From Doctrine to Disruption

When retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Mary O’Brien looked at the military’s three-day planning cycle for identifying, tracking and striking mobile threats, she saw a flaw: Threats move faster than bureaucracy. Her solution, called flex targeting, compressed decision-making from days to just hours. It set the stage for counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and helped shape today’s cross-service strategy, where a radar, camera or other sensor that detects danger automatically shares that information with the weapon system best positioned to respond. This was one of many breakthroughs that made O’Brien a transformative force in how the U.S. military fuses intelligence, data and human decision-making.

‍

Redefining Decision Speed

O’Brien’s work revolutionized the tempo of operations. “If I use intelligence capability to tell you where a threat is today, there’s a good chance it won’t be there tomorrow,” she says. Her flex targeting system connected data and strike capability in near-real time—fundamentally changing how modern militaries approach mobile threats and creating an enduring foundation for rapid-response operations.

‍

Turning Data into Strategy

Long before “big data” became a buzzword, O’Brien treated information as a weapon system. She designed smart search methodologies that pared down vast intelligence inputs into actionable outcomes. Questions like, “Does this vehicle need to be on a reinforced paved road?” narrowed search parameters, an approach she likens to today’s navigation apps.

That philosophy extended to unmanned aerial vehicles. In the 1990s, O’Brien bridged the gap between Pentagon leaders demanding quantifiable metrics and pilots wary of losing a different kind of data—the direct input of physical flight. O’Brien translated combat effectiveness concerns into cost-benefit analyses, securing buy-in that propelled UAVs from concept to indispensable frontline asset.

‍

Innovating Leadership Models

O’Brien’s systems thinking didn’t stop with technology. As a squadron commander responsible for 400 personnel, she applied the same rigor to retention. She and her first sergeant met every airman quarterly, asking about career goals and enlistment plans. The result was an extraordinary level of retention. When asked her secret, O’Brien’s response was disarmingly simple: “We asked them to stay. We told them we’d miss them if they left.”

That blend of analysis and empathy later shaped broader Air Force leadership models, proving that a people-centric approach can deliver measurable results.

‍

At the Center of Joint Strategy

O’Brien finished her military career as Chief Information Officer for the Joint Staff (2022–2023), where she oversaw IT strategy, cybersecurity, data governance and technology acquisition across all branches. From that post, she helped the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff advise the President and Secretary of Defense on the nation’s most pressing information and technology challenges.

‍

A Civilian Chapter with Military Precision

Today, O’Brien continues to shape strategy through her firm, Mary O’Brien Strategies, advising on corporate governance, cybersecurity and digital risk. Her portfolio ranges from developing AI-enabled decision support tools for rural EMTs to protecting global corporations from sophisticated cyberthreats.

Despite the rapid evolution of technology, her main focus remains constant: the human element. “Humans are still the weak link,” she warns, noting how AI has supercharged social engineering attacks. For O’Brien, the battle to anticipate, analyze and mitigate risk has simply shifted domains—from the battlefield to the boardroom.

As she puts it: “My story is not over.”

‍

‍