Conference Addresses Warfighter Requirements

The chapter partnered with the local chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) to host the 11th annual Warfighter TechNet Conference – Orlando. The speakers and panels provided insights in line with the conference theme of “Supporting the Warfighters' Evolutionary Battle Space Requirements.” Lt. Gen. John Dubia, USA (Ret.), executive vice president of AFCA International, gave the welcoming remarks and stated that this conference has had the best ratio of industry to senior leaders of all symposiums since it was established 10 years ago.

Rob Reyenga, deputy program executive officer, U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), gave his remarks and noted that the conference theme is on target with the current challenges. The keynote speaker, L.S. Steenrod, G-8 Force Development, Headquarters, Department of the Army, set the stage for the panels and presentations that followed on the tight budget constraints impacting on all decisions and operations. The Thursday keynote speaker was Chester Kennedy, vice president for engineering, Lockheed Martin Global Training and Logistics, who provided an industry perspective to the challenges, while Keith Masback, president of the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, provided a perspective on conflicts throughout the world that will ensure we are not able to disengage from overseas conflicts.

In addition, the event featured several panel chairs: Maj. Gen. Nick Justice, USA, commanding general, Research, Development and Engineering Command; Brig. Gen. N. Lee S. Price, USA, program executive officer for Command, Control and Communications–Tactical; and Maj. Gen. William Bond, USA (Ret.), former commanding general of the U.S. Army Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command. They directed discussions on joint warfighter requirements; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance end reconnaissance network and cyber challenges; and the acquisition initiatives and innovations that modeling simulation training and testing programs have on the battlefield.

Panelists included Maj. Gen. Bob Williams, USA, vice president, Raytheon Company; Col. Marcus Boyd, USAF, commander, Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation; Richard Cozby, deputy director of system of systems integration, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology; Capt. Kent Gritton, USN (Ret.), director, Joint Training Integration and Evaluation Center; Maj. Gen. Dennis Moran, USA (Ret.), vice president, Harris Corporation; Col. John Baker, USA, director, U.S. Central Command/J-6; Cindy Moran, director of network services for the Defense Information Systems Agency; Col. Randy Bland, USA, Special Operations Command; Lt. Gen. Tom Baptiste, USAF (Ret.), president, National Center for Simulation; Col. David Smith, USMC, program manager for training systems; Col. Craig Langhauser, USA, commander, Simulation and Training Technology Center; Joseph A. Giunta Jr., director, PEO STRI Acquisition Center; and Capt. Carl Lee, director of testing and evaluation, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division. In addition, two professional education development sessions examined the contributions of both medical simulation and training within the services and nationwide. Both sessions included expert panel members who discussed the current technologies, initiatives and opportunities that are key to enhancing and sustaining warfighters combat capabilities.

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