Special Operations have spent the past ten years engaged in combat in the dry, hot, mountainous terrain of the Middle East. As U.S. forces shift priorities to target emerging hotbeds of activity around the globe, SOF will require new skill sets not previously utilized in Iraq and Afghanistan. Investments in both the technological aspects of military engagement as well as the full spectrum of unconventional missions will play a key role in the future success of U.S. Special Operations.

“We’re trying to teach other nations how to deal with their own problems so they don’t grow violent extremists. We’re building wells in places. We’re doing civil affairs operations. There is a whole spectrum of things that special operations do.”
-Admiral Bill McRaven

Special Operations Forces will look to advance the capability to accomplish missions quickly and surgically in a multitude of areas of operations. Due to these fluctuating developments, there is a rising demand for equipment, training and intelligence solutions specific to the services within the various theaters to maintain, secure and stabilize potential conflict areas. This responsibility is more urgent now as the military confronts changing threats, new strategies, and fiscal constraints which dictate improved battlefield survivability, enhanced deployment/maintainability and reduced operating and support costs.

Special Operations Summit West will focus on developing SOF skills in the analysis and evaluation of new concepts against changes in threats and the user requirements needed to meet these threats and their implications. It will address the strategic benefits and the preservation of options associated with increasing reliance on special operations forces while maintaining mission capability and supportability.

Special Operations Summit West will look at:

• The development and delivery of elite special operations technology to support emerging missions in new areas of activity
• Achieving systems that can operate at optimal performance in all military environments
• Minimizing weight and size of multifunctional SOF equipment while meeting all user requirements
• Enabling deniability operations in conflict areas forbidden to the U.S. and allied forces
• Special Operations issues and concerns relevant to Commands on the U.S. West Coast

Venue & Accommodation

Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa
2000 Second Street
Coronado, CA 92118
(619) 435-3000
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sanci-coronado-island-marriott-resort-and-spa

Just across the Bay from downtown San Diego, Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa offers a comfortable atmosphere to restore the balance of life. Our Coronado resort features a health spa, outdoor swimming pool, and whirlpool with breathtaking views of the San Diego skyline. Only minutes from sandy beaches, shopping, and restaurants at Ferry Landing, our Coronado Island hotel's accommodations offer premium access to everything this popular beach community has to offer. Enjoy on-site dining at Current and Tides, rent a bicycle and explore the island, bask on sun-filled beaches or take the ferry into San Diego for a little fun in the city. After the day is done, you can return to our Coronado Island resort where you'll find oversized bath tubs, down comforters and plush beds with cotton-rich linens, plus flat-panel TVs, connectivity panels and high-speed Internet access.

Group Rate:
Corporate Rate: $269 + 16.25% tax + $0.23 commerce fee
Govt Per Diem Rate (Govt ID Required): $166 + 16.25% tax + $0.23 commerce fee

Please identify you are part of the “IDGA – Spec Ops” group to ensure the special rate. Note that you are eligible for this rate three day prior and three days post the event. Book your room prior to February 25, 2013 to ensure you receive the group rate.

Reservations Telephone: 800-228-9290

2013 Speaker Lineup

• Lieutenant General Joseph Votel, Commander, Joint Special Operations Command
• Vice Admiral Robert Harward, Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command
• Honorable Andrew Shapiro, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State
• Brian Maher, Ph.D, SES, President, Joint Special Operations University, U.S. Special Operations Command
• Rear Admiral Thomas Brown, Director of Military Support, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
• Brigadier General Mark Smethurst, Commander, Special Operations Forces, International Security Force Assistance
• Brigadier General D.W. Thompson, Commander, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
• Colonel Christopher Miller, Director, Special Operations and Irregular Warfare, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (SO/LIC&IC)
• Linda Robinson, Adjunct Senior Fellow for U.S. National Security and Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations
• Lieutenant General Daniel “Fig” Leaf, USAF (Ret), Director, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies
• Randel Zeller, Director of Interagency Office, Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security
• Colonel Vincent Goulding, USMC (Ret), Director, Experiment Division, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab
• Nibir Dhar, Ph.D, Program Manager, Microsystems Technology Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
• Martin Irvine, Ph.D, Science Advisor, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command
• Lieutenant Colonel Michael Lewis, Special Operations Chair, Marine Corps University
• Major Michael Estes, Commanding Officer, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
• Ray Buettner Jr, Ph.D, Director, Field Experimentation, Naval Postgraduate School
• Sergeant Michael Quick, Chair, Intelligence/Terrorism, National Tactical Officers Association
• Darrel Hopper, Ph.D, Principal Electronics Engineer, Air Force Research Lab
• Dr. James Sheey, ST, Chief Technology Officer, Naval Aviation Enterprise
• Christopher Olsen, Professor of Physics, Naval Postgraduate School
• Mary Ungar, Executive Director, The International Institute for Homeland Security, Defense and Restorations

The agenda is available as PDF under downloads.