Defense Strategies Institute professional educational forum: Formerly DSI s SOF Symposium December 5-6, 2017: Mary M. Gates Learning Center 701 N. Fairfax St. Alexandria, VA 22314
Program Design & Goal: DSI s 2017 Special Operations & Irregular Warfare Symposium provides members within the Special Operations community, regional combatant commands, Department of State, Intelligence Community, academia, and other critical partners the opportunity to discuss the operational and strategic needs required to establish a successful US military campaign to adequately combat modern conflicts. The goal of this year s forum is to emphasize the unique and crucial impact Special Operations Forces have in achieving and maintaining a global military advantage. In an ever-complex and dynamic security environment, US forces must actively fight in gray zones and develop unique measures to effectively win in today s volatile and intricate battlefield. Due to the sensitive global threat environment we currently face, it is of upmost importance to ensure our Special Operations Forces have superior resources and necessities to counter emerging adversaries at home and abroad. Operating Guidelines: DSI s Symposium directly supports DoD and IC priorities by providing a conduit for officials to efficiently reach audiences outside of their respective offices that directly impact their department's mission success, at no charge to the government, and in an efficient expenditure of time. DSI s Symposium will provide a forum to address and improve internal and external initiatives, meet with and hear from partner organizations, disseminate vital capability requirements to industry, increase visibility within the larger community, and generally support their mission. * This Symposium is open and complimentary to all IC, DoD and Federal employees and is considered an educational and training forum. (Industry and academia members are charged a fee of attendance) This Symposium is CLOSED TO PRESS / NO RECORDINGS General Target Audience: U.S Military Services, members of the Intelligence Community, Government Agencies, Academia, Program Managers, Capability Developers, Procurement Officers, Operational Planners -Overview of current and future requirements needed to support SOF missions -Enabling unconventional warfare to address gray zone conflicts Specific topics to be discussed include: -Efforts to counter violent extremists and preventing and countering groups from becoming radicalized -Providing training and assistance to foreign government to aid their national security and secure US interests -Developing and enhancing a hybrid of irregular and regular capabilities to challenge stability of regions -Policy and oversight of strategic capabilities and resources for Special Operations -Objectives towards multilateral, regional, and bilateral defense relations with all foreign governments assigned Draft Agenda: Invited Speakers are Not Confirmed and are Subject to Change
December 5, 2017 8:00 8:45 Registration and Light Breakfast Reception Open 8:45 9:00 Moderator Opening Remarks LTG John Mulholland, USA (Ret) (Invited) Former Deputy Commander, USSOCOM 9:00 9:45 Coordinating Effects against Threat Networks to Create Defense in Depth of the Homeland; The Last Mile -Defending the US by emphasizing counterterrorism procedures, countering WMD, and countering transnational organized crime -Maintaining relationships with regional SOF organizations to facilitate cooperative defense of North America BG Christopher Burns, USA (Confirmed) Commander SOCNORTH 9:45 10:30 Policy and Oversight of Strategic Capabilities and Resources for Special Operations -Perspective towards employing SOF to better combat terrorism -Proliferation of foreign partnerships to counter global threats -Authorities, resources, and strategy of special operation and irregular warfare 10:30 11:00 Mark Mitchell (Tentative) Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict DoD Networking Break & Exhibits 11:00 12:30 Panel Discussion: The Administration s Approach to Addressing Gray Zone Conflicts The Trump Administration has vowed to intensify the fight against ISIS and other terrorist organizations. Additionally, the Administration has given the DoD increased operational and tactical control over the application of US military power. This panel will explore the effects of this new policy on gray zone conflicts and the crucial role SOF will have in these ambiguous and unconventional operations. Panelists with expertise in foreign policy, counterterrorism, and special operations will present policy recommendations as well as the operational and tactical efforts required to fight and win in gray zone environments. Moderator: Tom Bowman (Confirmed) NPR Panelists: AMB James Jeffrey (Confirmed), Philip Solondz Distinguished Fellow, The Washington Institute Christopher P. Costa (Confirmed), Senior Director for Counterterrorism, National Security Council COL David Maxwell, USA (Ret) (Confirmed), Associate Director, Center for Security Studies, Georgetown University 12:30 1:30 Networking Lunch
1:30 2:15 Perspective towards Understanding the Emerging Trends in Terrorism -Increasing role and presence of Al-Qaeda and ISIS in Southeast Asia -Examining the threat of foreign fighters and their role in destabilizing a region -Efforts to study and prevent violent extremist organizations and the radicalization of individuals Thomas M. Sanderson (Confirmed) Senior Fellow and Director, Transnational Threats Project Center for Strategic and International Studies 2:15 3:00 Irregular Warfare Challenges: National and International Perspectives -Promoting and supporting research and teaching on IW and Armed Groups -Facilitating interaction and collaboration between professional military institutions, civilian academia, and on-the-ground forces -Delivering direct support to practitioners and special advisors in combat theaters Dr. Andrea Dew (Confirmed) Co-Director Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups Naval War College 3:00 3:30 Networking Break & Exhibits 3:30 4:15 Objective Analysis of the Critical Role of SOF in Global Competition -Full spectrum analysis on complex and difficult issues regarding current and future SOF issues -Understanding the tactics of adversaries and most effective strategies to counter them -Providing real-world, on-site operations reconstruction and intelligence to commands worldwide Dr. Jonathan Schroden (Confirmed) Director, Special Operations Program Center for Naval Analyses 4:15 5:00 Leveraging the Relationship of Development and Defense to Establish and Maintain Global Security -Current and future USAID and SOF collaboration efforts -Capabilities and authorities needed to enhance civilian-military cooperation -Perspectives towards International Development in complex environments -Efforts to counter violent extremists and to prevent and counter groups from becoming radicalized Bob Schmidt (Confirmed) Acting Director Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation USAID
December 6, 2017 8:15 8:45 Registration and Light Breakfast Reception Open 8:45 9:00 Moderator Opening Remarks LTG John Mulholland, USA (Ret) (Invited) Former Deputy Commander, USSOCOM 9:00 9:45 Strategic Operational Objectives to Effectively Combat Terrorist Activities -Remaining up-to-date by rapidly adapting international terrorism techniques -Efforts towards hindering the growth of extremism -Actively integrating environments between countries, agencies, and capabilities to achieve the same mission and fight terror LTG Michael Nagata, USA (Confirmed) Director Directorate of Strategic Operational Planning National Counterterrorism Center ODNI 9:45 10:30 Ensuring the Safety and Security of our Nation s Interests through Strategic Maritime Protection -Boarding and securing Maritime strategic objectives -Combatting terrorism in strategic special situations -Executing security actions against armed hostiles and/or non-compliant threats CAPT Brandon Lechthaler, USCG (Invited) Commander Maritime Security Response Team 10:30 11:00 Networking Break & Exhibits 11:00 11:45 Policy and Resources Required to Adequately Support Intelligence Missions -Supporting and forming policy related to HUMINT, counterintelligence, sensitive activities, and overall intelligence analysis -Ensuring successful posture for future conflicts while winning current conflicts -Significance and reliance on USSOCOM to the defend of our nation Garry Reid (Confirmed) Director for Defense Intelligence (Intelligence and Security) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence 11:45 12:30 Addressing the Challenges of Contesting Terrorism and Adversarial Ideologies and Activities -Collaborating with interagency and foreign partners -Employing Special Operations capabilities alongside government agencies, regional security forces, and CENTCOM component forces -Efforts towards establishing stability in countries including the Middle East, Northern Africa, Central Asia 12:30 1:30 MG Darsie Rogers, USA (Tentative) Commander SOCCENT Networking Lunch
1:30 2:15 Strategies and Initiatives to Win in a Cross-Domain Global Environment -Providing advisory support and rapid operational solutions to Army and Joint Forces to defeat current and emerging threats -Disseminating and transitioning nonmaterial and material countermeasures for operational advantage in potential conflict zones LTC Brandon Griffin, USA (Confirmed) Squadron Commander Asymmetric Warfare Group 2:15 3:00 Maintaining Readiness for Large-Scale Irregular Warfare -Analyzing the necessary adaptations and requirements of IW -Thoroughly understanding cost, military effectiveness, and time needed for IW measures -Capabilities required for IW that can be rapidly regenerated on demand Dr. Stephen Watts (Confirmed) Associate Program Director Arroyo Center, Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources Program RAND Corp. 3:00 3:45 Asian Strategic Threats and Their Impact on Special Operations -Remaining competitive as adversaries enhance their naval and air projection programs -Proliferation of WMD among opposing nations -Perspective of military powers that remain threatening to US interests Dr. Rick Fisher (Confirmed) Senior Fellow, Asian Military Affairs International Assessment and Strategy Center Advisor; Global Taiwan Institute 3:45 End of Symposium Draft Agenda: Invited Speakers are Not Confirmed and are Subject to Change