Talk:Kathleen Hicks

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The Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use require that editors disclose their "employer, client, and affiliation" with respect to any paid contribution; see WP:PAID. For advice about reviewing paid contributions, see WP:COIRESPONSE.

WWB Too (talk · contribs) has been paid by Beutler Ink on behalf of the Hicks family.

WP:DUE

She is married to Tom Hicks and they have three children: Benjamin, Margaret, and Alexander. "Mrs. Hicks does not prefer to talk about her marriage and personal life as she is highly professional about her work. But Kathleen has admitted that her husband and her children are the backbones of her career."[12][13]Her parents are Rear Admiral Thomas J. Holland Jr. and Ann, and she has 5 siblings.[14] is poorly sourced and as per WP:BLPPRIMARY court records (and similar) should not be used, particularly for content like this. Aside from that, this is silly, trivial puffery. CUPIDICAE💕 20:44, 22 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Trivial puffery ... well, that is your opinion, I could point out millions of wikipedia entries with personal information to the contrary.

I'm less concerned about the BLPPRIMARY issue because it is a matter of public record, though her specific statement "Mrs. Hicks does not prefer to talk about her marriage and personal life" indicates to me that we sohudln't be publishing the full names of her family and especially children but at the very least, the section is way undue and super puffy. CUPIDICAE💕

20:50, 22 January 2021 (UTC)

let me fix that, I'll take it out because its from the other site

better now

Stop. Editing. The Article. You have reverted nearly a dozen times now. CUPIDICAE💕 20:54, 22 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]

And again, this doesn't address my concerns above. Revert it. CUPIDICAE💕 20:55, 22 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]

There are 0 sources discussing her family and while it is part of a public record, we should respect WP:BLPPRIVACY. This needs to be removed until consensus is formed. CUPIDICAE💕 14:49, 25 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]

This really is mere puffery in this article. Hicks apparently never served in the military, has a Ph.D. in Political Science, and was in diapers as the Vietnam War ended. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.49.27.38 (talk) 16:33, 8 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

A suggestion for improving this article

On behalf of the Hicks family, and as part of my work with Beutler Ink, I plan to start proposing some changes to this article to bring it more up-to-date and better reflect Kathleen Hicks' career, especially to improve its accuracy, neutrality, and sourcing. I plan to submit a few separate suggestions, and in order to visualize the overall goal I have made a copy of the article's markup and generated a diff to show the changes I intend to propose. The draft article I have in mind is rendered in full at User:WWB Too/Kathleen Hicks, and the areas with colored text are where I will be seeking editor review.

To start, I would like to propose a text change to the article's introduction, as well as the first paragraph of the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense section. Both describe her as "the highest ranking woman currently serving in the United States Department of Defense". In my draft, I've change this text to "the highest ranking woman to have served in the United States Department of Defense". This more accurately reflects the Fortune article already used as an inline citation, which says: "Dr. Kathleen Hicks—the first female deputy secretary of the Department of Defense and the highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history—questioned Navy leaders on their commitment to increasing diversity." I think it is helpful to readers for her biography to note the full extent of her achievement: that she is the highest ranking woman to have ever served, not just the current highest-ranking woman.

If editors agree this is a worthy text change, can someone update the article on my behalf? Best, WWB Too (Talk · COI) 23:15, 3 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@WWB Too:

Done and why not. Thanking you also for the COI adherence. It's a shame that sometimes doing as one is asked around here almost inevitably means it takes twice as long to get anything you want actually done, of course. Cheers, ——Serial Number 54129 18:35, 12 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Serial Number 54129: Thanks, I really appreciate it. I saw the exchange with Chris Troutman at MILHIST, and hope you do not feel misled. I always mean to state my COI clearly, and disclosed it at the top of this talk page prior to making my first request. I'll have additional suggestions to make soon. If you're up for reviewing them, great, if not I won't bug you again. Cheers, WWB Too (Talk · COI) 19:57, 12 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Request to add Commission on the National Defense Strategy, update board roles

Following implementation of my previous edit request, I have another content suggestion for this article. As stated previously, I have a financial COI regarding Kathleen Hicks and will not edit the article myself.

Currently, the article includes the following text, per this source:

Hicks was a presidentially appointed commissioner for the National Commission on the Future of the Army. She is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the boards of advisors for the Truman National Security Project and SoldierStrong.^[1]

I propose expanding this text slightly to add mention of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy of the United States (per the same source), and updating content related to board positions. More specifically, I propose replacing the current text with the following:

Hicks was a presidentially appointed commissioner for the National Commission on the Future of the Army. She was also appointed to the Commission on the National Defense Strategy of the United States. She is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served on the boards of The Aerospace Corporation and the U.S. Naval Institute,^[2]^[3] as well as the boards of advisors for the Truman National Security Project and SoldierStrong.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Biden picks first woman to serve as US deputy defence secretary". The Straits Times. SPH Media. January 1, 2021 – via Bloomberg News.
^ Shelbourne, Mallory. "Senate Confirms Kathleen Hicks As Deputy Defense Secretary". United States Naval Institute. Retrieved February 9, 2021.

The proposed text adds mention of board roles for other notable organizations, and changes the tense since she is not currently on the Truman National Security Project and SoldierStrong boards. Again, I don't think this is a controversial edit, but I invite others to review and update her entry for me if they agree it makes the article better. WWB Too (Talk · COI) 16:20, 15 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I completed this update. TJMSmith (talk) 01:29, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@TJMSmith: Thanks for your help! I have one more request for this paragraph below, if you are interested. WWB Too (Talk · COI) 02:05, 14 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Department of Defense agency review team

With the above request answered and implemented, I'd like to offer one more suggestion for this paragraph. Currently the article says: In October 2020, she also served on the CSIS-LSHTM High-Level Panel on Vaccine Confidence and Misinformation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, co-chaired by Heidi Larson and J. Stephen Morrison.^[1]

I would argue this is a less notable aspect of her career, and the claim is not based on secondary coverage. I propose removing and replacing this sentence with the following, which mentions her leading the Department of Defense agency review team:

In 2020, Hicks led the Department of Defense agency review team, tasked with reviewing issues related to defense and national security during the presidential transition of Joe Biden.^[2]

References

^ Call to Action: CSIS-LSHTM High-Level Panel on Vaccine Confidence and Misinformation, October 19, 2020 Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
^ Beinart, Matthew (November 11, 2020). "Biden Announces Transition Team Reviewing Pentagon, Led By CSIS' Kathleen Hicks". Defense Daily.

Again, you can see these changes reflect in the draft I've shared at User:WWB Too/Kathleen Hicks. If this seems like a reasonable improvement I would appreciate someone making the update on my behalf. Cheers, WWB Too (Talk · COI) 02:05, 14 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Done. TJMSmith (talk) 19:50, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Suggestion for U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense section

User:TJMSmith, thanks for your help improving the first part of the Career section. I'd like to shift focus to the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense subsection, which could be updated with some of her more recent work in this role. The following text, currently a single-sentence paragraph, is not representative of sourcing:

Hicks was tasked with leading the modernization of the U.S.' nuclear triad.^[1]^[2]

References

While modernization was one of her areas of concern during the confirmation hearings, this sentence is not specifically confirmed in sources. As seen in my draft, I'd like to propose replacing this sentence with the following two paragraphs, which are based on Wikipedia-appropriate sources:

Hicks has led initiatives that attempt to shorten technology adoption timelines and speed fielding of new defense capabilities.^[1] She led Replicator, an initiative initially focused on fielding autonomous systems to help counter China's military.^[2] She oversees the military's first commercial space integration strategy,^[3] as well as several of the Pentagon's largest missile defense and long-range strike programs.^[4]^[5] She is also in charge of the military's efforts related to climate change.^[6]

Hicks established the Deputy's Workforce Council in the Defense Department to address workforce challenges such as extremism and a lack of diversity.^[7] She has also focused on efforts to take care of service members and their families,^[8] including countering sexual assault and harassment and preventing suicide.^[9]^[10]^[11]

References

^ Knight, Will (May 2, 2022). "To Win the Next War, the Pentagon Needs Nerds". Wired. Condé Nast. OCLC 24479723. He suggests that advocates for change, such as Hicks, can only do so much... Martell was appointed by Hicks to help advance adoption and use of the technology.
^
Replicator:
- O'Brien, Connor (August 28, 2023). "Pentagon bets on quick production of autonomous systems to counter China". Politico.
- Martin, Peter (December 14, 2023). "Silicon Valley Ties Are Key to Beating China, Pentagon's No. 2 Says in California Visit". Bloomberg. It's among impediments Hicks will have to address as she and her Pentagon colleagues push their new "Replicator" initiative, which aims to spur mass production of low-cost drones for the military... Hicks' visit is part of a multiyear Pentagon push to make tech-sector innovations available to the US military
- Albon, Courtney; Robertson, Noah (March 11, 2024). "Pentagon says $1 billion planned for first two years of Replicator". Defense News.
^ Erwin, Sandra (November 27, 2023). "Pentagon looks to commercial space for an edge". SpaceNews. ISSN 1046-6940. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who has spearheaded Pentagon efforts to bring cutting-edge technology into defense programs, is overseeing the military's first commercial space integration strategy.
^ Paul McCleary (2 Feb 2021) DepSecDef Will Run Most Missile Defense, Nuke Modernization; SecDef Recused
^ Paul McCleary (24 Feb 2021) New Hicks Memo Sets Acquisition, Force Posture 2022 Budget Priorities Feb. 17 memo.
^ Liebermann, Oren; Kaufman, Ellie (November 20, 2021). "Senior Pentagon official warns the US military is 'not ready' for climate change". CNN. Hicks, the first woman to hold the Pentagon's number two position, leads the military's different efforts on climate change.
^ Bender, Bryan (March 11, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Hicks to establish 'workforce council'". Politico.
^ Myers, Meghann (February 15, 2024). "DOD looks to revamp housing, facilities on military installations". Military Times.
^ Doornbos, Caitlin (September 22, 2021). "Pentagon reveals plan to address sexual assault and harassment in the military ranks". Stars and Stripes.
^ "Top Pentagon official urges Congress to change military system for sex assault cases". United Press International. July 21, 2021 – via Medill News Service.
^ Vanden Brook, Tom (June 8, 2023). "Alaska's army bases see glimmer of hope after 'horrifically high' suicide rates among soldiers". USA Today. Senior defense officials, led by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, sought out troops, commanders and counselors during a recent visit as the Defense Department assesses what's worked and what hasn't in combatting despair. Hicks' tour came as the Pentagon sorts through dozens of recommendations from an independent commission on combatting suicide in the military.

You'll notice I've kept the two Paul McCleary sources as citations, but I've made the text more accurate and expanded on some of her other documented work. If this seems like a reasonable expansion, I'd appreciate someone making the update on my behalf; for anyone new to this discussion page, I have a financial COI with DepSecDef Hicks and will aim to avoid editing the page directly. Cheers, WWB Too (Talk · COI) 16:45, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I think I made these changes. Thanks for providing these sources and helping to improve this article. TJMSmith (talk) 01:20, 24 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Selected works

User:TJMSmith, thanks for your additional help above. I have a final request, this time to expand the current Selected works section with more recent works and, especially, writings that are publicly available. I recognize these selections are subjective, so I'm also open to feedback about what you think is best. Here is the list I'd recommend:

"Weathering the Storm: Civil-Military Tension During Presidential Transitions". War on the Rocks. August 7, 2016.
Hicks, Kathleen (August 17, 2016). "What Will Americans Do About Their Fear of Terrorism?". The Atlantic.
Hicks, Kathleen H. (June 22, 2017). "Defense Strategy and the Iron Triangle of Painful Trade-offs". Center for Strategic & International Studies.
Hicks, Kathleen (November 2017). "Now What? The American Citizen, World Order, and Building a New Foreign Policy Consensus". Texas National Security Review. 1 (1): 108–119.
Sheppard, Lindsey R.; Friend, Alice Hunt; Shah, Hijab; Akca, Asya; Hicks, Kathleen H.; Federici, Joseph (July 8, 2019). "By Other Means Part I: Campaigning in the Gray Zone". Center for Strategic & International Studies.
Hicks, Kathleen (February 10, 2020). "Getting to Less: The Truth About Defense Spending". Foreign Affairs.

If this is a reasonable expansion, would you be willing to update the article on my behalf? Thanks again for your continued assistance. Cheers, WWB Too (Talk · COI) 19:22, 24 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Recent change

I noticed that the most recent change to the article by an unregistered user adds biased language that is not representative of sourcing, and am wondering if User:TJMSmith or another editor who has this page watchlisted thinks a revert is appropriate. WWB Too (Talk · COI) 21:35, 20 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Update: this has been taken care of. WWB Too (Talk · COI) 12:58, 25 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

[:4-1] Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] "Biden picks first woman to serve as US deputy defence secretary". The Straits Times. SPH Media. January 1, 2021 – via Bloomberg News.

[3] Shelbourne, Mallory. "Senate Confirms Kathleen Hicks As Deputy Defense Secretary". United States Naval Institute. Retrieved February 9, 2021.

[4] Call to Action: CSIS-LSHTM High-Level Panel on Vaccine Confidence and Misinformation, October 19, 2020 Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

[5] Beinart, Matthew (November 11, 2020). "Biden Announces Transition Team Reviewing Pentagon, Led By CSIS' Kathleen Hicks". Defense Daily.

[mccleary21-6] Paul McCleary (2 Feb 2021) DepSecDef Will Run Most Missile Defense, Nuke Modernization; SecDef Recused

[2022decisionFocus-7] Paul McCleary (24 Feb 2021) New Hicks Memo Sets Acquisition, Force Posture 2022 Budget Priorities Feb. 17 memo.

[8] Knight, Will (May 2, 2022). "To Win the Next War, the Pentagon Needs Nerds". Wired. Condé Nast. OCLC 24479723. He suggests that advocates for change, such as Hicks, can only do so much... Martell was appointed by Hicks to help advance adoption and use of the technology.

[9] Replicator:
O'Brien, Connor (August 28, 2023). "Pentagon bets on quick production of autonomous systems to counter China". Politico.

Martin, Peter (December 14, 2023). "Silicon Valley Ties Are Key to Beating China, Pentagon's No. 2 Says in California Visit". Bloomberg. It's among impediments Hicks will have to address as she and her Pentagon colleagues push their new "Replicator" initiative, which aims to spur mass production of low-cost drones for the military... Hicks' visit is part of a multiyear Pentagon push to make tech-sector innovations available to the US military

Albon, Courtney; Robertson, Noah (March 11, 2024). "Pentagon says $1 billion planned for first two years of Replicator". Defense News.

[10] O'Brien, Connor (August 28, 2023). "Pentagon bets on quick production of autonomous systems to counter China". Politico.

[11] Martin, Peter (December 14, 2023). "Silicon Valley Ties Are Key to Beating China, Pentagon's No. 2 Says in California Visit". Bloomberg. It's among impediments Hicks will have to address as she and her Pentagon colleagues push their new "Replicator" initiative, which aims to spur mass production of low-cost drones for the military... Hicks' visit is part of a multiyear Pentagon push to make tech-sector innovations available to the US military

[12] Albon, Courtney; Robertson, Noah (March 11, 2024). "Pentagon says $1 billion planned for first two years of Replicator". Defense News.

[10] Erwin, Sandra (November 27, 2023). "Pentagon looks to commercial space for an edge". SpaceNews. ISSN 1046-6940. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who has spearheaded Pentagon efforts to bring cutting-edge technology into defense programs, is overseeing the military's first commercial space integration strategy.

[mccleary21-11] Paul McCleary (2 Feb 2021) DepSecDef Will Run Most Missile Defense, Nuke Modernization; SecDef Recused

[2022decisionFocus-12] Paul McCleary (24 Feb 2021) New Hicks Memo Sets Acquisition, Force Posture 2022 Budget Priorities Feb. 17 memo.

[13] Liebermann, Oren; Kaufman, Ellie (November 20, 2021). "Senior Pentagon official warns the US military is 'not ready' for climate change". CNN. Hicks, the first woman to hold the Pentagon's number two position, leads the military's different efforts on climate change.

[14] Bender, Bryan (March 11, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Hicks to establish 'workforce council'". Politico.

[15] Myers, Meghann (February 15, 2024). "DOD looks to revamp housing, facilities on military installations". Military Times.

[16] Doornbos, Caitlin (September 22, 2021). "Pentagon reveals plan to address sexual assault and harassment in the military ranks". Stars and Stripes.

[17] "Top Pentagon official urges Congress to change military system for sex assault cases". United Press International. July 21, 2021 – via Medill News Service.

[18] Vanden Brook, Tom (June 8, 2023). "Alaska's army bases see glimmer of hope after 'horrifically high' suicide rates among soldiers". USA Today. Senior defense officials, led by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, sought out troops, commanders and counselors during a recent visit as the Defense Department assesses what's worked and what hasn't in combatting despair. Hicks' tour came as the Pentagon sorts through dozens of recommendations from an independent commission on combatting suicide in the military.

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