At the Joint Warfighting Conference, senior military and government leaders and defense industry experts will address the theme "Combatant and Coalition Commanders: What Will They Need Five Years From Now?" The conference, which is expected to draw over 6000 attendees, will cover important issues facing the military. In addition, over 150 IT and defense exhibitors will showcase hundreds of technologies and solutions, including: Communication Systems, Electronic Warfare Equipment, Information Systems Security, Intelligence Gathering Systems, Satellite Communications, Weapons Systems and much more.

The conference theme and panel session topics are based on input from operating forces. Speakers and panel participants will voice their points of view and experiences with these issues, allowing attendees to benefit from their knowledge and candid discussion. Expert speakers include:

- The Honorable Michèle A. Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, U.S. Department of Defense

- ADM Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

- Gen James N. Mattis, USMC, Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command

- GEN David H. Petraeus, USA (via VTC), Commander, U.S. Central Command

- Gen Craig R. McKinley, USAF, Chief, National Guard Bureau

- Gen Stéphane Abrial, French Air Force, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation

- Mr. David Hartman, former Host, Good Morning America

- The Honorable Michael Chertoff, Senior of Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

- ADM Timothy J. Keating, USN (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command

Seven panel sessions will provide attendees with opportunities to question experts one-on-one about the latest policy and technology issues. Panel sessions include: Power Shifts: Who's Up? Who's Down? What's Changing?; Fresh from the Fight: What Do Company Level Leaders See as the Threats?; What Needs to Be Done to Make the Interagency Pieces Work?; Battles of Competing Narratives: Why Do They Matter?; Small Unit Excellence: What Will It Take?; How Do We Fight Through a Digital Meltdown?; and What Needs to Be Done to Make the Joint/Coalition Force Acquisition Interoperable?

The Joint Warfighting Conference will also host the Department of the Navy IT East Coast Conference, May 10-13; the Navy Blue Coast Small Business Symposium, May 11-13 (Separate registration required); and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Military Spouse Symposium, May 13.

The Department of the Navy will present four days of information management and information technology sessions. This conference of IT-related addresses and panels is open to attendees of the Joint Warfighting Conference.

The fourth annual Navy Blue Coast Small Business Training and Opportunities Symposium, "Small Business: The Foundation of our Nation's Economy - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," provides educational content to small businesses and offers an outreach opportunity for the Department of the Navy, AFCEA, and its member companies. The purpose of this conference is to provide a forum to educate, guide and assist small businesses in working with the federal government on the East Coast. This unique, inclusive format allows small businesses the opportunity to maximize their time by attending small business training sessions and participating in a larger conference and exhibition as well. Separate registration is required.

The fourth annual Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Military Spouse Symposium will be held on Thursday, May 13. This event provides an open forum for military spouses and those working military spouse and family issues by presenting recognized experts addressing thought-provoking topics. Separate registration is required.

The Joint Warfighting Conference is open to the public and admission is free. Tickets are required for meals and separate registration is required for the Small Business Symposium and the MOAA Military Spouse Symposium. On-site registration is available beginning Monday, May 10. For details and a complete schedule of events please visit JointWarfighting.org (www.jointwarfighting.org).

AFCEA International, established in 1946, is a non-profit membership association serving the military, government, industry, and academia as an ethical forum for advancing professional knowledge and relationships in the fields of communications, IT, intelligence, and global security. For more information, please visit AFCEA.org (www.afcea.org).

Since 1873, the non-profit U.S. Naval Institute has promoted independent ideas in its respected journals Proceedings and Naval History, and in the 80 books it publishes each year. A professional military association, it advocates a strong national defense and supports the men and women who provide it. Its publications, conferences and web offerings establish USNI as the Nation's premier independent forum for critical thinking on maritime strategy and national security issues. For more information, visit USNI.org (www.usni.org).

AFCEA Media Contact:

Tobey Jackson

(703) 631-6189

tjackson@afcea.org

USNI Media Contact:

Scot Christenson

(410) 295-1026

schristenson@usni.org