2023-11-22
After 32 years in the US Army that’s seen him serve around the world, former Brigadier General Guy Jones has joined 4C as the President of 4C North America Defense. We meet him to find out more.
My father was in the military, but I had no intention to join. I had a passion for engineering and studied Nuclear Engineering at college with every intention to work in the nuclear energy field However, I joined the military to help finance my years at college and found a passion to lead people to solve problems.
I haven’t looked back since – although I did complete my degree. I found the military gave me an applied science laboratory to solve problems with diverse people and diverse thinking.
Over the past 32 years I’ve been stationed in many places in the US and around the world. I served in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 2nd Infantry Division (South Korea), and the 82nd Airborne Division (US) where I spent much of my military career. I was a Company Commander, Brigade and Division Staff Officer, and a Battalion Command.
After leaving Fort Bragg, I spent a year in the Pentagon, and then commanded a Brigade as part of the 10th Mountain Division. Following that, I was the Operations Officer for our Pacific region focused Corps where I worked closely with foreign militaries as well as our other service partners. Once selected to be a General Officer, I served a second time in South Korea. After return to the United States, I was assigned to Army Futures Command. I ended my career as the Operations Officer for Army Futures Command.
Although I chose to leave the Army, I still wanted to contribute to the organization I was a part of for 32 years. The best way to do this was through an innovative company that is driving military transformation. I’d first come across Exonaut in 2017 when I commanded the Army’s Mission Command Training Program (MCTP), which was responsible for simulation-based training for divisions and corps. I was impressed with what Exonaut could do and the potential on offer, both for improving training and streamlining processes.
The opportunity came to join the 4C team, which has values and ambitions that match my own. It’s a welcoming organization and group of people that believe in integrity, getting things done, competency, and having fun while doing it. 4C is a great match for me and my family.
Absolutely, there was a time when it was all about planning, observing, and recording things with a pen and paper. Followed by tedious hours of consolidating handwritten notes into a final report that often was not timely or accurate. Exonaut has revolutionized training by streamlining these processes and empowering practitioners and leaders to make informed decisions based on data-driven insights.
There is so much to be excited about in the future as the platform is sound and demonstrated the ability to scale and expand into other fields such as experimentation, crisis management, risk management, and organizational resiliency. In my role at Army’s Future Command, I managed a team that were tasked with identifying what the Army will look like in the next 10, 20 and 30 years. Effective training with data-driven software will be critical to the realization of this vision not just in the Army but across all the services; ensuring improved readiness and resilience.
We’re on the cusp of seeing amazing breakthroughs in technology in numerous fields that have a direct correlation to military applications. As AI and machine learning become more prominent across multiple platforms, training software will be able to support with insights into trends at the institutional level, which simply hasn’t been possible before. It will also be able to support strategic decisions on where investments should be made that build specific capabilities needed for the future. This will also include the creation of individual and unit plans for performance-based development.
Better trained armed forces are critical as technology makes basic tasks more complicated and complex. The level of training also directly relates to the deterrent capability of the adversary. In today’s unstable world, we are constantly reminded of the necessity of high-quality training, improved readiness, and collaboration. For instance, in Ukraine, the support of NATO and other nations has been critical. The training Ukrainian Forces have received has been a vital contributor to them withstanding the attacks of a more technically advanced nation with a far larger military.
I’m looking forward to that – it was one of my reasons for retiring from the Army. Orlando is a great place, and it will be good to be at the 4C office. To begin with, I’ll be doing some travelling but my wife and I will relocate to Orlando after my son graduates from high school in the summer. With that said, I’m a Texan through and through, so I’m hoping to get a small place there that I can head to now and then.
I like to spend time with my family, something I expect to do more of now I’ve retired from the army, and I enjoy fishing, camping, golf and woodwork.
