13th Annual Military Reporters and Editors Conference
Agenda
Oct. 9, 2015
Washington, D.C.
Friday, Oct. 9, The Army and Navy Club, 901 17th St. NW, Washington, DC
8:00-8:30: Registration and Coffee
Session One: Readiness in an Era of Declining Defense Budgets
8:30-9:30—Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee
9:30-10:30—Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Chairman of the HASC Readiness Subcommittee
Moderator: John Grady, Freelance National Security Reporter, MRE board member
10:30-10:45—Break
Session Two: Iraq and Afghanistan Vets in Congress
10:45-11:45— Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Conn), USMC Iraq vet and former aide to Gen. David Petraeus; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Army National Guard vet who served two tours in Iraq; Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), an E-2C pilot in the Navy Reserve who has flown combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Moderator: Otto Kreisher, Freelancer National Security Reporter, MRE Secretary/Treasurer
11:45-Noon—MRE Award Presentation
Noon-1 p.m.—Lunch
Keynote: Pacific Overview
1-2 p.m.—Adm. Harry B. Harris, Jr., Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
Moderator: Amy McCullough, News Editor, Air Force Magazine, MRE President
Session Three: Building the Reporter, PAO Relationship
2-3 p.m.—Army Brig. Gen. Malcom B. Frost, Chief of Public Affairs; Marine Corps Brig. Gen. (select) James Glynn; Navy Cmdr. William Marks, Chief of Media Operations at the Navy’s Office of Information (CHINFO); Michael Caldwell, Secretary of the Air Force/Public Affairs Deputy Director.
Moderator: Kristina Wong, Defense Reporter, The Hill, MRE Board Member
3-3:15—Break
Session Four: The International Fight Against ISIL
3:15-4:15— Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, Kurdistan Regional Government representative to the United States
Moderator: Bryan Bender, Defense Editor, Politico, MRE Board Member
Follow us on Twitter: #MRE15
When you register for the conference there’s a selection at checkout if you plan on attending the annual combat correspondents dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill, 675 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. sponsored by MRE co-founder Sig Christenson.