Chief of Naval Operations, Commander Joint Forces Command and Commander Fleet Forces Command Keynote Joint Warfighting Conference

Virginia Beach, VA Conference Focuses on Successes of Joint and Coalition Warfare

FAIRFAX, Va., May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The largest defense conference and exposition in the Hampton Roads region returns to the Virginia Beach Convention Center, May 10-12, 2011. The Joint Warfighting Conference is co-sponsored by AFCEA International and the U.S. Naval Institute, with support from the NDIA Greater Hampton Roads Chapter and the AFCEA Hampton Roads and Tidewater Chapters. The event is open to the public and admission is free. Tickets are required for luncheons.

At the Joint Warfighting Conference, senior military and government leaders and defense industry experts will address the theme "How Do We Leverage Successes of Joint and Coalition Warfare?" Expert speakers include:

• ADM John C. Harvey, Jr., USN, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command
• GEN Raymond T. Odierno, USA, Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command
• ADM Gary Roughead, USN, Chief of Naval Operations
• VAdm Robert G. Cooling, RN, Chief of Staff, Allied Command Transformation
• LtGen Robert E. Schmidle, Jr., USMC, Deputy Commander, U.S. Cyber Command
• The Honorable Michael W. Wynne, former Secretary of the Air Force

In addition, experts will dialogue on "China Factors: Are the Chinese Doing to Us What We Did to the Russians?":

• Mr. David Hartman, Author and former Host, Good Morning America
• The Honorable Wallace Gregson, former Assistant Secretary of Defense, Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, Principal, WC Gregson & Associates, Inc
• ADM Timothy J. Keating, USN (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
• Mr. Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in National Defense, Congressional Research Service, and Author, China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities

The conference, which is expected to draw 5000 attendees, will cover important issues facing the military. Six panel sessions will focus on future operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, irregular warfare, ballistic missile defense, cyber warfare, and the defense budget.

A new feature this year is the engagement theater on the exhibit floor, where Commands will engage with the audience on current topics of interest. The schedule includes:

• Fleet Forces Command: COMSECONDFLT Headquarters Consolidation and Introducing Capabilities to the Fleet
• Joint Forces Command: JFCOM Disestablishment: Functional Review & Way Forward
• Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command: Coordinated Support for the Safety and Security of the Maritime Domain and Overview of the U.S. Coast Guard Deployable Operations Group
• Air Combat Command: Mobility Enabled Operations, Mission Systems Integration (MSI) and Mission Alignment, and Unified Communications & Collaboration (UCC)
• Supreme Allied Commander Transformation: MEDACTool and ACT Briefing Framework For Collaborative Interaction
• Headquarters Marine Corps: Information Technology (IT) Deep Dive

In addition, the Joint Warfighting Conference includes an exhibition floor with 150 information technology and defense exhibitors showcasing hundreds of technologies and solutions; the Department of the Navy IT East Coast Conference; the Navy Blue Coast Small Business Symposium; and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Military Spouse Symposium.

The Joint Warfighting Conference is open to the public and admission is free. Tickets are required for meals and separate registration is required for the Small Business Symposium and the MOAA Military Spouse Symposium. On-site registration is available beginning Monday, May 9. For details and a complete schedule of events please visit www.jointwarfighting.org.

AFCEA International, established in 1946, is a non-profit membership association serving the military, government, industry, and academia as an ethical forum for advancing professional knowledge and relationships in the fields of communications, IT, intelligence, and global security. For more information, please visit www.afcea.org.

The U.S. Naval Institute, founded in 1873, is the only non-profit, professional military association offering an independent, nonpartisan forum on sea power and national security issues. Its publications, conferences and heritage resources help military and civilians understand the role each plays in safeguarding national security – and our obligation to the men and women of the all-volunteer force who provide it. For more information, please visit www.usni.org.

SOURCE AFCEA International