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1. Original Problem
Create a secure, convenient
and integrated platform for
soldiers in the UNCSB-JSA to
communicate.
Build rapport and understanding
between US and South Korean
personnel in the UNCSB-JSA to
overcome language and cultural
barriers.
122
INTERVIEWS
Stephen Badger Rachel Hirshman Jennifer Villa Jin Woo Yu
CPT Justin Bingham,
Sponsor
Don Peppers,
Industry Mentor
COL Timothy Mungie,
Military Mentor
Mackenzie Burnett,
TA
Final Problem
TEAM COMMON GROUND
Problem Sponsor:
United Nations Command Security Battalion (UNCSB)

2. Symbolizes US-ROK (South Korean) alliance
Protects Joint Security Area
Most forward unit in Korea
Provides intel on North Korea (DPRK)
Importance of UNCSB-JSA Battalion

3. Week 0 “It’s an information technology (IT) problem”
Week 0

4. Week 0 No challenge for a team of engineers!
Week 0

5. Week 1 What we heard “My ROK counterpart spoke
no English and I speak no
Korean.”
- MAJ, US Army, S3 @ JSA
“Most communication is
face-to-face.”
- CPT, US Army, JSA
“Most of my communication is
in person.”
- SGT, US Army, JSA
Week 1

6. Week 1
1) Most US-ROK interactions are in person!
Week 1 IT is NOT the problem
2) The battalion already solved its
IT issues by switching to Signal.

7. Time to Pivot
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Weeks
It's not an
IT problem
Morale
Week 2

8. Week 2 New Direction: Language and Culture
MVP: Pointy-Talky Card
Week 2

9. Week 2 What we heard
“Pointy talky would be
useful for ordering a meal,
but not for a work
setting.”
- Major, US Army
“We generally do not
interact with the ROK.”
- Specialist, US Army
“Pointy talky would need to
be a thousand pages to fill
the gap for operations.”
- Major, US Air Force
Week 2

10. Week
3-4
Where to next?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Weeks
Morale
Language and
cultural
differences lead
to frictions

11. Tactical Operations Center
ROK Chain of Command US Chain of Command
Week 3-4 Tactical Operations Center: Stovepiped Communications
Week
3-4

12. Week 3-4 Understanding the Tactical Operations Center
“Things go wrong in the
TOC all the time. 20% of the
time it’s a big deal.”
- CPT, US Army, TOC
“In the TOC, getting information
to the US is not the priority. Both
sides play dumb when they don’t
want to engage.”
- CPT, US Army, TOC
Interviewed
TOC Officers In
Charge (OIC)
Week
3-4

13. Week 3-4 Maybe it's not the Tactical Operations Center...
The battalion is already moving to a new
Tactical Operations Center structure.
There are issues outside the Tactical
Operations Center.
Week
3-4

14. Pivoting again...What’s next?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Weeks
It’s not a
problem in
the TOC
Morale
Week
5-9

15. Week 5-9 Tactical Operations Center is a SUBSET of the real problem
Cultural
Differences
Language barrier
Communications
bottleneck at TOC
Need for rapport and
understanding
between US and ROK
personnel
Insufficient
onboarding
Different
Priorities btw.
ROK/US
Week
5-9

16. Week
5-9
Cultural
Differences
Language barrier
Communications
bottleneck at TOC
Need for rapport and
understanding
between US and ROK
personnel
Insufficient
onboarding
Different
Priorities btw.
ROK/US
Week 5-9 Tactical Operations Center is a SUBSET of the real problem

17. Champion
UNCSB-JSA
Battalion Commander
Week 5-9 Who Cares?
Week
5-9

18. Defense Language Institute
Monterey, CA
Week 5-9 Discovered DLI Resources on Language and Culture
1. Hundreds of hours of free
online instruction
a. Cultural Orientation
b. Pronunciation guides
2. Mobile training teams
Week
5-9

19. Traveled to Korea!
LTC Lim (ROK Dep CDR)
LTG Eyre, UNC Dep. Commander
Week 5-9 Visiting our Sponsor and Engaging Senior Leaders
Week
5-9
Ambassador Harry Harris

20. ● Provide a safe place for talks
● Bring unification to the Korean
Peninsula
● Prepare to fight the North Koreans
● Maintain surveillance over North
Korea
Week 5-9 Experiment: Describe the goal of the Battalion
Week
5-9

21. Week 5-9 Key Learnings from Korea
“The US hasn’t been there for 66 years.
The US has been there 1 year, 66 times.”
- Multiple Interviews
“You don’t want to
depend on the Camp
Humphreys stuff.”
- MAJ, US Army, JSA Battalion XO
“We currently select guys based on interest and
recognize they speak Korean after.”
- MAJ, US Army, JSA Battalion XO
Week
5-9

22. The Root Problem
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Weeks
Week 9~
It's not an
IT problem
It’s not a
problem in
the TOC
Language and
cultural
differences lead
to frictions
Morale
It’s a problem around a lack of
rapport and understanding
Weeks 5-9:
How do we fix this?

23. 1) Present “Menu” of recommendations to
Battalion Commander
Week 9-onwards Acting on Lessons Learned
2) Connect battalion with outside resources
Week 9~

24. We had a whirlwind quarter!
Week 9~

25. Teaching Team
COL Pete Newell, Ret
Steve Blank
Steve Weinstein
Jeff Decker
Tom Bedecarre
Mackenzie Burnett
Nate Simon
Mentors
Don Peppers
COL Timothy Mungie
Sponsor
LTC Sean Morrow
CPT Justin Bingham
(as shown below)
Acknowledgements