SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- More than 1400 logistics professionals representing the U.S. military, government, and industry will be participating in the seventh-annual National Defense Transportation Association-U.S. Transportation Command Fall Meeting 2019, Oct. 7-10, Union Station, St. Louis, Missouri.
This year’s premier, world-class defense logistics forum provides attendees with diverse offerings, including five senior leader keynote presentations, two roundtable panel discussions, and approximately 80 Transportation Academy interactive courses/workshops that will address current, pertinent topics and trends impacting the community of interest.
“I’ve been involved with all six previous NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meetings, and the 2019 event is shaping up to be the most meaningful and memorable yet. For example, in addition to NDTA celebrating its historic 75th anniversary, the co-sponsored conference features the highest level military, government, and industry leaders providing their unique perspectives during the keynotes, roundtables, and Transportation Academy classes,” said Jack Svoboda, USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting lead. “This year’s conference theme is “Fostering Partnerships to Preserve Peace and Prevail in Conflict…Then, Now, and Tomorrow.” While such interaction occurs each and every day, the Fall Meeting enables defense personnel, at all levels, to meet directly with their defense, U.S. Government, and industry counterparts, as well as within NDTA modal committees. Other military and private-sector participants regularly cite interactions with their colleagues as a significant benefit of attendance.”
The five keynote presenters consist of USTRANSCOM Commander U.S. Army General Stephen Lyons; U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao; American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier President and Chief Executive Officer Eric Ebeling; FedEx Chief Economist Dr. Tim Mullaly, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment Robert McMahon.
McMahon’s and Lyons’ presentations will be live streamed on www.defense.gov on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 8:30 a.m. CDT, and on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 9 a.m. CDT, respectively.
For the initial roundtable, Leading in a Joint Environment, USTRANSCOM Senior Enlisted Leader U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason France serves as moderator of this four-member panel. Similarly, Senior Director of IT Governance at Atlas Air, Tom Musante, moderates the second roundtable, Cyber Challenges to the Global Distribution Network, also comprised of four persons.
Premier, world-class defense logistics forum kicks off Monday in St. Louis
Classes conducted at Transportation Academy focus on 10 separate major topic areas, including acquisition and finance; combatant commands and security cooperation; commercial logistics; information technology and cyber; Department of Defense transportation; innovation and analytics; leadership and professional development; legislation and policy; interactive workshops and training; as well as Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command workshops.
Transportation Academy sessions feature open seating and are offered to participants on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition, for a $25 fee, Fall Meeting participants will be eligible to earn 2.1 hours of continuing education units from McKendree University, Lebanon, Illinois, for attending Transportation Academy presentations and the general sessions (keynotes and roundtables) during the event’s initial three days.
A list of Transportation Academy’s interactive courses/workshops can also be viewed at https://www.ndtahq.com/events/fall-meeting/agenda/.
Those interested in attending the Fall Meeting can still register at https://www.ndtahq.com/events/fall-meeting/ and they also have the option to “register now/pay later!”
Additional information on the seventh annual, co-sponsored event can be found at #FallMeeting2019.
“The current, ever-evolving world political and security environment presents more challenges to defense transportation than any time since the end of the Cold War. The annual NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting serves as a critical, essential component in addressing these and other related issues through the collaborative relationship between the federal defense community and industry,” Svoboda stated. “As NDTA observes its 75th anniversary in 2019, the Fall Meeting it co-sponsors continues to build on that lasting legacy, serving as the authoritative, premier defense transportation and logistics summit now and in the future.”
USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power. Powered by dedicated men and women, we underwrite the lethality of the joint force, advance American interests, and provide our nation's leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options and create multiple dilemmas for adversaries.