U.S. Ambassador to speak at China forum

U.S. Ambassador Darryl Johnson will serve as the keynote speaker during the 2009 Pacific Northwest National Security Forum in Lakewood April 17. He is one of several military, regional and international experts who will discuss the United States' complicated ties to China.

Ambassador Johnson had a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Foreign Service, serving as the first U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania in the early 1990s, and as U.S. Ambassador to Thailand and the Philippines in the 2000s, as well as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for China and Mongolia and the Ambassador-level Director of the American Institute in Taiwan.

“The Pacific Northwest National Security Forum is very fortunate to have Ambassador Darryl Johnson agree to serve as the keynote speaker. Ambassador Johnson continues to bring his wealth of experience and knowledge of China and East Asia to audiences interested in the future of the area, as well as to current projects involving our two nations,” said retired Lt. Col. Doug Adams, program chair for the forum.

Ambassador Johnson grew up in the Puget Sound area, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington-Seattle, with additional studies at the University of Puget Sound, and is currently a lecturer at the UW Jackson School of International Studies.

The forum’s additional panelists include Brig. Gen. Jeff Mathis, deputy commanding general of I Corps and Fort Lewis; retired Brig. Gen. Neal Sealock, former defense attaché to China; Dr. Phillip Saunders, senior research fellow for the National Defense University Institute for National Strategic Studies; and Joe Borich, president of the Washington State China Relations Council.

“We believe the expertise of our panelists in policy, military affairs, and commercial interests will produce relevant and stimulating dialogue among the panelists and the audience,” said Adams.

The panelists will discuss “Competitors and Partners: Prospects for China and the United States.” The event is expected to draw an audience of active duty and reserve military, retired veterans, and civilians including local and regional civic and business leaders.

Cost and registration information are available here.

Kimizuka Named WA-AFA Teacher of Year

Jodi Kimizuka, a 5th grade teacher at Vaughn Elementary School in Vaughn, Washington has been named the Washington State Air Force Association Teacher of the Year for 2008. Rick Sine & Jodi Kimizuka

The award is given to recognize classroom teachers at the state level for their accomplishments and achievements in exciting K-12 students about science and math and preparing them to use and contribute to tomorrow’s technologies. One of her projects involved an interactive "talk" with the International Space State Exhibition 18 via Galaxy Theatres.

This is a unique opportunity to recognize special teachers who are furthering excellence and making coming to class an adventure.Jodi had previously been named the Teacher of the year for the McChord AFB Air Force Association (AFA) chapter and has been awarded an AFA $250 Educational grant which she will use to purchase telescopes for use in her classes.

She was presented the award on February 12, 2009 by Rick Sine, AFA Washington State President at a meeting of the Peninsula School District Board meeting. In his remarks at that ceremony, Rick mentioned Jodi’s enthusiasm and excitement for math and science and her efforts to use them in all of her teaching activities with her class.

The award was accompanied by an AFA State Teacher of the Year Jacket, an AFA membership and a check for $500 which Jodi has said, will be used to offset some of the cost of transportation for a school trip to the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Ally Joint at the C-17

Boeing on Thursday announced a “major join” for Qatar’s first C-17. The airlifter will be delivered this summer.

There are currently 198 C-17s in service worldwide, 14 with international customers. The USAF (including active, Guard and Reserve) has 184.

International customers include the UK Royal Air Force, the Canadian forces, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability consortium (blogged earlier) and Partnership for Peace nations. The United Arab Emirates announced last month that it will acquire four C-17s.

BAW: Showing In Lakewood

BROTHERS AT WAR, director Jake Rademacher’s feature-length documentary about modern US military in Iraq rolls out from its five premiere military markets to 17 on March 27, then will continue expansion on April 3 to 25 markets.

Actor Gary Sinise (Forest Gump, CSI: New York), recent recipient of the Presidential Citizen’s Medal and U.S. military supporter, is exec producer.

Rademacher embedded with his two brothers in their units in Iraq twice—then captured their returns to the US. Military viewers from the under-reported National Guard to Marines and Army give major thumbs-up to the first war film in a long time to “get” why soldiers go and how their families fare. BAW is distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

In Iraq, BAW rolls back the clock to before the Surge successfully changed U.S. fortunes there: from Army Intelligence units on Reconnaissance near the Syrian border, to a “hide site” of National Guard snipers, to the first Iraqi unit (trained and led by U.S. Marines) to receive responsibility for its own battle space. Military audiences say BAW opens uncommon access to the daily lives of soldiers at war—and back home.

AMC Lakewood Town Center 12
5721 Main Street SW
Located in the old Lakewood Mall
Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 581-5351

REVIEWS:
CHICAGO SUN TIMES: ROGER EBERT
AARP: Five Stars
HUMAN EVENTS
MILITARY TIMES

BROTHERS AT WAR is an intimate portrait of an American family during a turbulent time. Jake Rademacher sets out to understand the experience, sacrifice, and motivation of his two brothers serving in Iraq. The film follows Jake’s exploits as he risks everything—including his life—to tell his brothers’ story. Often humorous though sometimes downright lethal, BROTHERS AT WAR is a remarkable journey that finds Jake embedded with four combat units in Iraq. Unprecedented access to U.S. and Iraqi combat units take him behind the camouflage curtain with secret reconnaissance troops on the Syrian border as well as sniper "Hide Sites" in the Sunni Triangle. Ultimately, the film follows his brothers home where separations and life-threatening work ripple through their parents, siblings, wives and children. BROTHERS AT WAR is a rare view of the bonds among soldiers who serve and the profound effects their service has on the loved ones they leave behind.

Stimulating National Defense

Fort Lewis, McChord AFB, the Army Reserve and Camp Murray all scored at least some monies in the Stimulus Bill. You can review all the states' projects, identified by project with details at this website.

The Defense Department received $7.4 billion under the law, with $5.9 billion going for construction and repair projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law last month.

DoD says it will continue to use this website to post future announcements.

Students Participating in Cyber Defense Event

This weekend, students from the UWT's Institute of Technology will be participating in the 2nd Annual Pacific Rim Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition on the Microsoft campus.

Members of the student organization, the Grey Hat Group, will be presented with a preconfigured systems of a fictitious company that they are tasked to operate. Then, as described by the competition's web site.

The evil red team, which sits next door, however, will attempt to vandalize and break into this network. The student teams need to defend against the attacks of this red team. In particular, the goals for each team are to:

• fulfill assigned business tasks (so-called injects)
• keep services operational
• prevent break-ins by the red team

Students are scored based on the goals above. The team with the most points of the two day event will be the winner of the Pacific Rim Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition and will proceed to the National competition.

Justin Carton, the Grey Hat Group president, has been working the group through practice sessions to get them all prepared. However, a former founder of the GHG and alumni to the program here at the Institute, Mary Jane Kelly, will be part of the "evil red team". She and another alumni John Hernandez, both from Casaba Security, will be tough to handle.

The Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity, the University of Washington and Microsoft are helping to put on the event. You have undoubtedly heard of the last two but perhaps not the first. The CIAC is a Pacific Northwest research, education, industry and government community that provides innovation and leadership in the protection of critical public and private information infrastructure, and provides well educated information assurance and cybersecurity at all professional levels.

Guest Author: Andrew Fry, Institute of Technology, University of Washington Tacoma. Good luck to all.

New Report on China's Military Power

In a studied, low-key manner, the Department of Defense this morning announced its report on the military power of China.

"Pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2000, the Department of Defense released to Congress today the '2009 Military Power of the People’s Republic of China' report."

The entire report can be viewed here.

This current attention to China speaks well of the foresight of the organizers of the annual Pacific Northwest National Security Forum, scheduled for April 17 in Lakewood.

Hire America's Heroes

Perhaps you've heard already, but if not, I'm pleased to share with you a brief word about the Hire America's Heroes program.

This is an effort by corporate America to connect with the skills and abilities of military veterans, by hiring and retaining them into the corporate workforce. Sponsorship is open to corporations that want to contribute financially to the ongoing operations of the organization.

The value to military service members is the coordination between corporations and recruiters with transition coordinators at military bases. Individual service members have access to information and a network to help in finding civilian careers.

Want to learn more, visit their website.

Procurement Conference April 2009

Procurement may provide the stimulus to your business.

Is part of your business strategy diversifying your business to include government contracts? Congressman Adam Smith is interested in helping local businesses become more successful through government contracting opportunities by offering you a free procurement conference April 14.

Cong. Smith’s procurement conference is designed to assist businesses gain knowledge of government contracting and begin to establish long-term working relationships with federal agencies. This conference also provides an excellent opportunity for local businesses to meet contractors with whom they might be able to partner. This conference is free and light refreshments will be provided.

Scheduled speakers represent: Department of Veterans Affairs, Small Business Administration, General Services Administration, Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base among other federal and state agencies.

Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Time: 8:00 a.m. to Noon
Location: Evergreen State College, Tacoma Campus, 1210 6th Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98405 Link to map
RSVP: Tina Johnson or call (253) 593-6600 or (888) SMITH09

'Major Join' Ceremony for 12-Nation Strategic Airlift Capability's 1st C-17

On March 13, Boeing marked the "major join" ceremony for the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) consortium's first C-17 Globemaster III, an acquisition of three C-17s, one of which will be provided by the United States.

During major join, the C-17 airlifter's four major sections -- the forward, center and aft fuselages and wing assembly -- are integrated, and the aircraft begins to look like a C-17 for the first time.

Hungary has agreed to both host the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) at Pápa Air Base, where a total of three C-17s will be based, and to register the aircraft under the Hungarian flag.

SAC includes 10 NATO nations -- Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, United States -- and Partnership for Peace members Sweden and Finland. They will share acquisition and operating costs for three C-17s over the nearly 30-year course of the agreement.

The C-17 is the only tactical aircraft capable of performing all SAC airlift missions, including strategic, tactical, military and humanitarian missions, as well as brigade airdrops, aeromedical evacuations, and landings and takeoffs from standard runways or austere airfields.