LETTER FROM THE
PRESIDENT
The
2009 Mine Warfare Association Spring Conference in Panama City, focusing
on "Home" and "Away" game challenges, was a resounding success. Many
thanks to our superb slate of speakers, especially ADM Jon Greenert,
RADM Frank Drennan, MG Tom Benes, RADM Steve Branham (USCG), RDML Bob
Girrier, Ms Anne Sandel and our other fine Navy and Coast Guard
speakers, as well as the speakers from other organizations. I received
numerous positive comments on the dual focus of "home" and "away" and
the quality of the presentations and discussions. This was the largest
attendance we've ever had at a Mine Warfare Association Spring
Conference and establishes a new standard as we start planning for the
conference in 2011.
In August the MINWARA Board of Directors met to plan for
the next year's activities. It was agreed to work with PEO LMW, OPNAV
N85 and NMAWC to try to schedule a half-day conference in the DC area
this winter to review initiatives in both the legacy and organic mine
warfare areas. The Mine Warfare documentary initiative is on the back
burner due to insufficient corporate funding. We discussed scaling back
the film from 60 minutes to 30 minutes and are looking into the revised
cost. The MINWARA charter is out of date and I've volunteered to draft a
revised charter.
The Congressional Naval Mine Warfare Caucus held a very
successful reception in the Rayburn House office building on 9 June.
Congressmen Alan Boyd (D-FL) and Trent Franks (R-AZ), cochairs of the
Naval Mine Warfare Caucus, hosted the reception along with a number of
MINWARA corporate sponsors. Congressman Henry Brown (R-SC) also
attended. The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead, attended
and stressed his commitment to a robust mine warfare capability.
The 9th International Symposium on Technology and the
Mine Problem will be hosted by Rear Admiral (ret) Rick Williams, at the
Naval Postgraduate School in May 2010. This symposium provides an
outstanding opportunity to join with other military and industry
personnel who are concerned with the mine threat and our ability to cope
with it. The scope of this symposium has grown over the years, so that
it now includes threats to port and river infrastructure. More
information is available on pages 5-7 of the
Minelines newsletter and on the
MINWARA website (www.minwara.org).
Hope to see you in Monterey in May!
Paul Ryan
Rear Admiral, USN (Ret)
President, MINWARA
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