Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Join Program Line-Up at the Reagan National Defense Forum

Building Peace Through Strength for American Security The Reagan Library, November 15, 2014

SIMI VALLEY, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 23, 2014) - The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation has announced that United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will be delivering the closing remarks at the upcoming Reagan National Defense Forum, to be held on November 15, 2014. The Reagan National Defense Forum brings together leaders and key stakeholders in the defense community -- including members of Congress, civilian officials and military leaders from the Defense Department and industry -- to address the health of our national defense and to stimulate discussions that promote policies to strengthen the United States military into the future. 

Multiple panels will be held throughout the day, with the closing remarks given by Secretary Hagel. The keynote address at lunch, which was to be given by General Martin Dempsey, will now be given by Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The schedule for the all-day conference, with simultaneous panels, is as follows:

7:30am-8:45am Defense After the Election: How Will Midterm Elections and the Start of the Presidential Primaries Impact National Defense?

9:00am-10:15am Heroism and Valor in Today's Battlefield

9:00am-10:15am Reforming How the Pentagon Does Business: What Does It Take to Roll Back the Red Tape?

10:30am-11:45am The U.S. in Europe, the Middle East and Asia: How Do We Strengthen and Build Alliances in the 21^st Century?

10:30am-11:45am A View of Defense from Wall Street

12:00pm-1:30pm Keynote Luncheon with Admiral James Winnefeld, Jr., Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

1:45pm-3:00pm Cyberwar: The Role of Cyber in 21^st Century Warfare

1:45pm-3:00pm Rethinking the Industrial Base: How Can the Pentagon Capitalize On and Incentivize Innovation

3:15pm-4:30pm From the Situation Room: A View of Defense from the White House

4:45pm-5:15pm Closing Remarks by the Secretary of Defense, The Honorable Chuck Hagel

An Honorary Steering Committee, chaired by Congressman Buck McKeon, includes Robert Gates, Duncan L. Hunter, James Inhofe, Ann McLaughlin Korologos, Carl Levin, Sam Nunn, George Shultz, Adam Smith, John Warner and Pete Wilson.

The registration fee for the conference is $249 per person and includes free admission into the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum and Air Force One Pavilion. Active military, government personnel and students are $149 per person. Registration details and more information on the conference can be found at www.reaganfoundation.org/defense.