From the Frontlines to the Future: A Personal Mission

    After serving a combined 13 years in the United States Marine Corps Infantry and Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC), I have developed the ability to think critically and act decisively under pressure and in complex environments. While still in uniform, I developed a strong interest in cybersecurity, particularly while attending advanced technical courses that supported operational readiness. That interest drew attention to a different technological battlefield, where it evolved into a passion and ultimately led me to earn degrees in cyber forensics and vulnerability management at Norwich University. To this day, I continue to pursue my educational goals and aspirations through Colorado Technical University’s Doctor of Computer Science program.

    My follow-on mission after military service would look toward the future and the often-challenging transition from uniformed service to the public sector. Seeking a meaningful way to continue serving the United States national security interests beyond the physical battlefield, my wife and I made the difficult decision to relocate from the mountains of Colorado to a rural town in eastern Virginia to begin a new chapter with the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). This move represented more than just a geographic change; it marked a deliberate and strategic shift into the world of technical policy, export controls, and safeguarding America’s technological edge.

The Topics of Futuring and Innovation

    This blog is a unique and exclusive space that will complement the academic work produced throughout my doctoral course in Futuring and Innovation. It provides a venue for in-depth and comprehensive reflections on the strategic intersections of emerging and future technologies, as well as policy, planning, and innovation, within the context of complex sociotechnical systems. By exploring these bleeding-edge topics, this blog aims to maintain situational awareness within the innovative landscape by staying informed on emerging topics, up-to-date on current research, and thereby transcending beyond traditional classroom boundaries.

    In this space, we will examine forward-looking and emergent themes, drawing heavily on structured foresight tools, such as scenario planning and horizon scanning, to help future professionals anticipate and prepare for fluid environments. As Tidd and Bessant (2024) suggest, these tools are essential for shaping outcomes to produce the most significant potential impact. In addition to these tools, the blog will examine the role of think tanks in fostering and shaping innovation alongside forecasting frameworks (e.g., the key phases of innovation) used to analyze trends, research, and geopolitical settings. Central to this focus will be collaboration and aligning “disruptive technologies,” conceptual ideas, and theoretical underpinnings with innovation goals, emphasizing how this futuring and innovation approach is vital for forward progression. Lastly, the blog will acknowledge the importance of sociotechnical planning and its impact in creating effective and lasting solutions that necessitate the seamless integration of society, culture, and technology.

Why it Matters

    The future is shaped by those who design it. As someone who operated on the frontlines of conflict and now navigates the geopolitical corridors of cyber resiliency, bridging experience, foresight, and passion is essential. It is the thinkers, the doers, and the dreamers who understand the dimensions of innovation and the necessity of forward progression. This blog will likely serve as a reflection and projection of archives of ideas, lessons, and ongoing questions about where we are and where we are going to build a safer, brighter, and more resilient future across all spectrums. Whether individuals are technologists, tinkerers, critical thinkers, or simply curious about the future, this blog will foster a conversation that produces creative and innovative ideas by leveraging collective experiences.

 -Matthew Miller

References

Rehmani, A. (2023, November 09). Embracing the future: Technology and innovation in the 21st century. Retrieved June 22, 2025, from www.medium.com: https://medium.com/@aa6130753/embracing-the-future-technology-and-innovation-in-the-21st-century-d1c796e4de55

Tidd, J., & Bessant, J. R. (2024). Managing innovation: Integrating technology, market and organizational change (8 ed.). John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Retrieved June 18, 2025, from https://coloradotech.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781394252053/epubcfi/6/10[%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3DAf03]!/4/2