Annual National Character and Leadership Symposium nearing Published Feb. 17, 2012 By Amber Baillie Academy Spirit staff writer U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The 19th Annual National Character and Leadership Symposium will take place at the Air Force Academy Feb. 23-24 and feature distinguished leaders throughout the country to illustrate the importance of character development and leadership. The two-day event will include 46 discussion panels and individual speakers such as former presidential candidate Ross Perot, Medal of Honor recipient Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry and adventurer Aron Rolston, subject of the movie, "127 Hours." "We have a menu of options for people to choose from so that it's not just one particular area," said Lt. Col. Dave Keller, program director at the Academy's Center for Character and Leadership Development. "In some cases we've had to turn away speakers because we have enough and try to invite them down the line for future years." Keller said that presenters will often waive speaking fees or reduce them greatly for the Air Force Academy to accomodate Academy rules. "To me, that speaks to them being focused on supporting the military and developing leaders, giving back and actually walking the walk," Keller said. "It's their own ethical actions in regards of understanding public service opportunities to develop military leaders." The theme for the event is "Walk the Walk: Leaders in Ethical Action," selected by the cadets and asks the question, do our actions match our words? "It's a cadet-driven theme and the concept behind that is behavioral integrity," Keller said. "It's not just about sitting and thinking about being a person of character, it's also about being a person who goes out and makes a difference in the world around them." The symposium is a premiere event and will include cadets, faculty, community guests and visiting students. "It's not just for cadets and that's one of my favorite things about it," Keller said. "It's an opportunity for the entire school to have a purposeful experience centered on the topic of character-based officership and character-based leadership." Approximately 300 cadets help with NCLS planning. Cadet 1st Class Jim Evans, the cadet in charge, said that cadets select anything from the theme to the speakers. "Cadets play a big role in the execution of NCLS," Evans said. "I like having my voice heard and the ability to share my opinion and ideas with the permanent party." Evans helps maintain a partnership with cadets and the permanent party through announcements, weekly staff meetings and briefings. "I like being able to influence on a strategic level and see how it's put together," Evans said. "I'll consider emails that I've received from cadets and pursue the pros and cons of issues from a cadet's perspective." This year will include a live video feed from Afghanistan, a new showcase for NCLS, which will feature two graduates who are currently working on anti-corruption efforts with Afghans. "They will be sharing opportunities to exercise character and leadership opportunities in a deployed environment," Keller said. "We're trying to lay the initial foundation for that by having live discussions with people who are in the field doing those kinds of things," Keller said. Last year, around 6,000 attended NCLS, and Keller said that he expects the same turnout for this year. "Four thousand cadets and then add in all faculty, other staff and members of the Association of Graduates," Keller said. "I think as people attend various sessions, they're going to find somebody that inspires them to look deep inside themselves and really desire to elevate their performance and development." Evans said that the event will put leadership into practice. "It's a unique opportunity to see leadership theories come to life and see real world stuff," Evans said. Cadets can register for the event through Feb. 22. For more information on NCLS 2012 visit http://ncls2012.net.