Wayne Dahl

Background

About Wayne Dahl

If I had to summarize my Army service in one word, it wouldn’t be tactics, operations, or strategy, it would be people. As a policy analyst at NATO, the people that will be affected by the policies that I am drafting and negotiating are the focus on my efforts—not the processes or policies themselves. I take the same view towards those sitting around the negotiation table with me representing their nations at NATO. I do not approach the negotiations to win at all costs or score points over other national representatives. We are people coming together, through negotiations, to find an agreement that creates value to our nations and deepens our connection for future engagements. At the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, my teams developed and delivered congressionally mandated instruction to military and civilian security cooperation experts, but preparing these professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge was our motivation. We continually sought feedback and recommendations from these practitioners and included scenario-based training to better replicate real life requirements and tasks. As a program manager in Tbilisi, Georgia, I planned and facilitated equipment deliveries, training sessions, large scale military exercises, and base-improvement infrastructure projects. But these deliverables were not the ends. Yes, it was exciting to be part of these high-profile equipment deliveries and infrastructure projects accompanied by visiting dignitaries, aircraft flyovers, and press briefings. But without people, once the ceremony was over, if the people using the equipment were not properly trained or the organization was not prepared to integrate these capabilities, then my team had failed. Focusing on the people first to ensure the individual or organization was prepared to receive the equipment or training was a central tenant of our approach. While I have room for professional growth as I transition to the corporate environment, my service in the Army will deliver value as well. I looking forward to my transition from the Army to continue a people-focused and customer-centric approach to my future program management, business analysis, or operations role