Alex Quade

Ms.Quade recently returned from nearly 18 months on-and-off in Iraq and Afghanistan covering U.S. Special Operations Forces on combat missions. Her war reportage has been recognized by the Congressional Medal Of Honor Society.*

Alexandria, Va., — Sen. Jim Webb, (D-VA), the chairman of the Personnel Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, will join Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Gen George W. Casey, Jr., and Mrs. Sheila Casey, and DVA Assistant Secretary L. Tammy Duckworth as featured speakers at the Sept. 10 Defense Forum Washington (DFW) – “A New Normal: How is the War Within Transforming Our Force & Families?” hosted by The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

“The force is stressed by the past nine years of war. Having experienced multiple and extended deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, this is especially true for our ground forces.” said Sen. Webb. “We are entering uncharted territory in terms of the long-term consequences of past rotation cycles and an unsatisfactory deployment-to-dwell ratio.”

Because of the topical relevance, the DFW will expand on groundbreaking exchanges from the three previous forums. Discussions will center on the physiological health and welfare of our force, veterans and their families. Topics will include Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as medical care and support services for the wounded and disabled service members.

“The DFW typically draws more than 500 key leaders from Congress, the executive branch, NGOs and the media,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, MOAA’s president. “Our goal is to advance a more informed and constructive public dialogue about these important issues and help make a difference.”

In addition to the keynote speakers, three discussion panels of wounded warriors and family members, military and civilian experts will address topics including:

· “Navigating Recovery: Are We Meeting Needs and Expectations?”
· “Confronting the Reintegration Process – Embracing the Experience,”
· “The New Normal: Hope For The Future”

Questions from the audience will be welcomed.

Speakers, panelists and MOAA and USNI leaders will be available for interviews.

The Defense Forum, including lunch, is free to active duty, National Guard, and Reserve servicemembers. The registration fee is $45 for other USNI-MOAA members and spouses, $75 for non-members, and $25 for students.

Registration, program agenda and information is available at the DFW website at http://www.facebook.com/l/69d04MFzPtaRGdLUIiwQUQaWtDg;www.defenseforumwashington.com.

· To register by phone, call (800) 233-8764.

· After Sept. 1, registration will only be available through the in person Onsite registration line at the conference opening at 8 a.m. on Friday, September 10.

MOAA is the nation’s largest and most influential association of active duty, National Guard, Reserve, retired, and former military officers and their families and survivors. It is an independent, nonprofit, and politically nonpartisan organization with more than 370,000 members from every branch of service. MOAA promotes a strong national defense by advocating equitable treatment of those who serve and have served their country in uniform. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/l/69d048Xu7pTFWEQoztlewzqzgZQ;www.moaa.org.

* War reporter Alex Quade, a member of Military Reporters and Editors, the association of Military Journalists, will moderate at this year’s USNI-MOAA Defense Forum Washington on Capitol Hill. Quade recently returned from nearly 18 months on-and-off in Iraq and Afghanistan covering U.S. Special Operations Forces on combat missions. She is the recipient of the Congressional Medal Of Honor Society’s “Tex McCrary Award For Excellence In Journalism” for her war reportage.

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