In June of 2012 we did a soft launch of news.unsi.org as a response to the overall enthusiasm and recommendation by our Members to address issues faster than the monthly rhythm of Proceedings allows and the fairly lengthy lead time inherent in print publishing. Our goal is to complement, not to substitute for, our flagship Proceedings. Based on the first six months, we have done some fine-tuning and have now formally launched USNI News in a digital format available and easily accessible on every platform—tablets, phones, and Web. It also invokes the forward-thinking platform of responsive design.
USNI News is a source of curated, news-to-you content and, more important, provides better context on current topics for our Sea Services. Though the platform is new, it is firmly rooted in the Institute’s vision to advance the naval profession and provide an open forum for informed discussion of the Sea Services and other national-security issues. We seek to provide timely information and news naval professionals can use.
Within the first two days of our hard launch, we reported the USS Abraham Lincoln’s delayed refueling overhaul and its implications. The Drudge Report immediately linked to the story, and it was cited in more than 300 other news sources. Please consider contributing, we are actively seeking your input and analysis. The Independent Forum is yours!
Our annual U.S. Naval Institute WEST Conference, co-hosted with AFCEA, was a clear win with an outstanding turnout. Employing our conference model that brings terrific professional content to our audience, we were able to carry on in the face of unprecedented government and military travel restrictions. We are truly grateful that we had Department of the Navy support for program speakers to participate. At this crucial time when so many important issues are “in the air,” we brought senior leadership—CNO Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Amos, and Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp—to the Fleet, to the Marines, to the Coast Guard, and to industry in San Diego. These were not the only speakers. Our program included Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Sandy Winnefeld as kick-off speaker and the likes of Under Secretary of the Navy Bob Work; Commander Pacific Fleet, Admiral Cecil Haney; and Deputy Commander Cyber Command Lieutenant General Jon Davis as well! We had several superb panel discussions that addressed topics such as innovation, junior-officer perspectives, and the Chinese navy.
In keeping with all other initiatives of the Naval Institute, we made this event accessible with a 24-hour turnaround on video and conference reporting. With regard to the Chinese navy panel, China noticed! We have made international headlines, not just because of the authoritative, candid content, but also because of our increased and timely availability of conference video online. You can view the panels on our YouTube channel and the on-scene reports on our website. If you’re not following us on Facebook, Twitter, or are not currently part of our LinkedIn group—join now!
We are employing a new format for our U.S. Naval Institute Annual Meeting on 11 April. The Annual Meeting will take place at the Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., and the reception will be at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. We will start late afternoon to allow people to attend after work, and we will combine the required business and reports with recognition of our award-winning authors for 2012. In addition, we are delighted to have Sandra Grimes, co-author of Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed as the event’s guest speaker. Afterward, we will walk across the street to the National Postal Museum (adjacent to Union Station) for a reception to celebrate with our award winners and mingle with other Members, Institute staff, and supporters. Register now for the meeting and reception: www.usni.org/annual-meeting. We hope to see you there!
P.S. Don’t forget to vote for the USNI Board, Editorial Board, and the ballot issue on Revised Constitution and By-Laws. Voting ends 11 March.