ESC to host Air Force Cyberspace Symposium II June 17 to 19

  • Published
  • By Kevin Gilmartin
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  Addresses by the service's leaders in charge of shaping and equipping the new Air Force Cyber Command and a showcase of industry's latest technologies will be among the features of the Air Force Cyberspace Symposium II, set for June 17 to 19 at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
The theme of the symposium, which is co-sponsored by Electronic Systems Center, Air Force Cyberspace Command (Provisional) and the Air Force Association's Paul Revere Chapter, is "Equipping the Cyber Warrior to Fight in Cyberspace."

This will be the second cooperative symposium to focus on the Air Force's efforts to develop offensive and defensive cyberspace capabilities. The first, hosted by the provisional Cyberspace Command, headquartered at Eighth Air Force, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., was held in November.

The symposium will kick off with a golf tournament and barbecue sponsored by the AFA chapter June 17 at Juniper Hill Golf Course in neighboring Northborough, followed by an opening reception and the grand opening of the technology exposition at the trade center. Presentations will begin the next morning, and the AFA will host a gala dinner that evening. Presentations will continue on the final day, June 19.

Heading up the conference planning efforts for ESC is the 653rd Electronic Systems Wing, led by Bruce Hevey.

"Working closely with Air Force Cyberspace Command (Provisional), we have developed plans to hold annual conferences on our efforts to stand up and equip this important new command," Mr. Hevey said. "We have agreed to alternate locations each year between ESC and Air Force Cyber Command, giving each organization the opportunity to host this important event."

Mr. Hevey said he anticipates a lot of new information that has evolved since the last conference to be discussed during the 2008 symposium.

"While the first conference was focused more on discussing the threat environment that necessitates treating cyberspace as a Warfighting domain, much of this conference will be focused on how we can develop and provide the materiel solutions our cyber warriors need to counter those threats," Mr. Hevey said. "Of course, AFCYBER leaders will still be here to update attendees on their evolving and developing needs and requirements."

Registration for the symposium as well as golf and opportunities for industry to reserve booth space will be open soon, according to Ron Adams, who is heading up the AFA chapter's planning efforts.

"We anticipate this to operate very similar to our past Command and Control summits, where people can visit our website at www.paulrevereafa.org, register and pay on line," he said. Golfers and exhibitors will also be able to register at the web site.

Mr. Adams said that the Royal Plaza offers more than 400 rooms on site, as well as 1,300 parking spaces, and there are a number of hotels very close by where attendees can stay. Event planners are anticipating more than 900 attendees.