On Wednesday, July 13, 2011, the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps Network Operations and Security Center, Col Laura Little, USMC, was our guest at the Clubs at Quantico for an Industry Mixer.  She presented the current Network Operations and Defense posture of the Marine Corps and provided insight to emerging Cyber Operations.

A copy of the brief can be downloaded here.

Colonel Laura Little is a native of Endwell, New York. She graduated from the State University of New York at Potsdam in 1986 with a B.A. in Computer Science and was commissioned through Officer Candidates School in December 1986.

Current Command Assignment:

Marine Corps Network Operations and Security Center, Quantico, VA

Previous Command Assignments:

Support Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, MCRD Parris Island, SC
Recruiting Station Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL
Support Company, 9th Communications Battalion, Camp Pendleton, CA
Data Communications Platoon, 9th Communications Battalion, Camp Pendleton, CA
1st Platoon, Charlie Company, Officer Candidates School, Quantico, VA
Data Communications Section, 1st FSSG ISMO, Camp Pendleton, CA
Programming Section, 1st FSSG ISMO, Camp Pendleton, CA

Staff Assignments:

Chief, Strategic Communications Division; Network Plans & Policy Division; & Communications Resource Division, C4 Department, HQMC, Washington, D.C
Special Projects Officer, G3, MCRD Parris Island, SC
Operations Officer, CJ-6, Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom
Action Officer, Director’s Action Group, J6, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
MAGTF Command & Control Systems Trainer, Tactical Training Exercise Control Group, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms, CA
Data Systems Officer, Communications Detachment, Combined Task Force, Operation United Shield, Mombasa, Kenya
System Manager/Simulation Analyst, Marine Corps Wargaming & Combat Simulation Center, Quantico, VA
Assistant Operations Officer, AT–MAGTF, Operation Ahaus Tara, Honduras
Adjutant, 1st FSSG, Camp Pendleton, CA

Awards:

Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service, Meritorious Service x2, Joint Service Commendation, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation x3, Joint Service Achievement, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement

Colonel Little has attended Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Joint Air Command and Control Course, Amphibious Warfare School, Data Systems Officer Course, and The Basic School.

Photos from the event:

The AFCEA Quantico-Potomac Scholarship Golf Tournament was held at Montclair Country Club on May 20, 2011. Thanks for the great support from all of our sponsors!  Please plan to participate in next year’s tournanment.

The 2^nd Annual AFCEA Quantico-Potomac

USMC IT Day

By all accounts, the USMC IT Day was a rousing success. We again want to thank all the sponsors, attendees, and distinguished speakers. BGen Nally’s presentation can be downloaded at the following link: http://www.afcea-qp.org/usmc-it-day-2011/.  Photos are also available there.

On Thursday, 31 March 2011, the AFCEA Quantico-Potomac Chapter held a luncheon at The Clubs at Quantico.

Unfortunately LtGen Flynn was unable to speak at the luncheon on March 31. The replacement speaker was BGen John W. Bullard, Jr., Deputy Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command. BGen Bullard presented an update on Marine Corps Cyberspace. A copy of his brief can be downloaded from the link at the end of this post.

Speaker Biography

Brigadier General Bullard is a 1982 graduate of Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Financial Management. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant from Officers Candidate School. Upon completion of Basic School, he reported to NAS Pensacola for flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in January 1985. Follow on CH-46 training was conducted at HMT-204 at MCAS New River, North Carolina

Brigadier General Bullard has served in the following operational squadrons: HMM-263, HMM-161 and HMM-774, and was the Commanding Officer of HMM-161 from May 2000 to December 2001. Deployments include 26th and 24th Marine Amphibious Units (Special Operations Capable) aboard the USS Guadalcanal where he participated in operations against Libya in 1986 and operation EARNST WILL involving the re-flagging of Kuwaiti tankers in 1987. From 1989 to 1993, he was assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 where he served as CH-46 division head and attached to HMM-161 for DESERT SHIELD and HMM-774 for DESERT STORM. In 1994, he deployed on USS Essex with 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC) where he supported UN sanctions enforcement against Iraq and conducted operation UNITED SHIELD, UN withdrawal from Somalia. As Commanding Officer of HMM-161, he deployed on USS Tarawa as the Aviation Combat Element for 13th MEU (SOC) and participated in Humanitarian Assistance Operations in East Timor and DETERMINED RESPONSE, USS Cole recovery in Yemen. Upon completion of command, he was assigned as Executive Officer of Marine Aircraft Group 16.

His most recent operational assignment was the Commanding Officer of 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit from May 2005 to June 2008. He conducted two deployments on USS Peleliu and USS Tarawa to the US Central Command AO in support of operations IRAQI FREEDOM & ENDURING FREEDOM and participated in hurricane relief efforts for JTF Katrina and Cyclone Sidr relief efforts in Bangladesh during SEA ANGEL II.

His major staff tours include Headquarters Marine Corps in the Aviation Department’s Plans, Policies, Joint Doctrine, and Budget Branch where he served as congressional matters and budget Officer. Additionally, he served as Aide-de-Camp to Deputy Commandant for Marine Aviation. He was assigned to J5-Plans at US Central Command and deployed to the forward headquarters in support of operations IRAQI FREEDOM & ENDURING FREEDOM. His most recent staff assignment was Branch Head of Marine Aviation Weapons Systems Requirements Branch for Headquarters Marine Corps Aviation Department.

His first general officer assignment was Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo under UNSCR 1895. His current assignment is Deputy Commanding General, MCCDC.

He earned a Masters of Business Administration from Webster University (1992), attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College (1997), and received a Masters in Military Strategy from the Air Force War College (2003).

His personal awards include Defense Superior Service Medal with Gold Star, Legion of Merit with Gold Star, Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, Air Medal with Strike Flight, Navy/Marine Commendation Medal with Gold Star, and Navy/Marine Achievement Medal.

A copy of BGen Bullard’s brief on USMC Cyberspace Update can be downloaded here.

On 9 February 2011, the AFCEA Quantico-Potomac Chapter hosted a luncheon at The Clubs at Quanctico.  The topic for the luncheon focused on how industry can work with Marine Corps Systems Command with an emphasis on IT acquisition.  We were honored to have as our guest speaker, Dr. John D. Burrow, the Executive Director, Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, VA.

Speaker Biography

Dr. Burrow was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in December 2004 and currently serves as Executive Director, Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC). As the Executive Director, Dr. Burrow provides executive direction and oversight of command-wide resources, management systems and programs, and is engaged in all aspects of ground equipment and systems acquisition for the Marine Corps.

From 2006-2009, Dr. Burrow served as Deputy Commander, System Engineering, Interoperability, Architectures and Technology (SIAT) for MCSC. In this position he led Marine Air Ground Task Force systems engineering and integration efforts, ensuring Marine Corps systems interoperability with coalition and joint forces, and identifying and pursuing science and technology transition opportunities for Marine Corps systems.

Prior to reporting to MCSC, Dr. Burrow served as Department Head, Force Warfare Systems, for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) from 2004-2006. During this period, Dr. Burrow also served as the Naval Sea Systems Command Technical Warrant Holder for Combat and Weapon Control Systems, and Technical Process Owner for Navy Open Architecture.

Dr. Burrow earlier served as Director of Systems Engineering for the Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (2003-2004), Division Head for NSWCDDs Maritime Defense and Surface Ship Combat Systems Engineering Divisions (1997- 2003) and Technical Director of the Navys DD 21 Technical Team (1997-2001).

Dr. Burrow is a Certified Level III Acquisition Professional in the Advanced Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering (SPRDE) and Program Management (PM) acquisition career fields. He has 26 years of civilian service.

Dr. Burrow holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Mississippi (1983), a Master of Public Administration degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1997), and a Doctorate of Management degree from the University of Maryland University College (2009).

Dr. Burrow did not use a slide presentation.  As a result, no additional information will be available.