More than 20 members from the Alamo Region, including Former Chairman of the Board and CEO of Amegy Bank David McGee and the Chamber’s VP of Military Affairs and Leadership Development Lori Stinson, represented San Antonio at this year’s Air University’s National Security Forum. Air University’s Air War College opened its doors to more than 100 community leaders this month, representing 39 different states, to help solidify relationships between the military and civilian sectors through the annual National Security Forum. The NSF began in 1954 with the goal of sharing perspectives between civic and military leaders and broadening their understanding of what the military does to protect national security.
The event is hosted and sponsored by the Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson, at Maxwell Air Force Base. The purpose of the NSF is to expose influential citizens to senior U.S. and international officers and civilian equivalents in order to engage each other's ideas and perspectives on Air Force, national and international security issues. It is an opportunity for the AWC (Air War College) students, our future military leaders, to interact with a broad cross-section of civilian leaders from businesses, universities, industry, media, law, the clergy, and state and local governments. The NSF provides a frank and candid exchange of views on national security matters among our invited guests, Air War College students, and senior military and civilian leaders. The week is devoted to exploring the many issues that affect the current and future security of our country. There is an extended opportunity for engagement of ideas on future and current Air Force, national and international security issues among the Air War College students, faculty, and invited guests of the Secretary of the Air Force.
The event also affords a unique forum in which experts on various aspects of national and international security may discuss their views with students, faculty, and guests. During the NSF, the goal is to broaden the perspectives and garner a mutual understanding of Air Force, national and international security issues between our guests and senior U.S. and international officers and civilian equivalents. Guests are nominated from across the Air Force and by previous attendees. AWC forwards the nominations to the Secretary of the Air Force for review, then sends the nominees a personal invitation. Specific details for NSF are provided with each nominee's invitation.
Seminars and other opportunities this year included a virtual reality experience, military working dog demonstration, exploring different worldviews of the U.S. military services and more.
