Christopher Blaylock Email & Phone Number

United States

Deputy Team Lead for the Dexis Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team supporting the Department of State (DOS) Bureau of Political Military Affairs in the Office of Security Assistance (PM/SA). The team was responsible for evaluating the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET) security assistance programs throughout the world. I acted as a Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist supporting ongoing evaluations of those programs in the Western Hemisphere. I have participated in: Action Officer and Bilateral Working Groups of the Colombian Security Sector Assistance Roadmap (C-SSAR); SOCAFRICA's FLINTLOCK Exercises in Burkina Faso and Mauritania; Chile's Exercise SOUTHERN STAR along with SOCSOUTH; SOUTHCOM's PANAMAX exercise, and the U. S. Army War College's (AWC), U.S. Air Force Air University's (AU), and Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation's (WHINSEC) alumni events where I interviewed partner nation alumni to gain a better understanding of their thoughts on the enduring value of IMET.

Mclean, Va

I worked as a War Gaming Analyst and SOF Subject Matter Expert (SME) and assisted in the design and execution of strategic and operational level war games for a range of participants, focusing on U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). I applied understanding of, and experience with, warfighting disciplines, course of action (COA) analysis, strategy development, and organizational processes/ procedures to craft wargames that allowed participants to test assumptions in a no-risk to minimal-risk environment and gain stakeholder buy-in. I worked on USEUCOM’s classified Deterrence Activities in Europe Wargame (DAEWG), which tested EUCOM’s exercise program effects in the European Theater, while understanding the gaps and points of integration with other ongoing US Government activities. For USASOC, I participated in the Silent Quest (SQ) exercise series, which provided SQ stakeholders a comprehensive understanding of the countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) problem, the challenge of countering those threats, and the Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) key tasks and learning demands as identified by those stakeholders.

I worked as a Defense and SOF SME, analyst, writer, and editor for support to SOCEUR and NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ) in their strategic planning efforts, their integration efforts, and the melding of security cooperation into those planning efforts. I wrote a NATO Response Force (NRF) Special Operations Component Command (SOCC) Playbook for SOCEUR that’s purpose is to provide a reference that reflects best practices for special operations related to the SOCC during a NRF cycle. For the NSHQ, I wrote a “thought paper” to begin the conversation of how might NATO support/ assist partner nations that have determined that planning for a national resistance should be part of their national defense plans. Also for NSHQ, I was tasked to revise and update the SOCEUR NRF SOCC Playbook based upon NSHQ’s lessons learned and investigate topics as they would apply to a Composite SOCC (C-SOCC), such as will be encountered with the Denmark, Belgium, and Netherlands C-SOCC. NSHQ also asked me to travel to Mons to brief, and answer questions from, members of the German Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) and German Army Headquarters regarding the NRF SOCC lessons identified by SOCEUR during their NRF SOCC 16 cycle. This meeting was an initial fact finding trip to begin the German’s NRF SOCC build.

Mclean, Va

Program manager for the Survivability/ Vulnerability Information Analysis Center (SURVIAC) Technical Area Task (TAT) for SOCEUR with a ceiling value of $11.9 million. Continue to work as a SME, writer, editor and the job manager for support to SOCEUR and SOCAFRICA in their strategic planning efforts and the melding of security cooperation into those planning efforts.

Subject Matter Expert (SME), writer and editor on the following projects: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) SOF study for the NATO Special Operations Coordination Center (NSCC); the Special Operations Command – Europe (SOCEUR) Support Plan to the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) Strategy of Active Security/ Theater Campaign Plan; assisted in developing courses of instruction for Naval Special Warfare Command (NAVSPECWARCOM) in Coronado, California; and the Special Operations Command – Central’s (SOCCENT) SOF Campaigning and Distributed Command and Control (DC2) Concept analysis. Participated in a number of events, to include: the U.S. Army’s Unified Quest series; USSOCOM’s Unconventional Warfare (UW) LOE; the USSOCOM sponsored Limited Objective Experiment (LOE) for SOCCENT; and the SOCEUR Multinational European Helicopter Conference, which examined on-going efforts within the Euro-Atlantic helicopter community to synchronize future rotary wing aviation development, to include security cooperation activities. Writer in and the job manager of a SOCEUR SOF rotary wing aviation development initiative. This initiative focused on proposed security cooperation opportunities to enhance six (6) selected developing NATO allied and partner nations to improve the capabilities of those units that have habitual relationships with their national SOF. Job manager of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Army Military Information Support Operations (MISO) Capabilities Based Assessment (CBA) and the USSOCOM Theater and Trans-Regional (TTR) MISO CBA. The objective of these CBAs was to provide identified capability needs, gaps and associated risks; and to assess and recommend responsive, feasible, and realizable solution sets to address these gaps. The CBA recommendations supported the development of change request documents.

G-3/5/7 Special Operations Division; Headquarters, Department Of The Army

Responsible for monitoring operations, preparing and presenting papers, briefings, and courses of action to senior Army leaders regarding active Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) and Army National Guard (ARNG) SOF plans, programs, and initiatives. Coordinated with the Joint Staff, the Army Staff, US Special Operations Command, US Army Special Operations Command and other Department of Defense (DoD) and non-DoD agencies regarding ARSOF and ARNG SOF. Conceived, developed, staffed, and briefed for final approval to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), an Army policy which allowed Reserve Component soldiers to conduct Annual Training and Active Duty Training in Imminent Danger Areas and Combat Zones. Worked with the Army staff on Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Counterinsurgency Operations (COIN), and Unconventional Warfare (UW) for staff actions and planning involving IW and SOF at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. Provided regular updates to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army and other top Army leaders on the most sensitive of SOF missions. In 2006, hand picked to serve as an augmentee for a 2200 member Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) in Balad, Iraq, as the J-3 Chief of Current Operations, directly responsible for battle tracking, reporting current operations of four subordinate Joint Task Forces and, when required, authorizing mission execution of concepts of operation.

Macdill Afb, Fl

Responsible for planning, organizing and integrating SOF units and personnel into Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) exercises, Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET), and real-world operations conducted within the US Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility while also the Operational Planning Team lead responsible for SOCCENT operations in the Horn of Africa (HOA) region. Immediately after 11 September, 2001, was selected to work in USCENTCOM’s Operations Plans Division as a Special Operations planner providing critical contributions to the preliminary “Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF)” Special Operations mission planning until deployed as a part of SOCCENT’s forward presence for OEF in November 2001. From November 2002 to May 2003, served aboard the USS Mount Whitney as the first SOF Planner for the Joint Planning Group of the newly formed Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). Developed concepts for the employment of SOF in a variety of roles, including UW, military FID program missions, and Naval Special Warfare (NSW) assets conducting special reconnaissance, throughout an extremely large and complex operational area. Provided the stimulus, coordinated and developed the foundation for the concept that became CJTF-HOA’s main effort. Also while at SOCCENT, was hand picked by the Operations Director to be the team leader for a joint pre-deployment site survey to assess the security and support requirements for a sensitive United States Government mission in Ethiopia. The results of the survey ensured the mission was able to be executed on time and continued to make valuable contributions to national security efforts.

Oxford, Ms

Primary instructor for freshman level classes and as the Recruiting Operations Officer for the selection, interviewing, and enrollment of students into the ROTC program. Maintained the disbursement of a $38,000 per year incentive fund program and coordinated all media advertising and recruiting campaigns of potential students. Increased scholarship utilization by 48% and surpassed freshman enrollment goals by achieving 118%. Represented the U.S. Army and its programs in a variety of public forums, in college, high school, and media events.

Jackson, Ms

Responsible for the overall functioning of the Area Specialist Teams. Primary contact for the flow of information between the battalion staff and the mission planning isolation/ deployed Special Forces Operational Detachments – Alpha (SFODAs). Advised the Operations Officer and the Operations Center Director on all administrative matters and operational aspects pertaining to the SFODAs. Ensured maximum operational security was maintained while the SFODAs were in mission planning isolation to prevent a compromise of their missions. Was also the lead planner for the summer of 1995 Battalion’s Annual Training period at Camp Blanding, FL.

Ft. Bragg, Nc

Provided leadership to a team of Special Forces soldiers and ensured they remained trained in military FID and COIN missions for rapid deployment to participate independently in support of United States objectives in Central and South America. Represented the U.S. in several missions as an advisor to Latin America military leaders; contributing as an instructor, linguist, and area specialist. Assessed Latin American military units on their current levels of training and potential for continued training advancement as a part of the overall military-to-military engagement and theater objectives. Key events were: planned and executed a FID mission to El Salvador in 1991 during their period of civil war; and was the primary leader of a two SFODA mission to train the reorganized Venezuelan Airborne forces in light infantry tactics after their attempted coup d’état of February 1992. Also during this time, completed the Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Officer course offered by the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School through correspondence.

Ft. Lewis, Wa

Served as Nuclear Weapons Officer, Battlion Materiel Officer, Ranger Support Element Executive Officer, and 63d Ordnance Company Executive Officer.

Chakmakli, Turkey

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Spanish Language And Literature

Activities and Societies: Sigma Delta Pi (National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society)

Bsba, Finance And Financial Management Services

Activities and Societies: Army ROTC