January marked the seventh year of TechNet Orlando, co-sponsored by Orlando-Central Florida Chapter and Association of the U.S. Army Sunshine Chapter. The symposium focused on a theme of 'Meeting the Transformation Challenges,' with special emphasis on training, testing, equipping and sustaining the coalition warfighter in the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Dr. Jim Blake, Program Executive Officer-Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (STRI) offered welcoming remarks to senior officials in attendance, emphasizing the importance of the annual forum for discussion of challenges the services face in transforming the Joint Warfighter and new technology in the GWOT. Keynote speakers included Lt. Gen. Ross Thompson, USA, military deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army and Master Gen. Richard Rowe, USA, deputy director, Army Capabilities Integration Center. The speakers set the tone for the conference, stressing that the challenges of transformation to the Future Force occurs on a daily basis, and that concentration on near-term developments is essential to modernizing the force. Discussion panels examined the coalition warfighter, homeland defense and GWOT capabilities as affected by new technological and business practices. Contributions of command, control, computers, communications and information (C4I) to this evolution were also addressed, as well as the effect that training and testing have on these operations. A cross-section of speakers were on hand, including senior officials from various services, commands, offices and commercial firms.

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