DTRA/SCC-WMD Host The Global Synchronization Conference

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Sept. 3, 2015 - PRLog -- FORT BELVOIR, VA – The Defense Threat Reduction Agency/U.S. Strategic Command Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (DTRA/SCC-WMD) hosted the 13^th Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Global Synchronization Conference from 1-3 September at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Campus East, Ft. Belvoir, VA.

The Global Synchronization Conference, which began in 2008, hosts hundreds of Countering WMD (CWMD) experts from across the U.S. Combatant Commands (CCMDs), OSD, the Joint Staff, the Military Services, U.S. Government agencies and key international partners twice each year to assist the Commander, USSTRATCOM in his role as the Global Synchronizer for CWMD. The intent of these conferences is to advance progress on global CWMD campaign tasks, issues, and thinking and has proven to be a critical mechanism for synchronizing DoD CWMD efforts throughout the U. S. Government and key partner nations.

Keynote remarks were provided by Commander USSTRATCOM, Admiral Cecil D. Haney, and the Honorable Franklin Miller, Chair of the USSTRATCOM Strategic Advisory Group’s CWMD Task Force. Admiral Haney and Mr. Miller provided comments on recent developments in the strategic environment, advances in our combined U.S. and Allied capabilities to make progress on enduring goals, and also challenged the community to work together on the complex and difficult challenges currently facing them.

”Countering WMD is a global mission that spans across our Geographic Combatant Commands,” noted Haney, “so it’s vitally important we remain synchronized in our ideas and our planning.”

In his remarks, Mr. Miller stated, “The consequences of not rising to this challenge are significant, in that our own National Security concerns, now and in the future, can only be sufficiently managed through coordinated actions following robust dialogue between stakeholders and solution providers.”

The agenda for the 13^th conference focused on collaborative CWMD issue resolution and information exchange, with an emphasis on existing and emerging worldwide threats, current and future CWMD capabilities, and synchronization of related planning activities.

A full schedule of CWMD-focused information and special topic sessions was offered throughout the three-day event, however, much of the critical work the CWMD GSC accomplished was through working groups that track and execute CWMD synchronization activities. The working group leads briefed their progress at the conference’s conclusion via a Senior Leader Vector Check, chaired by Mr. Ken Myers, Director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and USSTRATCOM Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction. These working groups, with updated guidance from senior leaders, epitomize the DoD CWMD synchronization concept and the coordination that occurs throughout the year.

DTRA/SCC-WMD Director Ken Myers summed  up the importance of the Global Synch Conferences stating, “Countering and combating weapons of mass destruction has to be performed on a larger scale than just one single agency or command.  No region of the world is immune from potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear risks and no one Federal Department, no single geographic region, no single country can marshal the necessary capabilities alone to successfully fight the WMD threats we face in this day and age.  This reality makes our synchronization efforts even more critical to our Nation.”