During her keynote remarks, Sen. Joni Ernst said that SOF “are the forces that are paving the way for the future of warfare.” It was the theme of the night at the GSF’s annual National Capital Region reception, held on November 16th at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City.
Senator Ernst’s remarks were a highlight of the evening; she was proud and supportive of the military–and especially of SOF. She discussed the SOF Truths (which you can read here, if you don’t know them!) focusing on why each one is important and how it will impact the future. Mr. Ray Falcione, Manager of the National Security Group from one of our Sustaining Partners, Adobe Systems, graciously introduced Senator Ernst, highlighting her military experience.
There were around 300 people from Congressional Staff/SOF Caucuses, Industry, Foreign Embassies, and the DoD in attendance. This expansive group was able to discuss SOF issues, explore business opportunities and enjoy an array of refreshments.
Prior to the main event, Corporate Partners joined congressional staffers in a VIP reception held in collaboration with the House SOF Caucus. It featured USSOCOM’s Vice Commander, LTG Thomas Trask, and Acquisition Executive, Mr. James “Hondo” Geurts.
Both speakers gave opening remarks, with LTG Trask focusing on Special Operations budgets and sustainment and Mr. Geurts discussing contracts and acquisition strategies. Mr. Geurts noted that “our collective challenge is trying to get a system that can move at the speed of SOF.” There were about 80 people from our Corporate Partner organizations and the Congressional SOF Caucuses at the session, and the Q&A that followed provided the audience with a lot of great insights into SOF procurement.
As one attendee said, “I just wanted to pass along a note of thanks for last evening’s event…best one yet. Very much appreciated the great networking opportunities.”
And if this was the best, we’re excited to announce that 2017’s NCR Reception is going to be even better. We’re expecting a new, more central location and the addition of a half-day seminar, held in collaboration with the New America Foundation. Stay tuned for more details.
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- Photos are posted on our Facebook page, and Photo Credit to Christian Villator
- Twitter has a good #GSFNCR conversation
- Highlight reel coming soon!
Big Jobs for our SOF…for Life