State of Defense Series 2020

State of the Army

The U.S. Army's mission, purpose, and future has rarely been in such flux. How many American soldiers will remain in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Africa, and for how long, are open questions. Even less certain is what kind of Army will remain in Europe, the Pacific, and elsewhere around the globe. That will depend on Americans and their political leaders, but building the right force, with the right technology, personnel, weapons, and training to fulfill that mission is the job of the new chief: Gen. James McConville.

State of the Air Force

Air Force leaders have recently embraced discussions about race and equality within the military and the broader society, in part because the service is about to swear in a Black chief of staff and a female senior enlisted leader — both firsts for the U.S. military. Meanwhile, the service is returning to its roots as the most technologically advanced branch of the military with ambitious goals to network everything and quickly build a new generation of jet fighters that fly alongside small drones — all tools meant to keep the United States well ahead of China, Russia, and any other threat.

3:00 PM	Opening Remarks Patrick Tucker, Deputy Editor, Defense One
3:05 PM	Keynote Interview Lt. General David D. Thompson, Vice Commander, U.S. Space Force Moderated by: Patrick Tucker, Deputy Editor, Defense One
3:50 PM	Elite Underwriter Session
4:05 PM	Editorial Panel Discussion Kaitlyn Johnson, Associate Director of the Aerospace Security Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies Dr. Brian Weeden, Director of Program Planning, Secure World Foundation Moderated by: Patrick Tucker, Deputy Editor, Defense One
5:00 PM	Closing Remarks Patrick Tucker, Deputy Editor, Defense One

11:00 AM	Opening Remarks Bradley Peniston, Deputy Editor, Defense One
11:05 AM	Keynote Interview Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy Moderated by: Bradley Peniston, Deputy Editor, Defense One
11:50 AM	A Session Presented by Our Underwriter ServiceNow Data-Driven Innovation and the Competitive Advantage A decision-grade information strategy is the keystone to building today’s warfighting capabilities that maintain the competitive advantage on tomorrow’s battlefields. As the U.S. Navy continues to invest in new data-driven technologies, systems commands and their industry partners’ core innovation will be accumulating and converting those mountains of data into rapid, continuous improvements. Join Alex Beachy, Marine pilot and ServiceNow Account Executive, to hear how gathering, understanding, and applying information throughout a program life-cycle will drive innovation and success at the tactical edge. Alex Beachy, Account Executive, ServiceNow
12:05 PM	Editorial Panel Discussion Dr. Jill A. Rough, Former Director of Research and Analysis, National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service Sam J. Tangredi, Professor of National, Naval and Maritime Strategy, Center for Naval Warfare Studies, U.S. Naval War College Moderated by: Bradley Peniston, Deputy Editor, Defense One
1:00 PM	Closing Remarks Bradley Peniston, Deputy Editor, Defense One