Special to the News-Herald

The term asymmetric threat is used a tremendous amount these days when pundits, senior government officials or those engaged in counter-terrorism operations describe the challenge of anticipating the next attack scenario by Al Qaeda

or other terrorist organizations.

In a day and age of limited resources the discussion of &uot;the future threat&uot; is probably timelier than any other future planners can have with their operational counterparts.

With American forces engaged in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an international war on terrorism being waged throughout the globe, understanding what the future threats the United States and its allies will face is becoming a difficult issue. This is not only the case for the military and civilian law enforcement, but also national decision makers, emergency first responders and homeland security officials at all levels of government.

To provide a forum for a discussion on this topic the U.S. Naval Institute, one of America’s oldest professional societies, will be sponsoring it’s Joint Warfare Atlantic Exposition and Symposium, in Virginia Beach on Oct. 5 and 6.

This year’s overall topic is perhaps one of the most timely ever for the annual event – &uot;Facing Future Threats – Are We Prepared for Tomorrow’s Adversaries?&uot;

As in years past the program is guaranteed to spark discussion, potentially some controversy, and the opportunity for people from all walks of life to hear some of the top decision makers in all five uniformed services discussing nationally significant issues in an open forum.

In keeping with the Institute’s mission to support the professional development of Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard personnel, the conference fields leading strategists and operational commanders who challenge conventional thinking and encourage debate on critical defense issues.

Highlights from this year’s Expo include panel discussions titled, &uot;Myths and Milestones: How Do We Mess With Success in Iraq?&uot; &uot;Are we preparing for the right threat?&uot; &uot;What really defines operational readiness?&uot; Additionally, there will be keynote addresses from senior military officials both in and out of uniform.

Complimenting the panel discussions will be an opportunity for visitors to tour the Exhibition Hall which provides up to date information on a wide range of topics supporting this year’s theme. In additionally visitors are provided a free lunch on the Exhibit Floor.

The event will be held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, both parking and admission is free. Registration can be done on-site at the Convention Center starting at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

For more information go to the Naval Institute web site at http://www.usni.org/seminars