Jason Goins Air Force | Coordinating 74 Agencies for a National Special Security Event
Jason Goins Air Force
When a NATO Summit Comes to Town
A NATO summit is not just a diplomatic gathering. It's a security operation that pulls in local police, federal agencies, military units, intelligence services, and about sixty other organizations that all need to work from the same playbook. Jason Goins Air Force officer coordinated readiness for a National Special Security Event at that scale, directing a crisis team that supported 74 agencies.
Seventy-four agencies. Think about what that means in practice. Each one has its own chain of command, its own communication systems, its own priorities, and its own definition of what "ready" looks like.
The Coordination Problem Nobody Warns You About
The hard part of multi-agency coordination isn't the big stuff. It's the small stuff. Radio frequencies that don't overlap. Badge systems that aren't compatible.
One agency's shift change happening right when another agency needs a handoff. Jason Goins of Washington DC learned that these friction points cause more problems during live events than any single large-scale threat.
His approach was built on preparation that went granular. Not just "Agency X will support the north perimeter," but who specifically, on what frequency, with what backup if their primary system goes down, and who they call if something happens that's outside their authority.
Why $46 Million Budgets Demand Precision
Jason Goins Air Force responsibilities included overseeing a $46 million budget connected to readiness operations. That figure isn't just a line item. It represents equipment, personnel deployments, communications infrastructure, and contingency reserves that all need to be in the right place before the event starts.
Budget management at this level means saying no to things that seem reasonable. Every agency wants more resources. Every plan has a wish list. The discipline is in separating what's necessary from what's nice to have, and doing it early enough that the necessary items are actually funded and fielded.
Lessons That Transfer
The skills required to coordinate a NATO summit, clear communication, detailed planning, honest assessment of gaps, are the same skills Jason Goins Air Force career has applied across every assignment. Whether it was nuclear forensics, missile defense, or plans and programs, the core question stays the same: does everyone involved know what they're supposed to do, and do they have what they need to do it?
That question sounds simple. Answering it for 74 agencies at once is not.
Disclaimer: The views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute endorsement by the Department of War, Department of the Air Force, or the U.S. Government. The subject's participation and appearance in any private or public events, sponsored or otherwise, or references, including external hyperlinks, to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of War, Department of the Air Force or U.S. Government endorsement of any company or organization.