The Defense Department is focused on providing the nation’s top talent with a chance to follow their passions as they answer the call to service, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., said today. 

Brown, who has risen to become the nation’s top military officer with four decades of service to the nation, said that throughout his career the department has provided a continuous springboard to new heights.  

He said that same principle will continue to compel the next generation to serve.  

“I believe young people only aspire [to] what they see or know about,” Brown said. “You don’t decide to grow up to be something you don’t know about.”  

He said it is imperative to expose new generations to the opportunities a career in public service can provide and continue to develop the workforce and provide pathways to continue pursuing their passions.  

Increasingly, that means ensuring that DOD continues to invest in the right technology to enable its workforce and remain on par with the private sector.

“I think we’ve also got to make sure, from an opportunity standpoint, that we provide them with the right tools,” Brown said during a fireside chat at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit in Washington.  

“We have to invest in those right resources and be able to provide the tools to be able to execute whatever they’ve been asked to do,” he said. “And I think from a technology perspective, because it’s in their daily lives, we’ve got to make sure we keep pace.” 

Brown emphasized that those who enter the DOD workforce have to be given the same chance as his generation to continue to move forward. That boundless opportunity, he said, is one reason he has continued to serve.  

“I think one of the key aspects that is so important to the workforce, having spent time studying a little bit about Gen Z, they want to do things but also know what’s in it for them,” he said. “So, we’ve got to make sure we talk about those opportunities and how to make them a better person and allow them to succeed in whatever career path they choose.” 

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