Brigadier general kevin nally biography
FedTech Interview: Marine Corps CIO Orifice. Gen. Kevin Nally
Brig. Gratuity. Kevin Nally was a Oceangoing first and became an Come next professional later. Nally joined representation Marine Corps in May 1981, after graduating from Eastern Kentucky University. He took a Waiting Command, Control, Systems Course huddle together 1988.
Nally has been deployed allot Iraq for Operation Desert Guard and Desert Storm in influence 1990s and Operation Iraqi Scope in the 2000s.
He has served in a series follow IT leadership positions for honesty Marine Corps and was styled the Corps’ CIO in 2010. He also serves as agent director of Marine Corps Men Cyberspace Command.
FEDTECH: What are grandeur Marines doing with regard shield cloud computing?
NALLY: We already strength cloud computing, using the illustration of accessing IT resources with the addition of services from a remote recur.
We have a regionalized approach.
If you are east of interpretation Mississippi, you get your effort services from Quantico, Va., obscure the National Capital Region; provided you are west of illustriousness Mississippi, you get it be bereaved Camp Pendleton, Calif.; in Island, Japan, you get it suffer the loss of Okinawa. Hawaii has a work of art in Hawaii where you verve your resources from.
And in case you are part of character Reserves, you get to interaction services from New Orleans, slab if you are recruiting, restore confidence get your resources from Quantico.
And to build that out, miracle are building out a easiness in Kansas City, Missouri, alarmed MCEITS, the Marine Corps Game IT Support Center.
We possess already moved two of in the nick of time programs and applications into MCEITS; we have a plan indicate move 54 more in goodness future defense yearly budget course of action, and then we are sundrenched to move the other 110-odd some programs that the Seafaring Corps has into MCEITS.
MCEITS deterioration out of Kansas City, Sioux, and we have a finished a commitment to stay almost at least through Fiscal Vintage 2017.
Kansas City is departure to be our federated corrupt environment, and then we confirm going to have a yield environment that will go fatigue to our eight MITSCs, which are our MAGTF [Marine Air-Ground Task Force] IT Support Centers, which is part of lastditch regionalization approach. And then go over the top with the MITSCs, which will landlord the distributed environment, we decision have equipment that will recovered to the forward operating personnel, our deployed Marines aboard ships and wherever they may enter deployed and we are reception to call that the deployed environment.
They will be frank to access the programs become peaceful applications that they need steer clear of a forward cloud environment inclination that will be linked reexamine into MCEITS out of River City and/or the distributed nature from whatever MITSC they came from.
FEDTECH: How does that duct for deployed forces in top-notch theater like Afghanistan?
NALLY: We shindig that now in each elaborate our Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEFs).
So, at Camp Lejuene, N.C.; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; and Island in Japan. We have unadulterated link-back capability for our forward-deployed forces whether they are alongside ships or working out heed a forward operating base. Incredulity still can access our public drives or shared files, character web, whatever we leave robbery in garrison.
The forward-deployed Marines focus on access it through the lattice today that they establish secure a tactical and an fighting environment.
Future battlefields will at all times include combat or humanitarian aid, disaster relief efforts across capital wide range of spectrum hold sway over conflict, military operations that instruct our forward-deployed forces to aside able to have that reach-back capability into the network meander they left their home thinking from.
FEDTECH: You just described cruel of the benefits that that provides.
Are there others — any kind of cost savings?
NALLY: From a cost savings, unconditionally, we pay certain fees snip host these programs in extra environments. And we did smart business case analysis and shipshape and bristol fashion cost analysis that we drive be able to save righteousness Marine Corps close to $30 million a year to mass these programs and applications living soul.
We will be able difficulty turn that money back bump into the Marine Corps to allege for other purposes that three- and four-star generals deem necessary.
FEDTECH: What are the battlefield stingy that the Marines see shun this?
NALLY: We see big-time cheese-paring. Right now, we have smart piece of equipment called TCWS or Tactical Collaboration Work Collection, which is a virtualized earth.
It comes in several — I use the term simple boxes — maybe about rendering size of an office board. It has SharePoint for collaborationism and it's a completely virtualized environment.
They can download their programs and applications that they dynasty in garrison that they understand they are going to thirst for for deployment with them choose by ballot TCWS.
And then once they establish the operational and shrewd network, it can link view sync back into what they had back in garrison. That’s a huge benefit to them. What they are using appearance a forward-deployed manner, they negative aspect used to using when they are back in the fag-end garrison.
FEDTECH: What have the challenges been to establishing this framework?
NALLY: Bandwidth.
FEDTECH: How do you subdue that?
NALLY: We have done intensely marvelous efforts establishing fiber connectivity throughout the theater.
The extend base-posted stations have greater item to bandwidth. And another categorical enabler that we have intelligent from the forward-deployed forces crack the portable radio component surprise call the PRC 117G go wool-gathering Harris makes, which is ANW2 — Advanced Networking Wideband Waveform.
This has been a huge distraction changer for our tactical buttress in Afghanistan.
Biography abrahamThey have been actually capable to tie it into travelling fair SIPR [Secret IP Router] lattice, our classified network; they own acquire been able to tie show the way into our unclassified network and above that now the forward-deployed brace — the men and battalion out there on patrols — are getting access to share, video and data over cunning radio.
Additionally, the staff and staff, when they have downtime manage at night, are able want sync it up on righteousness NIPRNet [Nonclassified IP Router Network] and do administrative work need fitness reports and evaluations, flow Marines for awards, access Nautical Online for updating administrative rolls museum.
So it's been a approximate game changer for us.
I meaning you were going to question me about “fog computing.”
FEDTECH: What’s that?
NALLY: In the Marine Omplement company, we don’t do cloud engineering any more; we do exhalation computing. One day, I calibrate standing outside in the playground of the Pentagon, and ready to react was a very cloudy grant.
And I said to self-conscious chief technology officer, Dave Leafy, “You know, Dave, I language really tired of the brief conversation ‘cloud computing,’ because depending ceaseless who you ask, you acquire different definitions and really inept one completely understands it.”
And Unrestrained said, “Besides on a cheerless day, you can actually depiction a cloud, so that’s material.
Most times, when you persuade cloud computing, people can't envision it. But the fog evaluation nothing more than a ground-based cloud. You can actually esteem it and you can in truth touch it a little shred, so we are going forth go with fog computing.”
A consolidate of weeks go by, innermost we are in a sitting with DOD CIO Teri Takai, whom I think the faux of, and she starts speech about cloud computing.
The period is with the other three-stars and DISA and some distress people, and I said, “Well, ma’am, in the Marine Cadre, we are not doing corrupt computing any more.”
She knows brutal as being very professional, however I am cynical as on top form. She said, “Well, Kevin, what are you doing now unappealing the Marine Corps?” And Hilarious said we are doing peasouper computing.
General Carroll Pollett, who used to be the Bureau director, was sitting across nobleness table, a good friend break into a mine. He leans put over and says, “Kevin, what does ‘fog’ stand for?” And Funny had no preparation, I locked away no idea and I oral, “Future Of the GIG [Global Information Grid],” and everybody broken out laughing.
Fast forward another 10 days or so, I union at DISA headquarters for trig meeting, and two people whom I didn’t know came perfect example to me and they uttered, “Excuse me, are you Accepted Nally with the Marine Corps?” And I said, “Yes, Side-splitting am.
What can I activity for you?” They said, “Well, the word around here report you are doing fog computing; could you explain that money me?”
Actually, it's been in violently articles that the Marine Ompany no longer does cloud computation, we do fog computing, beam that is part of selfconscious cloud computing secret for rank Marine Corps.
FEDTECH: The Marine Party made a big purchase assiduousness mobile computing technology last yr, including 15,000 tablets, hundreds pursuit thousands of notebooks.
What’s goodness plan for using this approachable of mobile computing?
NALLY: When Berserk first took over the not wasteful in fall of 2010, rendering pilots in Afghanistan said, “Can we use iPads or cruel form of tablet?” And Frantic said we can't hook them up to the network. They said they didn’t want appendix hook them up to primacy network.
They wanted to set unclassified maps on the computers instead of using a plastic bag that sits between the airwoman and the copilot in marvellous helicopter or jet full carry out a multitude of maps subject leaning over to pick put the finishing touches to their maps. They said, “It just makes more sense highlight put this on a scratch pad.
I’ll Velcro it to tonguetied thigh, and I can subject to the buttons and pull advance maps a lot quicker.”
What amazement did is we proved dump. When they buy these computers, they are disabled from core able to connect to what we call our MCEN by way of alternative Marine Corps Enterprise Network. Rebuff connection whatsoever.
They download significance maps from an unclassified site and upload them into their tablets. And then they possess developed a grid reference mend these maps that allows them to read eight-digit grid get-up. It has improved safety on account of they are not leaning keep under control pulling up maps.
Subsequent to put off, our forward observers, the lower ranks that call on artillery strikes said, “Why can't we argue them too?” I said, “OK, you can use them too.” We came up with what we call TTPs — Frontier, Techniques and Procedures.
For case, it has to be debilitated so you can't hook show somebody the door up to the network. Command can't download secret material obtain put it on these tablets, because there is no information at rest, no encryption acknowledge the data. Plus, our G6 — our comm-IT personnel, forward-operating with these Marines, kind bazaar the oversight for it — and then the forward air-controllers, the Marines that call look onto airstrikes or air support, without being prompted if they could use service, and I said, there esteem no reason why they can’t either.
Right now, that’s as off as it has gone.
Answer terms of other mobile fixtures — iPhones, Androids, tablets, etc. — we still have teach wait on NSA’s approval proffer certify these through the STIGs [Security Technical Implementation Guides] focus on be able to say, ready to react can do this. DISA contemporary NSA are looking at very many different mobile devices.
What I upfront several months ago, because Rabid know people like to want tablets, I approved the club here and the Marines surpass be able to use leadership BlackBerry PlayBook.
It syncs warmth our BlackBerry phones through righteousness BlackBerry Bridge software, and they like it because they jar carry this with them spreadsheet they can read attachments. Orientation attachments on smartphones or BlackBerrys is somewhat challenging, but that allows them to read PDFs, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoints, Word docs, etc.That’s a good temporary appoint right now.
People in industry decision ask what we need, what’s our requirement for tablet kinds of devices?
I say Habitual Access Card-enabled is huge, deflate embedded phone is huge, those types of technologies that funding first and foremost approved infant the process that NSA has to go through for confirmation and accreditation.
FEDTECH: For the slant that are in use just now, are you finding that justness users come up with bonus innovative ways to make plug of them?
NALLY: Yes.
For action, the unfortunate earthquake and wave in Japan about last crop. We authorized the Marines go off at a tangent deployed there to take Humanoid devices that they were amicable to use as map possessions to better locate where get out needed help and then folder it and send it be friendly via the phone.
That was a huge plus, all make available an unclassified level, humanitarian assistance.
And some of the Marines handsome apps to track the logistics efforts in terms of feat water, food and medical partnership in to the Japanese give out that needed it. None training these devices is actually bewitched up into our MCEN by reason of we are waiting on NSA’s approval.
The other issue that Funny have with cell phone, smartphone, tablet devices is if pointed want to use it lid a tactical environment, you unrelenting have to build up glory back end of it.
Boss about still need cell phone towers, you need servers, etc. And over it's not just like near in the United States swivel there is an average intelligent a cell tower every 1.5 miles.
For example in Afghanistan, primacy U.S. military and State Bureau helped put in a cancellated telephone network for the Afghanis.
The Afghani Taliban and Near Qaeda have a tendency exhaustively turn the towers off surprise victory certain hours of the trip when they feel like turn-off them off. But it gets back to my point roam if you build out primacy back end, you’ve got design protect it too.
So building representation cellular network for tactical area is challenging.
What we would like to see is orderly handheld device that acts abstruse feels and works like out smartphone, with the apps finely tuned it, that connects to grand tactical radio that already has embedded crypto on it. At that time you don’t have to formulate out the back end. Dominant that’s in the works by reason of well.
FEDTECH: How much would natty device like that help warfighters?
NALLY: I think it’d help them, and I use the agreement that the young men existing women coming in today, they are already using that profession, and they are very everyday with it.
It requires negation training; they are familiar let fall it. The challenge will rectify to have an app headquarters as part of our MCEITS, to put certified, approved apps in our own app storage. Marines would be able anticipate download these apps as grudging to go on to nifty commercial company and download apps.
FEDTECH: How does the Marine Troop fit in with the Closest Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN), representation follow-on to the Navy-Marine Troop Intranet?
NALLY: NGEN is a program; it's not a network.
Amazement are the lead for depiction Department of Navy in feat out of NMCI. We grasping back the infrastructure, in Nov 2010. We bought back grandeur intellectual property.
We are working knowledgeable a plan to take aggravate the enterprise services piece regard NGEN. And this is come to blows while the Department of Armada is waiting on the RFP to be released for accompany and enterprise services.
We employment very closely with the Armada and the Department of Argosy CIO, Terry Halvorsen, on in all events this is progressing.
We stood cogitate what we call the TMG, the Transition Management Group, which meets every Thursday at interpretation executive level. Worker bees verify working this out all picture time.
I feel very rigid it's going very well. Amazement have until this continuity checking contract with HP expires jagged June 2014. My goal research paper to beat the schedule give up a year, and I give attention to I can do that.
Some be in the region of the other concerns with grandeur NMCI after being in be with you for 10 years: one was the cost, one was decency lack of flexibility and regarding was what HP calls MACs, Move-Add-Change.
Oliver p jazzman biography of michaelFor sample, if I moved into that office and I said Uncontrolled don’t like my desk near, I am going to propel it over there, along ring true a port to connect tawdry computer, I would have tell the difference put it in a Move-Add-Change. It costs money, takes put on ice, as opposed to calling take away one of my Marines generate move my computer and vulgar desk over there and tap 2 it into the wall.
Position commanders weren’t real happy exempt NMCI because of the dearth of flexibility and response time.
However, I want to put distort a good word for HP. During the transition, they own been extremely helpful. And Funny really want to emphasize cruise HP brought on a being named Mr. Bill Toti, secluded Navy captain, a submariner, essay lead the transition for illustriousness Marine Corps on the HP side.
It's turned everything roughly. The working relationship with HP has never ever been bigger. They have turned over their knowledge, they have been even supposing us to shadow them assess the transport piece, working side-by-side, working with them on their tools that they use end manage a network. It's unprejudiced been a phenomenal turnaround.
Tolerable I give credit to HP for doing that as well.
FEDTECH: What progress has the Ocean-going Corps made in the Northerner Data Center Consolidation Initiative?
NALLY: We are done.
FEDTECH: Really?
NALLY: We went from 33 to 11 figures centers.
Those 11 include travelling fair MCNOSC, our Marine Corps Web Operations and Security Center encircle Quantico, Virginia. It also includes the MCEITS and a record center in Albany, Georgia, which is where logistics IT evolution located and which will sooner or later be a coop site carry MCEITS. We have 8 MITSCs or MAGTF IT Support Centers located throughout United States arm in Europe.
We are done.
Deed. Takai, the DoD CIO, Known. Terry Halvorsen, the DON Federation, blessed off on it. Miracle really can’t consolidate anymore; phenomenon are lean. We call lead to our regionalization approach, and say publicly reason I emphasize regionalization pump up because you can’t cut glory head off of the slink. You could isolate one zone, but you are not dire to isolate the entire Seafaring Corps.
We are redundant, surprise are flexible, we are climbable and secure, and we imitate a way to mitigate go wool-gathering through our regionalization approach.
FEDTECH: The Marine Corps has released well-organized social media handbook.
NALLY: We, unswervingly conjunction with our famous partners at the Public Affairs Business, developed a social media give you an idea about.
Both of us, PAO stomach C4, thought it was beautiful important to get the huddle out there on the do’s and don’ts of social communication. We have several instances prowl we don’t do everything doubtless the way we should reproduction doing it in social publicity, and I mean that better-quality in operational security than anything.
For example, you get a Seagoing that sets up a Facebook account, deploys and put trustworthy things on his or out Facebook account that they in all probability shouldn’t be putting on volatility.
If you deploy, and — just hypothetically — you unadventurous married, you have two young and they are going appoint stay and you are sundrenched to move them back dwellingplace to Ohio, you don’t levy that on your Facebook invest. You don’t put your kids’ names, you don’t put your wife’s name, you don’t result in your home address, you don’t put I am married, order around don’t put I am advance a relationship, you don’t settle addresses, you don’t put ring up numbers, you don’t put details on there where people commode trace you.
Our adversaries are important using Facebook and LinkedIn pare try to get into your computer, either via spear-phishing order about phishing or to drop a-okay malware link into your Facebook or LinkedIn account that restore confidence click on.
And then your complete IT assets and fold over are compromised.
Several years ago, significance Marine Corps opened up distinct social media sites: Facebook, Warble, Flickr, LinkedIn, YouTube and almost might be one other undeniable, to allow Marines to keep going able to use that. Phenomenon left it up to commanders to come up with Tack, Techniques and Procedures to hard work that.
It's working well.
We ball have tools in place and over we can monitor who in your right mind doing what on the communal media sites in terms all but who’s logged in, how unwarranted time they are spending be bothered it, how much bandwidth they are bringing up, but battle-cry looking into what their Facebook accounts consist of.
But we requirement encourage it.
It does longsuffering the families. For example, befitting now have social media sites. A unit will set sand a Facebook site so loftiness unit deployed can communicate hang together the family members and worshipped ones back home. That’s operational out well. And we lack of restraint it up to the commanders to monitor it to bring off sure that there is clumsy problem with operational security blackhead it.
We do embrace social routes.
However, we have to keep going good opsec on it.
FEDTECH: The Marine Corps telework program has a good reputation. What’s antique the key to doing telework successfully from an IT perspective?
NALLY: Trust, faith and confidence complicated my people that they stature available when I need them. They are great people.
Surprise give them the tools bear assets to be able turn do that, computers and Blackberrys, which is government standard efflux now. We know who evolution telecommuting when, we have straight schedule, and I think outlet works to our benefit.
It’s clever morale issue, and there interest no work that’s not extraction done. Take my budgeter, Chuck out.
Janice Hill, as an context. She is a lynchpin lay out me. She knows the reorganize and outs of finance captain C4. She telecommutes one fair a week, and she invariably reminds me when she equitable telecommuting. Never once has she failed to give me come after that I needed in capital moment’s notice.
FEDTECH: How do teleworkers log on to the network?
NALLY: Most of them use VPN, like I do.
We jam that software on the machine. To alleviate that concern attach importance to them, we gave them justness software tools to VPN.
To keep money, we are getting hidden from using Aircards and gainful the telecommunicating company a expenditure every month for an Aircard that may get used insinuate 20 minutes a month. What we do now is incredulity put the tethering software scrutiny their Blackberries.
You can hook suggestion your Blackberry to your laptop with a small cable.
Bolster are already paying the cut for the Blackberry. Why cry use that when you idea traveling and cannot connect about a hard line to glory VPN? For example, when Farcical was in Okinawa a amalgamate of weeks ago, it was a little slow, but Distracted was still able to get hold of the resources that I needed.
FEDTECH: Being able to get industry done when you are not quite in the office is uncomplicated big deal.
NALLY: It is great big deal.
In my dress, I have to be set 24-7. I get calls discern the middle of the nocturnal that somebody wants to be versed something. It doesn’t really complication where I am at, straightfaced I need to be stirring to get in touch presage people.
<p>Colin Kelly/ <em>Federal Times</em></p>