Radio Stockdale

We're in conversation with Captain Tasya Lacy, USN. She and her future husband graduated from the Naval Academy in 1994. She provides a unique and detailed perspective on how they have worked together to craft Navy careers in a dual military situation. Captain Lacy speaks about broadening your perspective on where your skills and abilities can take you, and encourages taking on challenges to enhance your outcomes. As a team, she says that communication, supporting each other's career goals, mentorship, and making sure the family is taken care of while on deployment all factor into a successful dual career in the Navy.

Captain Lacy commanded Navy Operational Support Center Baltimore, near historic Fort McHenry, from August 2016 to July 2018. Currently, Lacy is assigned to the Office of the Chief of Navy Reserve as Legislative Director.

We talk with Commander Leviticus Lewis, U.S. Navy (Ret), who now works with FEMA  as a Program Manager for  NASA's Planetary Defense Initiative. After retirement, Mr. Lewis has worked in the Pentagon serving both TSA and FEMA, with the FBI National Joint Terrorism Task Force and was at the Pentagon on 9/11. 

Mr. Lewis talks about the most current efforts of the Planetary Defense initiative and the launch of the DART mission to test kinetic impact on an asteroid. Planetary defense encompasses all the capabilities needed to detect the possibility of a potential asteroid or comet impact with the earth, and then either prevent the impacts or mitigate the possible effects of an impact. He also comments on the global coordination and participation of international agencies on planetary defense. 

He wraps up our conversation with advice on having a career where you are challenged by your interests to pursue new avenues of knowledge, and how that has made all the difference to him. 

We talk with Command Master Chief Britt Slabinski about doing the right thing when the decision becomes impossible. He relates how he invoked the 3CsPlus concept - courage, conviction, compassion and contribution. One is black and white, one is the underpinning of all, one is ever present and one has three rules. Listen to the podcast to find out which one is most important. Finally, where does the Boy Scout Oath play a part?

CMC Slabinski's operational assignments include SEAL Team FOUR, 1990 to 1993; Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), 1993 to 2006; and Command Master Chief of Naval Special Warfare Tactical Development and Evaluation Squadron TWO, 2006 to 2008. He was the Senior Enlisted Advisor of the Joint Special Operations Command, Washington, DC Office, 2008 to 2010 and Command Master Chief, Naval Special Warfare Group TWO, 2010 to 2012

Slabinski has completed nine overseas deployments and 15 combat deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism, including Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He retired in June 2014 as the Director of Naval Special Warfare Safety Assurance and Analysis Program after more than 25 years of service.

LtGen Gaskin also served as the Commanding General of the 2d Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, NC from June 2006 until July 2008. In addition to this role, he simultaneously served as the Commanding General of II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). During this tour, LtGen Gaskin led II MEF (FWD) during its year-long deployment to Al Anbar Province, Iraq as the Commanding General of Multinational Forces-West.

Gaskin also served with 3rd Force Service Support Group (Echo and Foxtrot Logistics Support Units); 3rd Marine Division (Division Command Center) in Okinawa, Japan; and with Combined Forces Command C/J-3, Seoul, South Korea as the Head of Ground Forces Branch.

Mr. Gaskin most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of La Porte Technology Defense (LAPORTECH). LAPORTECH is an engineering Technical Development Plan supplier with the capability to design, test, retrofit, and roll out new and existing specialty defense and commercial vehicles. Prior to this, Mr. Gaskin served as the Managing Director in Charge of Operation Management Complex of Global Bank in Irvine, CA.

A graduate of Savannah State University's NROTC Scholarship Program with a Bachelor of Science, he earned a Summa Cum Laude Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and completed the Senior Executive Seminar from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University. His military education includes the Amphibious Warfare School; Army Command and Staff College; Army War College; and the Combined/Joint Force Land Component Command Course.