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Wednesday - Main Agenda

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General Session: The Role of SOF in Counter-Terrorism and Crisis Response

10 May 2023
Marriott Water Street - Floor 2 - Grand Ballroom
General Sessions
The final panel for “Win” Day consists of leaders and experts on how SOF can continue to be the nation’s most effective counter to terrorism and an essential tool in responding to crises and threats to U.S. interests globally. Much like crisis response, SOF’s ability to disrupt and even out-compete VEOs has moved from the forefront of our thinking to being part of our enduring, no-fail, steady-state operations. Every strategic choice comes with risk, and when it takes only one terrorist event in the homeland to deliver strategic impact, the nation must carefully understand the risk and resource solutions accordingly. These are worries we must remove from the minds of our senior leaders and our citizens, as well as from those of our trusted allies and partners; this is our baseline. To fail in sustaining this baseline is to risk distraction. Going forward, we must think and campaign globally and holistically as never before. Our forces must be coordinated for greater collective effect. Going forward, each operator on every mission must be as focused on opportunities to foster influence as they are to disrupt a VEO; as aware of opportunities to contribute to a deterrent effect toward some adversary, as they are to fostering resilience among some partner or ally.
Chairperson
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Michael Nagata, Senior Vice President - CACI
Speakers
Ms. Christine Abizaid, Director - National Counter Terrorism Center
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Scott Howell , Former Commander, Joint Special Operations Command
The Honorable Anne Patterson, Kissinger Senior Fellow, Jackson School of Global Affairs - Yale University
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Kenneth Tovo, Chairman - Green Beret Foundation
Rear Admiral Milton "Jamie" Sands III, Commander - U.S. Special Operations Command Africa
Testimonials

  • We are extremely excited USSOCOM selected GSOF to co-sponsor its newly envisioned “SOF Week” in 2023. SOF Week will be a national convention for U.S. SOF and include a more diverse slate of programs, to include professional development sessions, operator-driven discussions, and family-focused conversations. In 2020, GSOF was designated as a National Military Association by the U.S. Department of Defense, and we look forward to working with USSOCOM to make “SOF Week” an impactful event.
    Stuart Bradin
    President and CEO, GSOF

DISCLAIMER

Co-sponsorship of this event does not imply endorsement of GSOF, its services, or products by the United States Government, the Department of Defense, or U.S. Special Operations Command.