AFCEA

Thirty three 6th graders stare at the teacher standing at the front of the classroom. It is after school and she has their undivided attention, despite the 70 degree, sunny weather outside. Mrs. Leann Kniller, a teacher at Springfield Estates Elementary School in Springfield, VA, is about to kick off the first meeting of the Electronics Club, thanks to the generosity of the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA NOVA) and its financial grant support to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). To say the students are excited hardly describes their expressions as they stare with anticipation at the boxes in front of them, loaded with the tools and parts needed learn about circuits, diodes, resistors and soldering.

This is one of many examples of how AFCEA NOVA has supported educational programs for decades. Today, the Chapter is doing more than ever to promote STEM education at all levels – from returning war Veterans to elementary school students. AFCEA NOVA’s efforts are focused on cultivating the American scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians of tomorrow, helping keep our country on the forefront of innovation.

The Chapter’s education support began decades ago with a modest scholarship program. A handful of applications were received, and Chapter volunteers review and scored applications manually. Winners were notified by phone and invited to a small reception in their honor. AFCEA NOVA has changed with times, using technology to process hundreds of online applications along with letters of recommendation and transcripts. A team of 30 volunteers meets annually to score the applications, and for the last several years the Chapter has awarded over 40 scholarships a year with funds annually exceeding $160,000. AFCEA NOVA still hosts the reception, although now a ballroom at the Sheraton is needed to fit the awardees and their families.

Beyond scholarships, the Chapter provides over $110,000 in recurring grants to local higher education institutions as well as the AFCEA International Education Foundation. These funds support science and engineering students with the economic need; a dedicated portion of the funds help our Veterans achieve their college degrees.

AFCEA NOVA also provides over $20,000 to local science teachers through the Science Teaching Tools program. This merit-based award is a joint effort with AFCEA International, and provides funds for teachers to purchase training aids for their classrooms. It has been used to buy microscopes, dissecting kits, circuit boards, chemistry supplies, centrifuges, and, yes, even chinchilla chow. And for those students who participate in the Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair, an opportunity is provided to win up to $1,000 of the $7,500 in awards offered by the Chapter. These funds go towards paying tuition at schools such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Virginia Tech. Chapter volunteers also use their expertise to be judges for science fairs across the Northern Virginia area.

Back to Mrs. Kniller’s Electronics Club – those students at Springfield Estates are benefiting from two recent changes to AFCEA NOVA’s educational support: our Adopt-A-School Program and our formal Educational Grants Program for STEM.

AFCEA NOVA has taken a unique approach with its Educational Grants Program. While it is easy to focus on the higher education levels, the AFCEA NOVA Board of Directors decided to invest at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The Board felt it important to capture students’ attention early in STEM, allowing them to develop a lifelong interest in science and engineering. The Chapter has two open seasons for grants each year, and awards are based on merit, need, and innovation. This past fall, AFCEA NOVA awarded over $12,000. A portion of that money helped Mrs. Kniller and her husband Matt launch the Electronics Club. Funds were also allocated for engineering students from the George Mason University Sub-Chapter to outfit their functioning Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with addition sensors. It could be one of these students who goes on to design the next Predator or Global Hawk.

The big news this year is our Adopt-A-School Program, which engages local elementary, middle, and high schools in a partnership that allows them to tap the Chapter for volunteers to support science fairs, career days, and even classroom instruction – why not ask an actual rocket scientist to come in for a lecture or two? This is the first year AFCEA NOVA kicked off the program and already seven schools are partnered with volunteers, including Springfield Estates. The Chapter is looking to double that by the end of 2011, and leverage our 7,000 members to provide a deep pool of talented volunteers to engage the budding professionals. Longtime volunteer Col. Chuck Giasson, USA (ret) of LGS-Innovations has spearheaded this program, calling upon leadership and motivation skills learned during his time in the service to build the program from concept to execution in fewer than seven months.

Back at Springfield Estates, the Knillers began their meeting by asking the 33 students why they were interested in the club; the answers were enlightening, and in some cases, surprising. One young lady wants to be an astronaut, while her classmate plans to work on computers. Doctors, scientists, and engineers were other common answers, while others just wanted to learn how electricity works or how to solder. No matter the answer, the interest was clear. The Springfield Estates 6th graders met after school for most of the year to learn about Ohms Law, resistance, voltage, current, impedance, and soldering techniques. Their culminating project was to build a functional circuit board from scratch, to include reading technical diagrams, determining the type resistors to use, and soldering. While the successful projects had three LED lights shining from the circuit board, the real success was watching the students learn and get excited about science. Mrs. Kniller summed up her experience and gratitude for the support AFCEA NOVA provided when she stated, "The youth of our country need to develop an excitement for science at a young age. This is our way of giving back…the Electronics Club would have never started without AFCEA. We had such interest we had to turn away students. We can't thank AFCEA enough for their support." Pass the soldering iron – we are building tomorrow’s engineers.

About the Authors: Both are Board Members with the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. Col Zich is the Executive Assistant at USMC C4/CIO’s Office and CDR Cusano is the Vice President at Next Tier Concepts.

December 14, 2008—The recently formed Baghdad Chapter held its first meeting in November. Activated in September, the chapter aims to serve as a collaborative forum for Iraqi and U.S. industry, government and military personnel. Because of the challenging landscape of the greater Baghdad area and the potential for security concerns, the chapter intends to use communications technology as a primary means to connect with chapter members.

The chapter demonstrated this initiative during its first meeting, where it connected with AFCEA International officers Kent R. Schneider, president and chief executive officer; Lt. Gen. John A. Dubia, USA (Ret.), executive vice president; and Lt. Col. Curt Adams, USA (Ret.), director of membership and chapter services, from AFCEA International headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, through a videoconference.

Gen. Dubia notes that from the chapter’s inception, it took advantage of the available communications technology. The idea for the videoconference originated from the chapter, he says. “The chapter is using [communications technology] as an enabler to move forward—and rapidly.”

Col. Karlton Johnson, USAF, J-6, Multinational Security Transition Command—Iraq, and chapter president, notes that the Baghdad Chapter plans to use communications technology in addition to traditional chapter communications such as in-person meetings. He explains that because traveling by air or ground convoys takes a significant amount of time, in-person chapter meetings are not always feasible. Technologies such as videoconferencing enable chapter members to attend meetings in real time and avoid traveling.

“By nature of being here with the meeting constraints induced by the environment, you take advantage of what you’ve got,” the colonel shares. “Back home, we might take web cams for granted. But here, it is all new territory worthy of exploration. Using video teleconferencing systems or Adobe Connect sessions is a viable alternative for meeting here in theater. We can still get the essence of the meeting by exchanging information virtually while decreasing the risks of travel.”

Col. Johnson also emphasizes some of the chapter’s primary goals: to embrace technology wherever possible and to demonstrate to the Iraqi Security Forces the capabilities of communications and information technologies. “Communications technology is a critical enabler for Iraqi self-sufficiency,” he says.

“Most Iraqis are not used to telepresence, so this will be a new concept. Combining [in-person meetings and communications technologies] allows us to achieve our objectives of building lasting relations and introducing a variety of technologies to the Iraqi people … Using telepresence as part of our [chapter meeting] options expands their understanding of this,” the colonel explains.

Gen. Dubia also stresses the importance technology plays within the chapter. “It shows how much [technology] is a part of the training and how the Iraqis want to take advantage of Western technology.”

He notes that Iraqi and U.S. chapter members can “get to know each other better” through the chapter, further strengthening their partnership, and that the participation of Sa’ad Allawi, director of command and control systems for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, as a chapter member illustrates the Iraqi Security Forces’ commitment to “moving the Ministry of Defense forward through the use of technology.”

The chapter intends to broaden its use of communications technologies to offer more ways for its members to attend chapter events and connect with other members. In addition to telepresence capabilities and software such as Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro, the chapter intends to explore Web-based technologies, including blogs and wikis, through software such as Microsoft SharePoint products.

Also in development are plans for the chapter to sponsor its first TechNet exhibition within the coming year.

Members of the new Baghdad Chapter use videoconferencing to meet with AFCEA International officers in Fairfax, Virginia.

Col. Karlton Johnson, USAF (l), J-6, MNSTC-I; Sa’ad Allawi (r), director of command and control systems for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense Director General–Communications; and members of the Baghdad Chapter receive their official chapter charter.

October 15, 2008—AFCEA International is pleased to announce the creation of the new Baghdad Chapter. The chapter’s presence will help further the establishment of a viable network for Iraqi information technology professionals and will serve as a collaborative forum for Iraqi and U.S. industry, government and military personnel.

The chapter’s formation has been in development for the past six months. AFCEA’s expansion policy committee supported the creation of the chapter and recently submitted a proposal to the executive committee, which approved the chapter’s formation. To establish a chapter in a country where no previous chapter exists, a chapter must obtain a petition of at least 25 members, the recommendation of the expansion policy committee, the recommendation of the president and chief executive officer of AFCEA International, and the approval of the executive committee in order to be granted charter status.

Curt Adams, director of member and chapter services, credits Col. Karlton Johnson, USAF, J-6, Multinational Security Transition Command—Iraq (MNSTC-I), and chapter president, as the “prime mover” behind the chapter’s charter status. Others who played a key role in the chapter’s formation include Col. Brian Moore, USA, vice president; 1st Lt. Ashley Pyles, USAF, secretary; and Capt. Stephen Grundorf, USA, treasurer.

Col. Johnson explains that the MNSTC-I helps the Iraqi government as it develops, organizes and trains its ministries and Iraqi Security Forces (SIGNAL Magazine, July, page 41). “I advise and monitor [the Iraqi government] on C4 [command, control, communications and computers]. I wanted to show them that successful nations partner with industry. I wanted to introduce them to the idea of joining a professional organization to better themselves and to introduce them to industry partners. AFCEA is one of the best [professional organizations] out there [to do this],” he shares.

The chapter’s location offers the potential for U.S. government, industry and military personnel to network with Iraqi government and civilian agencies. The chapter’s focus will be supporting the professional development and training of Iraqi personnel who work in the information technology field. The colonel aims to promote dialogue and the cross sharing of ideas between Iraqi and coalition agencies.

Col. Johnson notes that many U.S. industry and military partners expressed an interest in forming a chapter in Iraq. “Lots of people are interested because they know what AFCEA is about. They ask me, ‘How fast can you get this started?’” he observes.

Col. Johnson says his Iraqi associates have responded positively to the idea of the chapter. “I spoke to them as Karl, not as a member of the U.S. Air Force, and told them [the chapter] would be worthwhile. They accepted the idea well.” He notes that the chapter will keep in tune with industry best practices in C4ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) to help the Iraqi government understand C4ISR potential.

The first official chapter meeting will take place next month, Col. Johnson relates. He plans to develop a chapter strategic plan as well as hold a series of briefings to determine the chapter’s goals. “Hopefully within the next six to eight months, we’ll have the first TechNet show in Baghdad to show what’s possible in [information technology] out here,” he shares. Other plans include information technology forums to help educate both Iraqi and coalition agencies on the challenges they face in country.

“The biggest benefit to this chapter will be opening a dialogue between [Iraqi and coalition agencies] and showing them the benefit of industry partnerships,” the colonel says.

The chapter’s meeting location will alternate between Camp Freedom and Camp Victory in the greater Baghdad area. Additional chapter members who helped form the chapter include Lt. Col. Donald Baker, USA; Maj. Brian Bakshas, USAF; Patricia Chica, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA); Maj. Martin Jennings, USAF; Tech. Sgt. Charlotte Kelly, USAF; Maj. Chris Lundy, USAF; Bruce Morgan, DISA; Lt. Col. Lisa Richter, USAF; Lt. Damian Taylor, USN; Maj. John Weigle, USAF; and Capt. Chris Wiley, USAF.

October 15, 2008—The Hampton Roads Chapter hosted “Lunch and Learn,” a new outreach event, in August for the staff of the information technology division of the Joint Forces Staff College, a component of the National Defense University. The chapter held the event to introduce information technology professionals to the benefits of AFCEA membership. The agenda included upcoming courses offered through the Professional Development Center to demonstrate the wide variety of course offerings.

Lt. Cmdr. S. Michelle Layne, USN, the chapter’s military vice president, suggested the Lunch and Learn, noting it would be a new way to implement the chapter’s outreach goals outside of its monthly meetings. The chapter’s board of directors approved the idea, deciding the event would benefit individuals who do not attend the monthly meetings. Chapter members sent out e-mail notifications to colleagues and friends in addition to distributing flyers.

Lt. Col. Curtis R. Fox, USA, chief of the information technology division at the Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), invited the chapter to help it connect with information technology professionals and armed forces members. Col. Fox also served as the emcee for the event. Col. Joseph J. Frazier, USA, former acting commandant of the JFSC, hosted the lunch. Guest speakers included Capt. Kathy Donovan, USN, commander, Carrier Strike Group Ten/N-6; Col. Earnest E. Hansley, USA, chief information officer, National Defense University; Mark Sinclair, past chapter president; Steve Kelley, regional vice president, AFCEA; and Teresa Duvall, chapter vice president.

The agenda highlighted the benefits of AFCEA membership. Scholarship and networking opportunities were discussed, and the guest speakers shared how their AFCEA memberships benefited their professional development. Attendees also received a copy of the Professional Development Center’s (PDC’s) course catalog so they could search for classes applicable to their career field. The benefits of the PDC’s leadership forum were emphasized as well. The forum offers students the opportunity to learn from senior leaders in the intelligence, command and control, and information technology fields.

Glenda Bluhm, chapter president, shares, “I have received an enormous amount of positive feedback and requests for more activities and events like this.” She comments that military personnel respond well to AFCEA’s military members, who can highlight the ways in which the association benefits them during active duty and retirement.

Whit Ludington, publicity committee chair, agrees with Bluhm, citing his belief that the event’s success was due in part to obtaining speakers with active duty military experience who could share their personal experiences as AFCEA members. “We wanted people the attendees could identify with directly, so we got speakers currently working with the [JFSC] to discuss their personal experiences and [the] rewards from being AFCEA members,” he states.

Capt. Donovan notes that part of the event’s appeal was the relaxed atmosphere. “AFCEA offers so many benefits, from scholarships to networking, and the beauty is that folks can be as active as they desire or be a sponge and soak up the information [from the guest speakers, monthly meetings and technology shows],” she says.

The Lunch and Learn’s success has encouraged the chapter to pursue similar events. The chapter continues to focus on recruiting military members in addition to government and industry personnel.

Col. Joseph J. Frazier, USA, former acting commandant of the Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), discusses his experience as an AFCEA member with the audience during the Hampton Roads Chapter’s Lunch and Learn in August.

Mark Sinclair, past chapter president, emphasizes the advantages an active AFCEA membership can provide to members’ careers.

Col. Earnest E. Hansley, USA, chief information officer, National Defense University, shares his professional development and how his AFCEA membership benefited him.

October 15, 2008—The Northern Virginia Chapter’s Young AFCEAN committee raised $22,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project during the chapter-sponsored Army Information Technology Day in July. The committee allocated the funds to military patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Donations included gift cards to restaurants and mass retailers such as Target in addition to monetary contributions.

Katie Gladhill, Young AFCEAN committee (YAC) chair, and the YAC members contacted Chuck Giasson, Northern Virginia Chapter member and a Wounded Warrior Project representative through the Northern Virginia Roundtable, for help in locating a program that supports returning warfighters. “The Wounded Warrior Project allowed [the YAC] to provide funding…in an extremely fast fashion. This just happened to be an excellent partnership opportunity at the time in our fundraising event schedule,” shares Jeff Li, Northern Virginia YAC member.

The YAC set up a donation booth during the Army Information Technology Day event with an expectation of receiving a few thousand dollars in donations. Master of Ceremonies Chuck Corjay, chapter member and special assistant to the president for chapter affairs, made regular announcements encouraging attendees to donate, helping increase the total funds received.

The YAC selected the Army Information Technology Day as an ideal venue to reach the largest audience for support. Li also notes that the majority of the YAC members work for military contractors or are in the military themselves, so the project was particularly satisfying. “[The Wounded Warrior Project] is a worthy cause that [enabled the committee to] be most helpful in giving back,” he says.

Li credits Corjay and Giasson for their guidance throughout the project as well. “Giasson was naturally a good candidate to [advise], and we give a lot of credit to [Corjay] in helping to lead this effort,” Li shares. Also essential to the event’s success were YAC members Kristen Klein, Leslie McIndoe, Chris McKee, Allan Pitch, Kelly Stephenson and Jason Stewart, in addition to chapter members Helaine Cooper and Louise Wilson.

The YAC aims to feature similar fundraising events at each of the military information technology days. The next event, Air Force Information Technology Day, is scheduled for December 3.

September 15, 2008—Fairfax County Public Schools won a regional Emmy Award in June for the second installment of its documentary series Flight School. The documentary series was funded in part by AFCEA’s Northern Virginia Chapter, which donated $350,000 to Fairfax County Public Schools’ multimedia department and its co-producer, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

The series features four interactive electronic field trips designed for students in grades four through eight. It aims to introduce students to the mathematics and science principles involved in the evolution of flight. “Flight School: Higher, Faster, Farther!” is the second installment in the series and won the regional Emmy in the Instructional-Information Program category. The National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented the award at the 50th Annual Emmy Awards. In the episode, students are shown the scientific principles that make controlled heavier-than-air flight possible through interviews with curators and discussions of rare artifacts.

Sue Hoffman, AFCEA regional vice president, notes, “[The documentary series] seemed like the perfect way to do an outreach to children in math and science. You can’t go to high school seniors and say, ‘Do you want to be an engineer?’ This is where you have to catch them.”

The documentary project began in 2006, when Hoffman and Maribeth Luftglass, assistant superintendent and chief information officer for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), discussed a potential partnership between their organizations. Hoffman and Luftglass approached FCPS’ Department of Information Technology about producing a national educational outreach project through the Fairfax Network, which produces distance-learning programs that originate in FCPS.

The documentary’s concepts in part stemmed from a previous program the Fairfax Network co-produced with the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center’s education department. The annual program focused on Space Day and provided education features about flight and space travel, proving to be popular across the country. Tracey Jewell, manager of digital media production for the FCPS Department of Information Technology, explains, “We were hoping for a grant that would allow the development of another educational partnership program with similar content. The wonderful facility combined with an educational focus made the Udvar-Hazy Center a natural choice for a partner.”

Heather Daniels, producer of the Emmy-winning installment, agrees. “The amazing backdrop of the museum creates a new world for students to get lost in. And while they are lost in this world, they don’t even realize they are learning history, math, science, technology and engineering.”

Jewell credits Hoffman; Luftglass; Daniels; Donna Franklin, coordinator of the multimedia service center and a founder of the Fairfax Network; Doug Baldwin, chief of education for the Udvar-Hazy Center; and Sandra Brennan, producer of the first installment in the series, for helping fund the project. Luftglass acknowledges Hoffman’s consistent support throughout the project’s stages. “She has been a true champion, providing promotion and content support and enthusiastic encouragement every step of the way,” Luftglass shares.

Daniels also is grateful for the support the Northern Virginia Chapter as a whole provided. She notes, “The resources [the chapter] provided were invaluable and took this program well beyond anything I could have created without them. The Fairfax Network is a better resource because of our relationship with our partners.”

The final installment of the series will air on October 8 at 1 p.m. EDT from the Udvar-Hazy Center on Red Apple 21. Interested parties must register to view the episode.

The Pocono Mountains Chapter enjoyed its inaugural luncheon and official induction as a full AFCEA charter chapter on June 12. Kent R. Schneider, AFCEA International president and chief executive officer, was on hand to help celebrate the former Tobyhanna Army Depot Subchapter’s full-fledged chapter status. Keynote speaker Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sorenson, USA, chief information officer/G-6, gave a presentation titled “Army Transformation and the Future LandWarNet.” The chapter also recognized the U.S. Army’s 233rd birthday by having Gen. Sorenson; Joseph Sincavage, commander, Korean War Veterans Association of Wyoming Valley; and Col. Ron Alberto, USA, commander, Tobyhanna Army Depot, cut a birthday cake decorated in honor of the Army. Schneider presented Terrance Hora, chapter president, with the chapter charter after an insightful account of AFCEA’s history. B. Daniel DeMarinis, regional vice president, officiated at the swearing-in of the new chapter officers, including Hora; Lt. Col. Daniel G. Braun, USA (Ret.), chapter vice president; and William Kelly, chapter secretary and treasurer. After the luncheon, the chapter leadership provided tours of the Tobyhanna Army Depot and presented attendees with an overview of the command. The chapter looks forward to expanding its fall and winter programs, which are being finalized.

Celebrating the Army’s 233rd birthday in June during the chapter’s official luncheon are (l-r) Col. Ron Alberto, USA, commander, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Joseph Sincavage, commander, Korean War Veterans Association of Wyoming Valley; Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sorenson, USA, chief information officer/G-6; and Alan Bucklaw, chapter president, Association of the United States Army.

At the chapter’s inaugural luncheon, (l-r) Kent R. Schneider, president and chief executive officer of AFCEA International, presents the chapter’s charter to Terrance Hora, chapter president; Lt. Col. Daniel G. Braun, USA (Ret.), chapter vice president; and William Kelly, chapter secretary and treasurer.

B. Daniel DeMarinis (l), regional vice president, swears in the chapter officers.

Bethesda, Maryland – May 22, 2008 – Leaders of the Bethesda Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) today presented a check for $450,000 to The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The check represents the proceeds from “A Night for the Children,” a charity gala held April 5 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. This year’s gala marked the 10th anniversary of the charity event that has raised more than $2 million since its inception through corporate sponsorships and table sales.

“We are proud of the contribution we make today and of our ongoing relationship with The Children’s Inn at NIH,” said Kenneth Touloumes, President of AFCEA Bethesda. “We want to recognize the generosity of our members and the public sector IT community at large for their continued support of this annual event and worthwhile cause.” Earlier in the week, The Children’s Inn and AFCEA Bethesda jointly announced the establishment of the “AFCEA Bethesda Endowment for the Inn,” created to honor the 10th anniversary of the chapter’s annual gala. In years to come, proceeds from the annual fundraiser will be directed to the endowment.

The Children’s Inn at NIH is a non-profit residential “place like home” located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md. Children and their families come from across the country and around the world to stay together in The Inn’s healing environment. Families seek medical treatment at NIH, the world’s leading biomedical research center as their best hope for a healthy future.

“AFCEA Bethesda, its members and its corporate sponsors have become significant contributors to the future of The Children’s Inn,” said Kathy Russell, CEO of The Children’s Inn. “Without their support, we would not be able to provide the housing and support services that are so critical to sick children and their families during this difficult period of time. You are really making a difference in the lives of these children and, through them, in the future of the country.”

Founded in 1998, the AFCEA Bethesda Chapter is a non-profit organization that encourages greater government/industry partnerships and fosters networking among its peers. In 2004, the Chapter formed a Young AFCEAN group whose goal is to foster an environment where young professionals from the private and public sectors can meet, interact, and learn from each other. AFCEA Bethesda has earned the distinguished honor of being awarded “Model Chapter of the Year” by AFCEA International since 2000. For additional information please visit www.bethesda-afcea.org.