AUSA Global Force Day 1: Larry and John Meet the High-ups

1 April 2015
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Off to a running start. I can't believe this is the "small" Army show. The traffic has been great, and it's a good thing I’m writing this rather than dictating it because I'm a bit hoarse from talking to folks. So far, we have had three program managers and a 3-star general stop by. (I’m pretty sure it’s because of my "More Is Less" post, but it might be because John Chehansky and I look like a cross between aging Hollywood stars and astronauts. I dunno...)

It occurs to me that these shows are really hard on attendees these days. Given the tough budget restrictions now on these folks, only the high-flyers get authorization to attend. (This is so true that sometimes the view from the booth is like an awards event and its associated paparazzi.) Above you can see me with 3-star Lieutenant General Patricia McQuistion, deputy commander and chief of staff for the U.S. Army Materiel Command.

So what makes today's contacts so impressive is that these folks found our message compelling enough to stop to see us and then to spend time with us. In fact, all our appointments ran over the time we allotted (not that I'm complaining, mind you). It's gratifying to see that we are saying things that these leaders want to hear; lower SWaP, greater commonality, reduced cost per processing power, open standards—GE Rugged.

I was still digesting what we heard yesterday from our site visitors and now I have this. I need to lie down now. Tomorrow is another day.

Larry Schaffer

Larry Schaffer has been with us in a business development role since 2001, and works to create and maintain long-term, strategic relationships with key companies engaged in embedded computing for ground systems applications with a strong emphasis on image processing and distribution. He was born in Pennsylvania and educated as an Electrical Engineer in New Jersey and California (where he now lives). Just don’t ask him to tell you about being a war baby…