Special to the News-Herald

Occasionally this column strays strictly from writing about boating safety, new nautical products, nautical history and trends in the maritime industry. This will be one of those weeks. I appreciate my editors being understanding because I have some exciting news to pass along to our News-Herald readers.

On the 8th and 9th of October, the Hampton Roads community will have a rare opportunity to hear from some of the most influential military leaders and strategists in the country on lessons learned from the desert wars and issues such as the use of military reserve and homeland security. The one on Homeland Security may be of particular interest. It sure is to me The panelists include; Former Congressman, and now Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security Paul McHale , Vice Admiral James Hull, USCG, Commander, Atlantic Area, Admiral Steve Abbot, USN (Ret.), former Deputy Homeland Security Advisor to the President. In addition General Ralph Eberhart, USAF, Commander, U.S. Northern Command is invited put as of the date of this column had not confirmed.

The event is the Naval Institute’s 8th Annual Warfare Exposition and Symposium, which is being held at the Pavilion Convention Center in Virginia Beach. The expo will also feature 150 exhibition booths, which will be of interest to everyone from the 30-year military member, to those just interested in strategy and policy. Best of all admission and lunch, both days of the expo are free!

Featured speakers include Admiral Vern Clark, USN, Chief of Naval Operations, and Admiral William J. Fallon, USN, Prospective Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. There will also be a breakfast roundtable discussion moderated by Lieutenant General Bernard Trainor, USMC (Ret.), on leadership lessons from Iraq – from the perspective of the troop leaders and the deckplates.

Panel discussions will include: &uot;Lessons Learned by the On-Scene Commanders in Iraq,&uot; &uot;How Do We Best Use the Reserves?&uot; &uot;How Do We Adapt Aviation to Meet Future Warfighting Requirements?&uot; &uot;What Can Be Done to Solve High OpTempo Challenges?&uot; and &uot;How Secure Is Our Homeland?&uot;

This is an opportunity to have current events come alive, and hear discussions that are usually reserved for the Sunday talk shows and the New York Times or Washington Post Op-Ed Page.

Readers of the News-Herald, be a part of this timely and important debate. For free online registration, go to www.usni.org/Seminars/seminars.html

Here is the program:

(Those invited but not yet conformed are so indicated.)

Wednesday, 8 October 2003

7:30 a.m.Registration Begins

9-10 a.m.Keynote Speech: Admiral William J. Fallon, USN, Vice Chief of Naval

AuditoriumOperations and Prospective Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet

10 a.m.Exhibits Open

10:30-11:45 a.m. Panel Discussion: Lessons Learned by the On-Scene Commanders in

Auditorium

Iraq

Moderator: Admiral Leighton W. Smith Jr., USN (Ret.)

Vice Admiral Timothy Keating, USN, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces,

Central Command (invited)

Lieutenant General James T. Conway, USMC, Commanding General, I

Marine Expeditionary Force (invited)

Lieutenant General T. Michael Moseley, USAF, Commander, 9th Air Force

Brigadier General Gary L. Harrell, USA, Commander, Special Operations

Command Central (invited)

12-1 p.m.Free Lunch on the Exhibit Floor

1-2 p.m.Featured Address: Admiral Vern Clark, USN, Chief of Naval Operations

Auditoriumconfirmed

2:30-3:45 p.m.Panel Discussion: How Do We Best Use the Reserves?

Rehearsal Hall

Moderator: Major General Tom Wilkerson, USMC (Ret.)

Major General Larry Taylor, USMCR (Ret.), Former Deputy Commander,

Marine Forces Reserve

Lieutenant Colonel Perry Clausen, USAFR (Ret.), author, &uot;Total Force

‘Outsources’ War Fighting,&uot; April 2003 Proceedings

Rear Admiral Kevin J. Cosgriff, USN, Director, Warfare Integration and

Assessment Division

Colonel Craig Duehring, USAF (Ret.), Principal Deputy Assistant

Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs

2:30-3:45 p.m.Panel Discussion: How Do We Adapt Aviation to Meet Future

Auditorium

Warfighting Requirements?

Moderator: Admiral Leighton W. Smith Jr., USN (Ret.)

Darryl Davis, Boeing UCAV Project

Vice Admiral John B. Nathman, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations

for Warfare Requirements and Programs

Colonel Doug Yurovich, USMC, slated to be first Marine CAG

Major General John L. Barry, USAF, Executive Director and Board Member, Columbia Accident Investigation Board, former Director of

Strategic Planning, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force confirmed

4-5:30 p.m.Reception on the Exhibit Floor

5:30 p.m.Exhibits Close

Thursday, 9 October 2003

7:30 a.m.Registration Begins

7:30-8:30 a.m.Breakfast Roundtable Discussion: Leadership Lessons from Iraq: Hear from the Troop Leaders and the Deckplates

Moderator: Lieutenant General Bernard Trainor, USMC (Ret.)

Commander John Costello, USN, former Commanding Officer, USS

Donald Cook (DDG-75)

Lieutenant Colonel Sam Mundy, USMC, Commander, 3rd Battalion, 5th

Marines (invited)

Commander Jeffrey Penfield, USN, Commanding Officer, VFA-115

Captain Joe Lock, USA, Special Forces &uot;A&uot; Team Leader in Iraq (invited)

8 a.m.Exhibits Open

9-10 a.m.Address: Secretary of the Navy (invited)

Auditorium

10:30-11:45 a.m. Panel Discussion: What Can Be Done to Solve High OpTempo

AuditoriumChallenges

Moderator: Vice Admiral Henry Giffin, USN (Ret.)

Lieutenant General Martin R. Berndt, USMC, Commander, U.S. Marine

Corps Forces Atlantic

Vice Admiral Charles Moore, USN, Deputy CNO for Fleet Readiness and

Logistics/N4

Fleet Master Chief B. L. Heffernan Jr., USN, Fleet Master Chief, U.S.

Atlantic Fleet (invited)

Vice Admiral Gerald L. Hoewing, USN, Chief of Naval Personnel

12-1 p.m.Free Lunch on the Exhibit Floor

2-3:30 p.m.Panel Discussion: How Secure Is Our Homeland?

Auditorium

Moderator: Lieutenant Colonel Frank Hoffman, USMCR (Ret.)

Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security

General Ralph Eberhart, USAF, Commander, U.S. Northern Command

(invited)

Vice Admiral James Hull, USCG, Commander, Atlantic Area

Admiral Steve Abbot, USN (Ret.), former Deputy Homeland Security

Advisor to the President

2:30 p.m.Exhibits Close