Special Operations and Irregular Warfare Symposium

Our 7th Special Operations & Irregular Warfare Symposium provides members within the Special Operations community, regional combatant commands, Department of State, Intelligence Community, academia, industry, and other critical partners an open forum to discuss the strategic priorities and operational needs required to meet national goals, as well as aid the U.S. Military in achieving mission success when combating modern-day threats.

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Topics to be covered at the 2018 Summit:

• Supporting persistent and distributed global combatant command operations for a decisive SOF Advantage
• Developing policy guidance in support of DoD strategies related to SOF and combatting terrorism
• Ensuring that Special Operations Forces can quickly adapt by closely monitoring emerging international terrorism techniques
• Enhancing operational capabilities to guide 'Gray Zone' conflict response and address irregular warfare tactics used by the adversary to challenge regional stability
• Advancing the training and equipping of NSW forces for various special operations and activities
• Maintaining relationships with regional SOF organizations to facilitate cooperative defense of North America
• Developing a shared understanding of the threat that threat networks pose to the U.S. through increased work with foreign partners
• Detailing SOF AT&L top acquisition priorities that are currently being undertaken to mitigate risk and speed up delivery of service to special operations forces
• Guiding a more connected SOF enterprise with agility and adaptability to face and overcome unique challenges
• Implementing TALOS to increase SOF readiness capabilities with the end goal being a more decisive overmatch for the enemy

Why you should attend this year's Summit:

The 2018 Special Operations & Irregular Warfare Symposium will provide an educational 'town-hall' style forum to discuss the strategic goals and operational needs required to combat evolving threat networks and protect U.S. national security interests, as well as aid the U.S. Military in remaining agile and lethal when dealing with a complex security environment. This event will detail how SOF expertise is needed to effectively deter and overcome these unconventional challenges.

This symposium will highlight some of the important efforts currently underway to ensure Special Operations Forces have a sufficient amount of strategic resources to accomplish their mission. It will give an overview on policies being developed, in support of DoD strategies related to SOF and combatting terrorism. The event will also examine SOF gray zone conflict response and what expeditionary capabilities are being ensued to defeat our nation's adversaries.

The 2018 Special Operations and Irregular Warfare Symposium brings together a whole-of-government approach with both military and civil offices, as well as key leaders in industry with the sole objective of advancing the unique and critical effects that Special Operations Forces have in achieving and maintaining a military advantage around the world.

Our team specializes in the extensive research and development of our Symposium's content and focus areas, and we will assemble the most respected minds in U.S. and Partner SOF community, as well as key policy-makers across military and civilian offices. Our non-partisan approach allows us to reach across all services and organizations to bring together a truly holistic group of decision makers and solution providers.

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This Year's Confirmed Speakers Include:

• Keynote Speaker: Honorable Owen West, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict, DoD
• LTG Michael Nagata, USA, Director Directorate of Strategic Operational Planning National Counterterrorism Center, ODNI
• RADM Hugh W. Howard, USN, Commander, SOCCENT
• MG E. John Deedrick, USA, Commanding General, 1st Special Forces Command, USASOC
• BG Thomas R. Drew, USA, Deputy Commanding General, USASOC
• BG Christopher T. Donahue, USA, Deputy Director for Special Operations and Counterterrorism, J3, Operations Directorate, Joint Staff
• Dr. Kathleen H. Hicks, Senior Vice President; Henry A. Kissinger Chair Director, International Security Program, CSIS

Panel Discussion: SOF AT&L Top Acquisition Priorities

• Panel Moderator: Mr. Howard Strahan, Deputy Director, S&T
• COL David Phillips, USA, PEO Rotary Wing
• COL Joel Babbitt, USA, PEO SOF Warrior
• COL James D. Miller, USA, Director, TALOS Program
• Ms. Margaret McCaskey, PEO Special Reconnaissance, Surveillance & Exploitation

Download Symposium Agenda | Register to attend this Symposium