Three area leaders selected to attend National Security Forum

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  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Three area leaders received and accepted a personal invitation from the Secretary of the Air Force and attended the 63rd annual National Security Forum at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

Mayor Steve Allender, Rapid City mayor, Marnie Herrmann, Security First Bank senior executive vice president, and Dr. Kevin Kephart, South Dakota State University vice president for research and economic development and professor, were among the 160 individuals selected to participate in the course May 3 to 5.

The NSF allows civilian leaders in business, education and government from all over the U.S. to meet with senior military leaders to explore current and future national security issues facing our nation. It provided a great opportunity for an open and candid exchange of ideas among these guests, senior military and civilian leaders, and AWC students.

Allender, Herrmann and Kephart attended lectures, met in seminars for in-depth discussions and participated in social events. The purpose of NSF was 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.

The AWC is the senior professional development school in the Air Force officer education system as a part of Air University. AWC educates selected senior officers to lead at the strategic level in the employment of air and space forces. The curriculum focuses on coalition warfighting and national security issues, with emphasis on the effective employment of aerospace forces in joint and combined combat operations.

Air University is a major component of Air Education and Training Command and the intellectual and leadership center of the Air Force. Air University's eight colleges and schools provide the full spectrum of Air Force education, from pre-commissioning to the highest levels of professional military education, including degree granting and professional continuing education for officers, enlisted and civilian personnel throughout their careers. For more information, visit www.au.af.mil.