Changes in the U.S. armed services' force structures and acquisition processes are causing a ripple effect that is rolling into the commercial sector. Company officials are finding that business as usual can't be business as usual anymore if they want to satisfy today's requirements, capture a share of a burgeoning defense budget or expand into the relatively new but potentially lucrative homeland security market. Firms must be as agile and responsive as the new military they are vying to support.

The ongoing defense transformation is making the U.S. Air Force a much more expeditionary force than it was during the Cold War. Increasingly, interoperation with the other services is having a greater effect on defining Air Force missions than on its traditional personnel roles.

Operational demands are motivating the U.S. Army to shift troops from low-demand occupations such as field artillery and air defense so it can field more military police, civil affairs and transportation units. These changes are part of an ambitious effort to transform the service from a division-based force to a more mobile one built around brigade-size combat units. Integral to these efforts are programs designed to reset units to the new requirements, to maintain unit cohesion by letting troops spend more time in one unit and to create a stable, predictable rotation and maintenance cycle for active duty, reserve and National Guard forces.

The U.S. Navy is laying the keel of a human capital strategy that ultimately will make the service more robust and agile while simultaneously offering career opportunities unlike any seen in the past. Success of the initiative depends on the Navy's ability to integrate its active duty, reserve and civilian components; to create and catalog job descriptions; and to match sailors' knowledge, skills and abilities to the tasks at hand. The transformation is putting the Navy in a state of constant readiness to fight the war on terrorism, provide humanitarian aid, defend the homeland and support stability operations.

When people look at the ongoing force transformation, they probably see investments in technology changing the way that the military services are equipped. The goal is for the military to be better prepared to fight the nation's wars in the foreseeable future. This visage might translate to lighter, more agile forces; a more ground-centric military; or more automated and unmanned platforms-depending on the viewer's perspective.

The third and final day of TechNet International 2005, AFCEA International's annual conference and exposition running May 17-19 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., included topical panels and a small business opportunity workshop. But the day's big event was what has become an annual feature at the show-the J-6 panel. The dominant topic discussed in that panel was information assurance and security, but many other issues emerged during the session.

TechNet International 2005, AFCEA International's annual three-day conference and exposition being held May 17-19 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., began its second day with a dynamic address by one of the most recognized people in the United States. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City who helped lead his hometown-and the nation-in recovery after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, opened the Wednesday slate of events with the morning plenary address.

TechNet International 2005, AFCEA International's annual conference and exposition in Washington D.C., began with a full slate of events to inaugurate three days of conferences, speakers, panels and courses. Being held May 17-19 at the Washington Convention Center, this year's event is titled "Network-Centric Operations: Balancing Speed and Agility With Security."

New technology for the warfighter and the interoperability issues that encompass the expansive Pacific region were the focus of top-level leaders at the 15th annual TechNet Asia-Pacific 2000 Conference and Exposition held in Honolulu, Hawaii, December 5 to 7. The conference and exposition brought together numerous entities that make the warfighter successful. The location of activities at sites such as the USS Missouri, and the timing of the event during the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, highlighted the relevance of the conference.

An experimental radio technology may provide a more efficient means of alleviating bandwidth congestion in wireless communications. Operating at lower power than most radio devices, time-modulated ultrawideband technology fuses communications, radar and tracking capabilities into one piece of hardware that can deliver improved performance while remaining compatible with most legacy and commercial off-the-shelf systems.