Speaker Highlights Intelligence History

The chapter held its monthly luncheon in February at Martins Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland, with more than 500 people in attendance. The meeting ensued with Bruce Howard of Synergy ECP, the small business speaker, explaining how the company came up with its name. In the midst of several batman references, Howard pointed out the meaning behind their name and company focus: The increased effectiveness when two or more entities work together—our employees, our customers and improving performance. From the National Cryptologic Museum, Patrick Weadon focused on how the museum uses historical examples in order to justify the existence of the National Security Agency. Since it is challenging to make history exciting, the tour guides do an excellent job of telling stories. For example, during the battle of Midway, agency intelligence assisted bombers in finding four of Japan's aircraft carriers and destroying them in one day. Also, using Enigma code break, their intelligence was able to bend the radio beams that the Germans used to bomb at night, redirecting them to empty cow pastures. Weadon emphasized that these stories were only possible due to the partnerships with the private sector.

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