66. From Service to Civilian Success: Pioneering Opportunities for Veterans

In this episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen sits down with Major General Spider Marks and Lieutenant General Mike Groen. Our guests share their unique military backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, trust, character, and positivity. They also discuss Academy Securities and its mission to help veterans transition to civilian life, leveraging their military training in new careers. The episode also covers the formation of Academy's Geopolitical Intelligence Group, highlighting how their military experiences provide valuable insights for their clients.

In This Episode:

00:00 Introduction

00:48 Meet the Distinguished Guests

01:45 Spider Marks' Military Journey

03:25 Mike Groen's Military Experience

05:16 The Power of Positivity in Service

06:47 Academy Securities: Mission and Impact

12:49 Geopolitical Insights and Differentiation

16:32 Reflections on Military Service

25:19 Final Thoughts

About our Guests

Major General (Ret.) James A. “Spider” Marks is Head of Geopolitical Strategy and Senior Advisory Board Member at Academy Securities. General Marks is the Founder and President of The Marks Collaborative, an advisory for corporate leader development, education and training and has led entrepreneurial efforts in global primary research and national security. He served over 30 years in the Army holding every command position from infantry platoon leader to commanding general and was the senior intelligence officer in the LA Riots, the Balkans, Korea, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He culminated his career as the Commanding General of the US Army Intelligence Center and School at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf cluster, Bronze Star, and multiple combat, expeditionary and service ribbons. General Marks is a Master parachutist, authorized to wear Korean and Canadian Airborne wings, Air Assault qualified, and Honor Graduate of the US Army Ranger School. General Marks is a national security contributor to CNN and member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Michael Groen is an Academy Securities’ Geopolitical Intelligence Group Member as well as an Advisory Board Member. Lieutenant General Groen served over 36 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, culminating his career as the Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, and the senior executive for AI in the Department of Defense. He previously served at the National Security Agency, overseeing Computer Network Operations, and as the Director of Joint Staff Intelligence (JSJ2), working closely with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Secretary of Defense and Senior Leaders across the Department. Lieutenant General Groen is an experienced Marine commander and multi-tour combat veteran. He is the author of, With the First Marine Division in Iraq, No Greater Friend, No Worse Enemy.

Lieutenant General Groen’s expertise centers on transformative technology and its application in Defense, the Intelligence Community, and the commercial marketplace. He is a skilled advisor, with deep experience in the key roles of process, culture, technology, and ethics. His focus areas include Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum implementation, National Security, and Digital Transformation. He has earned master's degrees in electrical engineering and applied physics from the Naval Postgraduate School. Today, he seeks to inform transformational change in defense technology, intelligence, and information capabilities against the backdrop of expanding definitions of national security and American competitiveness.

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