and strong, I feel a profound sense of accomplishment. Their success is a testament to the care and skill that went into their making. #BMA #training #cadet #makersofleaders

🇺🇸Curtis LeMay 🇺🇸Jesse Brown 🇺🇸John Glenn 🇺🇸OSU President Walter "Ted" Carter! Another military great is a BUCKEYE! From his engaging fighter pilot stories to his insightful vision for the future of The Ohio State University, it's clear that my alma mater is set for even more greatness. Key takeaways from the discussion: 1. Strategy. It’s not just for military anymore: OSU is redoing its strategy to meet the needs of today, and reach greater heights for tomorrow. Universities should expand offerings to include certificates, trade programs, and online options, especially for students returning after life interruptions. 2. Incentivizing Service: The military effectively uses education benefits to attract service members. This model could extend to other crucial roles like teachers, police, and firefighters. 3. Elevate and Support: President Carter shared an inspiring story about his former aide-de-camp, a submariner turned astronaut (!!!), emphasizing the importance of recognizing and nurturing talent around us. Afterwards, I told him I was grateful for leaders like him who inspire and elevate those around them. I told him how I’ve been fortunate to work for leaders who encouraged me to reach higher, work harder, and be my best. I’m so thankful. And for the record: no planes on sticks, but a nod to Top Gun was inevitable! 🛩️🇺🇸 🅾️🙌🏼❗️🅾️ #buckeyeforlife #gobucks #osudc #inspire

Love having the opportunity to team with Jerry K. (Kenny) Weldon II and Lt Grace Russell to share some honest and practical tips on how large and small businesses can build game-changing partnerships ready to tackle complex military engineering challenges! Come join the conversation at #SBC2024!

Did you know that one Cincinnati company helped end World War II? The Crosley building in Camp Washington was instrumental in manufacturing proximity fuzes, which are crucial for improving anti-aircraft fire. Watch the full story by WLWT and Lindsay Stone to learn more at https://loom.ly/ePWpv9A #WWII #WW2 #industrial #manufacturing #usa

DID YOU KNOW: Veterans leave the military with unparalleled experiences and unique skill sets that often align perfectly with what manufacturing companies are looking for. From mechanical skills to engineering, project management, and even sales... the list goes on… So we spoke to Lt. Col. (Ret) Kathy Lowrey Gallowitz about why veterans are so at home in the manufacturing industry, how to create systems and environments that encourage veterans to stay on and contribute to your company, and how to be a veteran champion! Link to the full episode in the comments. #veteranskills #manufacturingindustry #veteranemployment

In December's Monthly Boydism, we address the type of environment that produces acolytes to his theory of the OODA Loop and the success of #KevinPlank of Under Armour,USMC,#ElonMusk of Tesla, #JeffBezos of Amazon and even the LEGO Group with a focus on the type of environment that produced these types of glass breakers. In Kevin Plank and Jeff Jones case, Fork Union Military Academy, but the right environment matched with the right person can come from anywhere. https://lnkd.in/eyDp8TfR

🎓𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁🎓 Managing partner Carmine Ciriello had the opportunity to guest lecture Prof. Juan Beltran's 4th Year 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 Design Class at the Royal Military College of Canada/Collège militaire royal du Canada. The lecture focused on 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, a powerful decision-making tool that uses probability-based simulations to quantify uncertainty and evaluate potential outcomes. The session was well-received, offering students practical insights into applying this method in engineering design. 📊 It was a rewarding experience to share knowledge and contribute to the learning of 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀. #AnalyzeAndImprove #GuestLecture #RoyalMilitaryCollege #MonteCarloSimulation #Engineers #ChemicalEngineering #ContinuousImprovement

Check out our product in action at the 1:48 mark in this video by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL)!

The work ForgeNow is doing to not only help transitioning military but drive more talented folks into the trades is amazing. I see so many posts about the 'skills of the future' and not one of them mentions trade related skills. These are the jobs of the past, present, and future.

Is it too difficult or cumbersome for American manufacturing leaders to do business with our government? 🤔 I’m not claiming to have the answer, but we clearly have a tremendous gap that needs to be filled to build the submarines, ✈️ , 🔫, and 🛻 that we need for our military. We have thousands and thousands of capable manufacturers that don’t do military work because of the complexity required in qualifying to do so. My idea at the end of this video from our inaugural recording of MakingChips “At the Boring Bar” is possibly the worst potential solution to close this gap. Perhaps that’s what happens when you record with military legend Col. E.H. Taylor from Buffalo Trace Distillery at the center of the conversation? Had a lot of smart people with me breaking this down… Paul Van Metre Mike Payne Jason Zenger 🎤💥 🦾🤖 Nicole Wolter Manny P. Chris Luecke Peter Eelman Who’s got a better idea than I do? 😂😜 #military #manufacturing #makingchips #cnc #machinetools #engineering #cadcam #itar #as9100 #metalworkingnation #machineshop