Civil-military operations are like a symphony in which each musician has a unique skill and a different instrument. Each learns to play and practice alone; but then comes together to practice for the real performance. Unlike a symphony, however, in stability operations and counterinsurgency, we have had neither the same sheets of music nor a conductor in the field. Thus, it is critical that people from various agencies and organizations are able to practice together before deployment. This does not mean that military and civilian need to have completely shared educational institutions and professional development; but rather that they have the opportunity to come together to learn and train many times throughout their careers – and especially before and after deployment.

Expect a lot more focus on a so-called “whole of government” approach from the Pentagon in the coming years.

If true — Davidson wouldn’t respond to an IM that I thought was jocular but still appropriate — it’s a great choice, particularly from the perspective of putting more of the national security burden onto civilian agencies. Davidson was a key figure in setting up the Consortium for Complex Operations, an inter-agency portal for counterinsurgents around the government to work together ahead of deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan. She’s all about a whole-of-government approach.

Also, according to Rozen, men got jobs at the Pentagon as well, which I understand is the norm for the Obama administration more broadly. Notable male counterinsurgents entering the Defense Department include Phil Carter, the much-published author, Iraq veteran and attorney, who’ll become deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee issues — which, given Phil’s expertise on civil liberties, is great news for the forthcoming detention-policy review — and Craig Mullaney, an Afghanistan veteran and newly-published author, who’ll become deputy assistant secretary of defense for Central Asia. These guys are young, and both were active in the Obama campaign’s veterans-outreach effort.

Accordingly, the event will offer a glimpse of how likely Obama appointees view the challenges ahead: speakers include Wendy Sherman, often mentioned as a possible State Department troubleshooter in east Asia; Daniel Kurtzer, a possible Israel/Palestine policy czar; Anne-Marie Slaughter, who may become the State Department’s chief of policy planning; noted counterinsurgency expert Janine Davidson, who’s part of President-elect Barack Obama’s Pentagon transition team; as well as two military officers you may have heard of: Gen. David Petraeus and Adm. Michael Mullen.

Rice’s imminent speech won’t be the only one offering a defense of the Bush administration’s record. Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage is in the lineup, as is outgoing Pentagon Undersecretary for Policy Eric Edelman and proliferation official Bob Joseph (he of the Sixteen Words). Naturally, I will be riveted. Dispatches will come throughout the day.

Update: Never mind! Rice, it was just announced, is in New York working with the U.N. Security Council on a Gaza ceasefire. However, I just saw former Secretary of Defense Bill Perry walk in, so there you go.