This week, I wrapped up a truly special and meaningful journey with the completion of the third cohort of our Artificial Intelligence Course for Reserve Commanders.
Over the course of 10 intensive sessions, I had the privilege of teaching approximately 28 reserve officers and commanders, each bringing extensive operational experience from their extensive reserve duty during the Swords of Iron war. Delivered through Elevation in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, this course was an incredible opportunity to give back to those serving on the operational frontlines by equipping them with practical, forward-looking AI tools for their professional and personal lives.
From day one, the objective was not just to "learn about AI," but to deeply understand the underlying technology, cultivate critical thinking, and know precisely which tool to leverage for any given task.
From Theoretical Foundations to Autonomous Agents
We kicked off our journey with a paradigm shift: moving from manual information retrieval to steering AI through contextual guidance and precise Prompt Engineering. From there, we looked under the hood of Large Language Models (LLMs) - exploring the Transformer architecture, tokenization, grounding techniques like RAG to prevent hallucinations, and the impact of modern Reasoning Models.
Next, we mapped out the leading frontier models (Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude) and practiced tailoring custom AI agents to specific business workflows using features like "Gems." We then turned our focus to advanced productivity: secure knowledge management with NotebookLM, schedule and email automations, and exploring Claude's agentic capabilities (Projects and Computer Use).
Beyond Text: Multimodality, Video, and Voice
In the second half of the course, we ventured into creative media production:
- Multimodality and Image Generation: Running complex business workflows from a single prompt and generating or restoring professional visuals using tools like Google AI Studio, Gemini, and Grok.
- Consistent AI Video Production: Solving visual inconsistency - one of AI video's toughest hurdles - by adopting a "Director" approach that bridges starting and ending keyframes in tools like Google Vids (Flow) and Dreamina.
- Voice Cloning and Avatars: Utilizing ElevenLabs for realistic voice cloning and emotive narration, combined with HeyGen to build synchronized, talking digital avatars.
The Leap Forward: Commanders Building Web Applications
One of the most rewarding milestones was demystifying software development (Web Coding) - even for participants with zero prior programming background.
We started with disciplined product specification (PRD) and UI design, moved on to backend integration with cloud databases like Supabase and Firebase, and deployed responsive web apps live to the cloud via Netlify and Vercel. Watching commanders translate an idea into a functional, deployed software product from scratch is immensely rewarding - especially with their natural discipline and problem-solving mindset.
Final Showcase: Real-World Impact
During our tenth and final session, the results spoke for themselves. The participants presented impressive final projects developed throughout the course: custom productivity systems, knowledge platforms, and purpose-built software designed to deliver immediate, tangible value in their day-to-day operations and civilian careers.
Beyond the technology, the biggest takeaway was the spirit in the room. Meeting leaders who have carried significant operational responsibilities on their shoulders and choose to dedicate their time to learning, innovating, and mastering the technologies shaping tomorrow was genuinely inspiring.
Thank you to Elevation and the Ministry of Labor for this partnership, and a huge thank you to all the commanders who took part, asked tough questions, and built great things. The future is here - and it is firmly in your hands.
