Editor's Page

This year's West 2005—our annual San Diego conference and exposition cosponsored with AFCEA—will be the largest one in its 15-year history. Speakers, panelists, and moderators will address all aspects of: Beyond Iraq: How Do We Get Transformation Right? For those who cannot attend the three-day event on 1-3 February, daily updates will be posted at www.west2005.org, and we will post copies of the major addresses on our Web site: www.usni.org. In addition, other content generated at the symposium will be published in Proceedings.

The Naval Institute will recognize a large number of individuals who have made significant contributions to the profession of arms at West 2005. Winner of the second Battelle-Naval Institute $5,000 prize for the Proceedings article in the previous year that best addresses technology and innovation will be presented to Marine Colonel Mark Cancian for his February 2004 article, "Seeing through the Fog of War." The winners of the Enlisted Essay Contest (Sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton)—Chief Paul Morin, Senior Chief Steven Haugh, and Petty Officer Thomas J. Miller—and the Intelligence Essay Contest (cosponsored with the Naval Intelligence Foundation and the Naval Intelligence Professionals)—Navy Commander Jason Hines—will receive their prizes. These prize-winning essays are published in this issue.

In addition, AFCEA and the Naval Institute will recognize the winners of the annual Copernicus Awards and the outstanding enlisted performers from the fleet. The names of these outstanding serving professionals are listed on our Web site: www.usni.org.

Closer to home, the votes are in and the members overwhelmingly approved the proposed changes to the Naval Institute's Constitution and Bylaws. These changes mailed with the December Proceedings and remain posted on our Web site: www.usni.org/about/index.asp. The new Constitution and Bylaws provide for two boards: the Board of Directors that will direct the management of Naval Institute affairs and the Editorial Board that, in accordance with Board of Director policy and guidelines, provides editorial advice to the CEO in directing the Institute's publishing programs.

Members of the Board of Directors and the Editorial Board—with the exception of the CEO—are elected by the Naval Institute's members. The candidates and their brief biographical sketches for this year's election will mail with the March Proceedings. Please vote when your March issue arrives. The results of the election will be announced at the 131st Annual Meeting on 7 April in Annapolis. Find details about this year's Annapolis Naval History Symposium, held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting, on our Web site. Online registration is available.

On a sad note for Proceedings readers, Naval Institute seminar attendees, our business partners, the professional staff, and any member who had the pleasure to meet and/or work with Senior Editor Gordon Keiser, I must report that this military and publishing professional is retiring. A retired Marine colonel, Gordy has been a force at the Institute for the past 15 years. As Senior Editor, he has poured himself into every issue of Proceedings and all our seminar programs. Our plan is to remain engaged with Gordy in his capacities as trusted advisor, manuscript evaluator, and mentor. We will never replace Gordy, but the search is on to find his relief. Please contact me—[email protected]; 410-295-1077—if you are interested in becoming our next Senior Editor.