Today I’m thrilled to announce the addition of retired General Raymond Anthony “Tony” Thomas III (USA) and retired Lieutenant General VeraLinn “Dash” Jamieson (USAF) to Primer’s Advisory Board. As two of the DoD’s top former leaders, they possess extensive experience implementing emerging technologies to support national security priorities. Their counsel and strategic advice will help us continue to strengthen our partnership with the Defense and Intelligence Communities.
With a combined seven decades of uniformed service across the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Special Operations, and the Interagency, Tony and Dash have personally experienced the challenge of decision making amidst an overwhelming volume of information and disinformation. Their combined expertise is integral to pursuing our mission: delivering cutting-edge technology to those operating at the pointy end of the spear, providing timely analysis, and empowering leaders to make informed decisions.
Tony most recently served as the 11th Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). He was one of the earliest and strongest advocates for applied artificial intelligence on the battlefield and was the first Combatant Commander to appoint a Chief Data Officer to bring private sector solutions to warfighters. He will bring firsthand experience to Primer’s work operationalizing artificial intelligence solutions for the DoD and IC.
In his distinguished 39 year career, Tony was entrusted with the command of all U.S. and NATO Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan, ultimately commanding all U.S. Special Operations Forces globally, with over 90,000 members operating in over 100 countries. He is the former Commander of both U.S. Special Operations Command and Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He has had more combat deployments than any other senior officer, and is the only officer to have commanded a Delta Force squadron and a battalion of the 75th Ranger regiment. Since 2001, he has deployed every year to Afghanistan or Iraq, and in 2011 was the deputy commander of the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.
He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1980 and attended the U.S. Army War College and Naval Command and Staff College.
Dash was most recently the Senior Intelligence Officer for the U.S. Air Force as Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. Her experience leading intelligence campaigns and accelerating the Air Force’s digital transformation gives her a unique perspective on how Primer can continue expanding its footprint across the defense, intelligence, finance and commercial sectors.
Dash has 37 years of distinguished military service, having commanded units from the squadron level to a career culminating as the Director of the U. S. Air Force’s Intelligence Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects enterprise. Dash was the driving force behind building a cohesive team of the Air Forces’ intelligence and cyber forces into a single war fighting organization: a $72 billion entity with 73,000 personnel conducting global operations across the DoD. She was also responsible for cultivating strategic partnerships with the private sector, including Microsoft, Amazon, Google and IBM, to accelerate the Air Force’s digital transformation. She led units in Germany, Hawaii, Florida, Afghanistan, and Virginia and has been the senior Government representative to multiple Senate and House of Representatives committees. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from West Virginia University and has two Master’s degrees, one in Strategic Studies from the National Defense University in Washington D.C. and one in Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle University, Daytona Beach, Florida.
More than 15 percent of Primer’s employees previously worked within the U.S. Department of Defense or Intelligence Community. Recently, Primer added national security experts Sue Gordon, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, as a strategic advisor, and Brett McGurk, former Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, as a member of its board. To support the fastest growing sector of our business, Primer opened an office in Washington, D.C. last year.
We are proud to welcome Tony and Dash to our Board to help us continue this vital mission.