The Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) marked its fifth anniversary during the annual alumni conference held in January at NPS. More than 200 alumni, faculty and subject matter experts participated in sessions on intelligence and information sharing, border security and public-private collaboration, as well as received briefings on NPS homeland security research projects and CHDS programs.
Opening remarks were given by Ms. Lynda Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Military Personnel Policy, Department of the Navy. Also in attendance was Mr. Peter Verga, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs, who stated that CHDS’ “...provides an opportunity for homeland security practitioners to come together in an academic environment, get to know one another personally and professionally, and learn to think holistically about critical national planning scenarios melding practice and policy.”
More than 200 senior-level local, state, tribal, federal and military officials have graduated from the combined distance learning and in-residence master’s degree program.

In January, the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies hosted its second U.S. Navy Stability and Security Conference in Arlington, Va, in collaboration with the Strategy and Concepts Branch of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for Information, Plans and Strategy (OPNAV N3/N5).
Approximately 230 participants from the Armed Forces, government civilian agencies, foreign governments, non-governmental organizations and international governmental organizations attended this event to address stability and reconstruction issues and focus on strengthening the Navy’s professional stability reconstruction community.
The keynote speaker was VADM John Morgan, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, OPNAV N3/N5, who outlined the importance of the U.S. Navy’s new maritime strategy, “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower.”

U.S. Congressman Sam Farr (D-Calif. 17th District) and Ambassador John Herbst, Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, U.S. Dept. of State, served on VIP panels to inform participants of the ways in which the government is coordinating efforts among various departments for stability operations.
NPS President Dan Oliver, who also served on a VIP panel, felt the conference was a vital opportunity for key practitioners in stability reconstruction efforts to network and establish relationships prior to conducting operations.

The Office of the Defense Representative in Pakistan, a  section of the US Embassy in   Pakistan, has requested the Center for Civil-Military Relations (CCMR) initiate a series of workshops with civilian and military officials in  Pakistan, aimed at creating a favorable security environment in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) for  sustainable development.

This program supports the US Embassy's strategic goal of helping the government of Pakistan win back the allegiance of citizens in the largely lawless region who may be tempted to engage in violent political dissent.  The workshops will also help both governments manage the border with Afghanistan and reduce terrorist activity in  Pakistan. 

Working with a specially selected team of mid-level civilian and military members associated with administering security or development in the FATA region, CCMR will facilitate the development of an implementation plan for the area.  In the process, these joint efforts will be helping Pakistan generate a civil-military decision-making process at the national level.

The first workshop was completed last month in Pakistan, to be followed by one in May.

During the first quarter of 2008, the Leadership  Development and Education for Sustained Peace Program (LDESP) completed 16 programs throughout the United States for over 4,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

Specifically, LDESP prepared the 110th Maneuver  Enhancement Brigade for a Kosovo deployment to face the perils associated with the rapidly changing environment which has transpired since 17 February when Kosovo  declared independence from Serbia.  The program taught service members how to adapt to the complex, ambiguous, and ever-changing human terrain they will experience in the local community.

Programs were also conducted for the leadership of the 10th Mountain Division, the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, and Brigade Combat Teams.  Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) at Ft. Bragg, NC, and Embedded Training Teams (ETTs) at Ft. Riley, KS, were  prepared as well for upcoming deployments to Iraq and  Afghanistan.  Faculty members conducted       workshops for the multi-agency PRTs, which are an important element of the U.S. nation building effort.

In coordination with the U.S. Embassy Kinshasa and the Governor’s Office of the North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Center for Civil-Military Relations conducted its first seminar in the provincial capital Goma.

During the five-day seminar held in February, the 45  participants comprised from a cross section of North Kivu security elements, government officials and civil society   officials, prepared an action plan that will serve as a guide for future activities aimed at enhancing civil-military   relations in the province.

The International Defense Acquisition Resource Management Program completed its two semi-annual resident courses in March 2008 at NPS in Monterey.  Participants were mid-level military or civilian government employees working in defense acquisition related roles in their countries.

The two-week “Principles of Defense Acquisition Management” course focused on topics such as resourcing     capabilities, requirements definition, test and evaluation, acquisition logistics, defense supply chain management, and reliability centered maintenance.

“Principles of Defense Procurement and Contracting,” immediately followed the acquisition management course and covered transparency, fraud and ethics, legal aspects of contracting, contract types and provisions, supplier source selection, acquisition planning, settling disagreements, and contract administration.