‘Good Is Not Good Enough’ for McDill AFB SOCOM Silent Professionals

‘Good Is Not Good Enough’ for McDill AFB SOCOM Silent Professionals
By Jack Pagano
Jackp1957@yahoo.com

Tampa, Fl- The world’s finest special operators came to Tampa for SOF Week 2025 with one goal: be prepared, ready, and decisive in winning the global war on terrorism. These “silent professionals” know America and our friendly allied countries count on them daily. Their actions in the darkest valleys and highest mountains are the difference between war and peace. Showcasing their resolve is an annual May event at the Tampa Convention Center. A 4-day “sights and sounds” look at the best our fighting military men and women have to offer.

The theme: Good is not good enough. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made the quick trip to Tampa from the Pentagon and talked to a standing room only audience. Hegseth’s keynote speech was voiced with confidence: “In the last 6 months, SOF has eliminated over 500 terrorists who threaten our homeland directly. And alongside global SOF partners, 600 terrorists are off the global battlefield. That’s why we do this. We don’t fight because we hate what’s in front of us; we fight because we love what’s behind us.”
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/961221/hegseth-delivers-keynote-address-sof-weekSOF

Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fl. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth talks to special operators at his keynote speech in front of a standing room only crowd. 6 May 2025 (photo by Jack Pagano)

SOF week provides Tampa area companies with an opportunity to showcase cutting-edge technology. They hope to land contracts that will be used by special operators worldwide. It’s a military/contractor dance that takes place throughout the convention. Big contracts with hundreds of millions at stake. More than 800 exhibitors are reaching for the stars and hoping to land that big contract. Why not. The strategic money to keep America safe is there.

The Pentagon is asking Congress to approve a 1 trillion-plus budget for FY25. Special operators want a piece of that pie. Technology, expert training, and 24/7 deterrence in winning and stopping wars is not cheap. The operators will tell you they understand what lean and mean is. From the top General and Admiral to the special operator foot soldier who wins “hearts and minds” worldwide, it’s all about using US taxpayers’ money prudently and wisely. The operators stand tall, calling it “the arsenal of democracy.”

Tampa Convention Center. Tampa, Fl. Ali Al Dor (left) and Timothy Stuckenberg (right) showcase the “WaterCube 10” (WC-10) that fits easily on the back of a military vehicle. The Watercube can provide an uninterrupted water supply for soldiers in the field. The technology was developed by Genesis Systems’ founder, former Air Force combat pilot Dr. David Stuckenberg. 8 May 2025 (Photo by Jack Pagano)

Genesis Systems, a Tampa Bay company, has offices just outside the gates of McDill Air Force Base, home to Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and Central Command (CENTCOM). Genesis says their new technology, “Watercube,” is revolutionary and a game changer for special operators who need lifesaving technology every step of the way.

Genesis tech analyst Timothy Stuckenberg showcased the technology. “The Watercube-WC100 can produce 100 gallons per day via the air. With this transportable system, you can place it in the desert and produce water.” He mentions this is cutting-edge technology that no one has.
“Three days without water, you cease to exist. With the Watercube technology, you survive.”

Genesis VP of Business Development Herschel Campbell, like Stuckenberg, is in awe of the technology. The Watercube saves big dollars. Campbell says, “It can save DOD tens of millions of dollars in transporting bottled water. With the WC 1000, which churns out 1 thousand gallons a day, there’s no need to transport bottled water. This eliminates close to 100 C-17 Starlifter transports of bottled water each year.” This also creates an environment-friendly result. Fewer empty plastic water bottles to dispose of.

Tampa Convention Center. Tampa, Fl. Youngsters attending SOF week 2025 were treated to water via the Watercube WC-10. The Watercube can provide an uninterrupted water supply via the air for soldiers in the field. 8 May 2025 (Photo by Jack Pagano)

It’s all about surviving on the 21st-century asymmetrical battlefield. Boston Dynamics has “SPOT” a robotic technology seen on the CBS “60 Minutes” program that greets the young and old. A crowd pleaser, SPOT can do much more to include saving lives.

Director of Government for Boston Dynamics, Kimberly Chamblin, emphasized, “It’s all about the warfighter. We will do anything to keep our guys safe, to keep them out of harm’s way. We’re making the best robots with high-end technology that stays on our side.” The future is bright, and as Chamblin says with a big smile, “There’s so much good we can do with our products.”

Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fl. Riley Turner from Southern Pines, NC, greets “SPOT” a robot from Boston Dynamics, at SOF Week 2025. SPOT is technology that will save lives. 6 May 2025 (Photo by Jack Pagano)

Last year, the SOF event attracted more than 19,000 attendees from 60 countries. It’s anticipated that those numbers were surpassed in a very big way. Cutting-edge technology, dynamic speeches, and presentations provided the motivational “can-do” spark during the week-long event.

Special operators will go back to their units, countries with a greater understanding of what it means to be a silent professional, and that good is not good enough. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, summed it up with her opening day speech to the operators, “There is a special place for special operators in Tampa. We love our military and what they stand for.”

Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fl. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor speaks to a standing room only crowd of special operators during the opening days of SOF Week 25. 6 May 2025 (Photo by Jack Pagano)

Jack Pagano is a retired Army field grade officer with many decades of Information Operations experience and currently working remotely in the USA as COO/Strategist for one of Afghanistan’s biggest Radio/TV networks.  His current mission is getting out Afghan journalists he trained, and mentored who are stuck, stranded under the Sharia-driven Taliban.