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COMING EVENTS FROM THE LATEST WEEKLY INTELLIGENCE NOTES - Use month index in right column to jump to current month:


THIS IS A LIST OF UPCOMING EVENTS in 2024

Prior events in 2024 are HERE

Programs Offered by External Organizations are HERE

Icon CalendarOctober 2024

Fri, 4 Oct 2024, 11 am (ET) - McLean VA In-Person - AFIO National Fall Luncheon: JJ Green, WTOP, Morning Speaker; Afternoon Speaker Mark Kelton, Former Deputy Director of the National Clandestine Service for Counterintelligence (DDNCS/CI)

AFIO BulletMorning speaker starts 11 a.m.: J.J. Green, National Security Correspondent, WTOP
Afternoon speaker starts 1 p.m.: Mark Kelton, Former Deputy Director of the National Clandestine Service for Counterintelligence (DDNCS/CI)
Register now while space remains. Schedule: Lunch served noon to 1 p.m. Event ends at 2:00 p.m. Luncheon prices are $60 for Members; $75 for nonmember guests and all Subscribers. Payment by credit card required at time of registration. No mailed checks or "at door" payments accepted or permitted.
Register now while space remains. Registration closes 1700 hours, Friday, 27 Sep 24 or earlier if all seats taken.
Check-in and badge pickup for Registered Attendees begins 10:30 a.m. NO registrations or walk-ins at hotel. No payments by cash or check or onsite registrations at venue.
Registration closed.

Cancellations: No refund for cancellations after 21 Sep 2024. Payment for reservations cancelled 21 to 27 Sep 2024 will be converted to donations to AFIO. Payments for reservations cancelled after 27 Sep 2024 are forfeit; the meal will have been guaranteed at the hotel, per the contract. Thank you for your understanding. All attendees must be members of AFIO or accompanied by a current member. For security reasons, we are unable to accept late or last minute substitutions for non-attendance or changes in your guests.
Questions regarding this event to events@afio.com.

5 October 2024, 2p-4p: Vintage Espionage, a wine tasting with an espionage twist hosted by former CIA officers.

Enjoy two hours of spies, sips and stories, where secrets and wine collide. Your sommelier for the afternoon, known only as DECANTER/1 (C/1) lived and served around the world. She's an expert in relationship building and persuasion and guides you through a blind tasting of old-world and new-world wines - six wines total. Along the way enjoy stories from a life on the front lines of intelligence operations from C/1 and Spyher Founder Rosanna Minchew. Whether you're a wine connoisseur or simply love intrigue, Vintage Espionage promises an afternoon you won't want to miss. We're especially excited to host this event at a The Grange historic schoolhouse built in 1889, a perfect venue for a pop-up speakeasy! Book here and use promo code SPYHERWINEFRIENDS for a $15 discount. Use this Eventbrite link to sign up.
Location: 9818 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066.

Thursday, 17 October 2024, noon – 1:00 PM – Washington, DC – Spy Chat with Chris Costa with Sandrea Hwang – Virtual International Spy Museum Program

International Spy Museum eventsJoin us for an online discussion of the latest intelligence, national security, and terrorism issues in the news. Spy Museum Executive Director Chris Costa will lead the briefing. Costa, a former intelligence officer of 34 years with 25 of those in active duty in hot spots such as Panama, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, is also a past Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council. He will be joined by Sandrea Hwang, the National Intelligence Manager for Counterintelligence and the Assistant Director at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC). In this capacity, Hwang leads the development of strategies/plans and integration/outreach initiatives to advance the Intelligence Community's (IC) counterintelligence mission. Her office also directs and coordinates the activities of the National Counterintelligence Officers, who serve as IC leads of regional and functional counterintelligence mission areas. Prior to joining NCSC, Hwang served in a second tour at the White House's National Security Council (NSC) as the Director for Homeland Issues and Counterterrorism, where she integrated US Government policy on international and domestic terrorism issues affecting the Homeland. In that role, Hwang conducted a review of the US Government's approach to domestic terrorism issues, leading to the first ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism. Prior to that she served as a Section Chief in the FBI's Counterterrorism Division where she led teams assessing and countering domestic and foreign terrorist activity. Before that, she served as the Director for Counterterrorism at the NSC, leading interagency efforts to develop CT policy options and strategies. Hwang also served as the Intelligence Advisor to the Director at the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell. She has also served in positions at the National Counterterrorism Center, the CIA, and Department of Defense. Visit www.spymuseum.org.

Thursday, 17 October 2024, 6:30 – 8:00 PM – Washington, DC – Agent Link with Raymond J. Batvinis – In-Person and Virtual International Spy Museum Program

International Spy Museum eventsOn a day known in intelligence circles as "Black Friday" at the end of 1948, Moscow suddenly changed all its codes, making all its messages once again indecipherable to the U.S. Army's top secret codebreakers at Arlington Hall. The disaster can be traced back to a well-placed Soviet spy who never paid for his crimes. After Raymond J. Batvinis retired from 25 years of chasing Soviet spies for the FBI, he added a new traitor to his personal most wanted list. In his new book Agent Link: The Spy Erased From History, counterintelligence expert Batvinis reveals the full treachery of William Weisband at last. Batvinis followed up his initial Freedom of Information Act request for all 2,000 pages of the Bureau's files on the Weisband case with a similar request in 2002 with the National Security Agency for its file. Sixteen years later a package containing nearly 1,000 pages appeared at his front door. Using these records and notes taken from Weisband's KGB file in Moscow (published after the collapse of the Soviet Union), Batvinis is now able to reveal the traitor in full. This evening, former Senior Executive on the National Security Council staff, John J. Quattrocki will interview Batvinis about his pursuit of Weisband and the impact that the man who supplied the KGB "large quantities of highly valuable material" had on US intelligence. Visit www.spymuseum.org.

Saturday, 19 October 2024, 2:00 – 4:00 PM – Washington, DC – In-Store Book Signing Event for National Archive Hunters with author Matthew Landis – In-Person International Spy Museum Book Signing

International Spy Museum eventsThe Spy Museum Store is hosting a special book signing event with Matthew Landis, the author of National Archive Hunters 1: Capital Case. Twins race to find the thief stealing valuable historical artifacts before their family's framed for the crimes in this high-octane middle grade action-adventure series starter for fans of City Spies and Alex Rider. Ten-year-old Ike Carter has committed large chunks of American history to memory. That's what happens when you're a genius who loves the past. His twin, Iris, prefers the present (aka reality). She's an elite athlete, dominating the competition thanks to her wicked-sharp spatial awareness. During the opening night of a new exhibit at their mom's boutique museum in Washington, D.C., Ike and Iris inadvertently stumble onto a robbery in progress. A girl not much older than them is stealing a miniature portrait of George Washington from the collection. It's only the first in a string of crimes, all focused on items that were once gifted by the Marquis de Lafayette to his American friends. With some help from the National Archives Research Center, the twins puzzle out the culprit's next targets and are soon hot on the trail of the mystery girl. But their efforts also put them in the crosshairs of the FBI's Art Crime team, who suspect their family is involved. If the twins can't catch the real perp as they target the final item, it'll be game over. Visit www.spymuseum.org.

Sunday, 20 October 2024, 6:00 – 8:30 PM – Washington, DC – Access to SPY: An Evening for Neurodiverse Adults – In-Person International Spy Museum Program

International Spy Museum eventsWhat might be a mission impossible visit during normal operating hours is now mission possible! On this special night, the Museum will open exclusively to adults (ages 18 and up) with sensory differences and their friends and/or family (adults only). This is an open house-style event and guests are welcome to arrive anytime between 6:00-7:30 PM. Guests are welcome to explore the exhibits at their own pace with less noise, fewer people, and a designated quiet room. In the exhibits, guests will have the opportunity to meet a former spy, test their code cracking skills, get in disguise, and more. Guests can also check out our special exhibition Bond in Motion, which features 17 vehicles from the James Bond movies. While this Access to SPY program is geared towards neurodiverse adults, we welcome all adults with sensory processing differences and their friends/family to attend this event (ages 18+). Visit www.spymuseum.org

Wednesday, 23 October 2024, 6:30 – 7:30 PM – Washington, DC – Russian Assassinations in the UK: Inside Three Notorious Cases with Nigel West – In-Person and Virtual International Spy Museum Program

International Spy Museum eventsExecutions. Eliminations. Wet work. The UK has seen its share of international incidents. Renowned intelligence historian Nigel West joins us stateside to explore three infamous attacks since 1978. The targets in question were Georgi Markov, Alexander Litvinenko, and Sergei Skripal. (The Spy Museum has an umbrella weapon on display that is a replica of the one used in the assassination of Markov.) No one is better suited to take us inside these operations than West. He has written about 40 non-fiction books published on security and intelligence topics; a further 25 books edited, with contributions such as forewords or prefaces; and countless academic monographs and book reviews. He has many claims to fame including tracking down double agent GARBO in Venezuela. West then wrote GARBO's inside story of his incredible life as a double agent! West's familiarity with the shadowy wilderness of mirrors is legendary. Visit www.spymuseum.org.

Wednesday, 24 October 2024, 5 - 7 p.m. - In-Person - NCF & INSF 3rd Annual Cocktails & Codebreakers event

Please join the NCF & INSF [National Cryptologic Foundation (NCF) & Intelligence and National Security Foundation (INSF)] for the 3rd Annual Cocktails & Codebreakers event
We are pleased to announce that this year's program will feature a Fireside Chat with Gen Timothy D. Haugh, USAF, Commander, U.S. Cyber Command; Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service and a special presentation by Mr. Montel Williams, military veteran/retired cryptologic officer (US Marines & Navy), actor, and motivational speaker. We are also grateful to welcome journalist Mr. Steve Scully as moderator for the Fireside Chat. Learn about our speakers & view the draft agenda or...
REGISTER HERE.

Location: The Hotel at Arundel Preserve, 7795 Arundel Mills Boulevard, Hanover, Maryland 21076
Registration Fee: $225. A selection of sponsorships are still available.
This October 24th event will celebrate Men & Women in Cryptology.
If you missed our previous Cocktails & Codebreakers programs - you can view recaps & photos of 2023 and 2022.
Questions? Email ncfinfo@cryptologicfoundation.org

 

 

 

Icon CalendarNovember 2024

Friday, 8 November 2024, 11:30am - In-Person, South San Francisco, CA - AFIO San Francisco Chapter Lunch and Presentation by LTC Tomio "Tomes" Toyama, Army Reserve Foreign Area Officer (FAO)

AFIO BulletLTC Tomio "Tomes" Toyama will discuss his most recent deployment to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan while serving in the Office of the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) where he served as the Deputy Director for Operations and lead Training Advisor to the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF). USSC is a unique US-led multinational organization staffed primarily by military personnel serving under State Department foreign relations authorities and funding. 

Time: 11:30am no-host cocktails; 12 noon meeting start
Location: Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Avenue, South San Francisco
RSVP with Eventbrite here 
Questions? Contact Mariko Kawaguchi, Board Secretary, AFIO SF Chapter at afiosf@aol.com.

Icon CalendarDecember 2024


UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2025 WILL BE HERE WHEN AVAILABLE

30 Aug - 8 Sep 2025 - Mediterranean Cruise - Spies, Lies & Nukes announce Espionage on the High Seas! Plan NOW to join the late-summer 2025 cruise.

Instead of their traditional Spies, Lies & Nukes conference in 2024, Valerie Plame and other intelligence colleagues are thrilled to introduce an exciting variation for 2025: Spies at Sea. A combined cruise and conference through the breathtaking Mediterranean, from August 30 to September 8, 2025! See brochure here.

What to Expect:
•Intimate Conference Setting: Enjoy the same close-knit, engaging environment you've come to expect, with unparalleled access to our expert speakers.
• Exclusive Shore Excursions: Explore clandestine meeting spots, delve into espionage history, and more on excursions EXCLUSIVE TO OUR GROUP.
• Seminars at Sea: Participate in lectures and presentations led by Valerie Plame and other top intelligence professionals, all the while cruising through some of the Mediterranean's most iconic destinations.
• Special Events: Enjoy exclusive cocktail receptions, surprise activities, and one-on-one conversation time.

Exclusive Spies, Lies & Nukes Itinerary Highlights:
Barcelona, Spain: Begin your adventure in this vibrant city.
Valletta, Malta: Walk through history with guided tours led by espionage experts who will lift the veil on area spy stories and meeting sites.
Mykonos, Greece: Discover the charm and beauty of this picturesque island.
Ephesus, Turkey: Explore ancient ruins with a private guide and enjoy a unique group lunch, all while learning about intelligence activities that took place at each spot.
Santorini, Greece: Experience the iconic beauty of Santorini with endless photographic opportunities.
Naples, Italy: Enjoy a group lunch at a local restaurant and an exclusive walking tour with a private guide while learning a few spy secrets from Naples, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast.

We've secured a discounted rate that includes your stateroom, meals, classic beverage package, wi-fi, exclusive excursions, and all conference activities. These cabins will get booked quickly, so don't wait—book now and get $100 off!

This is your chance to combine professional enrichment with an unforgettable travel experience. Network with like-minded professionals, gain exclusive insights, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Secure Your Spot Today


Programs Offered by External Organizations


The National Cryptologic Foundation VIRTUAL PROGRAMS

NCF Virtual Education Programs

Details on the Virtual Education Programs of the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation are available here
Other NCF Events can be found here on NCF website here, and CCH website here.


30 Apr - 02 May 2025 – In Person – Cryptologic History Symposium - National Cryptological Foundation and NSA Center for Cryptologic History, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland

Since 1990, the Cryptologic History Symposium has served as an opportunity to present historical scholarship found in unclassified and declassified cryptologic records and engage in discussion about their significance to history. The event is an occasion for historians and those interested in history to gather for reflection and debate on relevant and important topics from the cryptologic past. Regular speakers include historians from CCH, the Intelligence Community, the defense establishment, the military services, scholars from American and international academic institutions, veterans of the cryptologic profession, graduate and undergraduate students, and noted authors. Past symposia have featured scholarship that set out new ways to consider our cryptologic heritage. The conference provides many opportunities to interact with leading historians and other experts. The mix of practitioners, scholars, and interested observers guarantees a lively debate that promotes an enhanced appreciation for past events and their applicability to current and future issues. More information and registration here.


NCF #CYBERCHATS - FOR THE K-12 COMMUNITY

Our #CyberChats are designed to promote cybersecurity education and inspire students to pursue a cyber-related career. NCF #CyberChats are hosted in our Nepris online classroom and also via Zoom. The Chats feature a wide variety of cyber experts and professionals, some who are NCF members. These dedicated professionals share their experiences, insights, advice, and resources with students, parents, and teachers. Chats on a specific topic are often specifically requested by classrooms across the U.S.


NCF CRYPTOLOGIC PROGRAMS (VIRTUAL)

The NCF hosts quarterly cryptologic programs, as well as an annual Membership Meeting & Symposium featuring guest speakers. We also partner with the NSA's Center for Cryptologic History in promoting various programs & lectures. During our Anniversary year (April 2021-April 2022), we are hosting a variety of additional special programs and talks, such as our kickoff event in April 2021 that featured a panel of former NSA directors.

In 2021, we began hosting virtual programs via Zoom. However, prior to that our programs were in person. If you are interested in seeing recaps and photos from those prior events, please visit the Quarterly Programs page or Membership Meeting & Symposium page.


NCF PARTNER PROGRAMS

The NCF's Education Program hosts Cybersecurity Events with the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), as well as other community partners.The programs highlight relevant cybersecurity topics and feature experts in the field. These events take multiple forms, to include webinars and special events at locations around the National Capitol Region.


NCF PARTICIPATION

Just as the NCF enjoys interviewing professionals and experts for our #CyberChats and Cryptologic Programs, our staff likewise enjoys the opportunity to be interviewed for other organizations' programs or podcasts regarding their experience and knowledge. 


For more information on in-person and virtual activities of the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation (cryptologicfoundation.org) [NCF], explore their website at https://cryptologicfoundation.org/



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