“Defense, Diplomacy, and Development: The Implications for Security Development” Symposium
This year my PhD program reissued the midterm In-Person. So they organized a symposium with the USAF Special Operations School at Hurlburt Field in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and Thursday October 6 was Day #1. It was a very long day, lasting a total of 14 hours and that did not include travel time!
It was actually a great experience. Visiting the Air Force Base was really interesting (actually I thought it was an army base until I was corrected), everyone was really nice, and it was fun driving round the base and seeing all the Air Force planes and helicopters. The lectures were from a wide range of military, state department, and academic scholars, soldiers, and professionals. We were in a secure building for the Thursday lectures and were not allowed to bring in cell phones, camera, computers, etc and actually we did not learn about this electronic prohibition until Wednesday afternoon. Going off grid was hard for a lot of people, including me, but we all survived.
One really fun event of the day was that we were given a bombs and guns exhibition at the Weapons Demo Range. Once we arrived, they were looking for a female volunteer who had never held a gun before (its been years and years since I held a gun) to shoot a sniper rifle for one of the demos and I volunteered. They came back a while later and asked if I was still interested and I said yes. I was so excited and I went off with the weapons leader, but then we met up with a different weapons guy who told us he found someone else and I was not needed. I was crushed and went back to tell Madeline and Jane that I was rejected! Rejected because of the blond student. Despite this disappointment, the demo was really good.
Thursday, October 6
7:00-8:00 a.m Check-In and Breakfast
Room 135 USAFSOS Building
8:00-8:30 a.m. Welcome to the Symposium
Large Auditorium USAFSOS Building
Special Operations Command Senior Leader BG William L. Glasgow, Deputy Commander, Combined Joint Task Force- Horn of Africa
Dr. David Butler, Director of The University of Southern Mississippi International Development Doctoral Program
Col Eric Ray, Commandant, USAF Special Operations School
8:30-9:30 a.m. “Creation of the Effective 3D Operator for Today”
Dr Jessica Glicken Turnley, President, Galisteo Consulting and Senior Fellow, Joint Special Operations University
9:30-9:45 a.m. Break
9:45-10:45 a.m. Defense Challenges in Security Development
Mr Gordon Ettenson, HQ US Air Force Operations Directorate
10:45-11:00 a.m. Break
11:00-12 noon Diplomacy Challenges in Security Development
Mr Tod J. Wilson, Director of Plans, Department of State Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction
12 noon to 2 p.m. Lunch
“The Challenges of Third Party Interventions”
Dr Patrick Regan, Professor of Political Science, Binghamton University
Hurlburt Soundside Club
2 to 3 p.m. USAID Perspectives in 3 D Context
Ms Caryle Cammisa, USAID Senior Development Advisor, USSOCOM HQ
3 to 3:15 p.m. Transit to Weapons Demo Range
Government Bus
3:15 to 5:00 p.m. View Terrorist Tactics Demo
USAFSOS Irregular Warfare Division
5:00-5:15 p.m. Return to USAFSOS Bldg
5:15-6:15 p.m. Break/Free Time
6:15-7:15 p.m. Cocktail Hour at Hurlburt Soundside Club-Cash Bar
7:15-9:00 p.m. Sit-down Dinner at Hurlburt Soundside Club
“Possibilities for International Security Cooperation”
Dr Ian Taylor, Professor of International Relations, University of St Andrews, Scotland
