Academy to host DOD Professionalism Summit

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  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  The Air Force Academy will host the inaugural Defense Department Professionalism Summit Feb. 22-24.

The summit, an initiative of the office of the Senior Advisor for Military Professionalism, is designed to bring together the professionalism Centers of Excellence from across the military services for sessions on collaboration, best practices, common issues, and lessons learned with respect to transparent and accountable leadership.

"Each service has their unique traditions, culture and heritage," said Rear Adm. Margaret Klein, the DOD senior advisor for Military Professionalism. "We all share the beliefs that culture is a driver of combat efficiency and trust is a force multiplier, which affects our ability to innovate. The right answers will be a little bit different for each service based on their heritage, but I can't overstate the positive impact of fostering cross-service conversations."

The summits are anticipated to occur annually, hosted by a different military service each year.

"We're honored to host the inaugural DOD Professionalism Summit," said Col. John McCurdy, the director of the Center for Character and Leadership Development. "This year's National Character and Leadership Symposium theme, Professionalism and the Profession of Arms, ties directly into Admiral Klein's discussion. This idea of building mission-enhancing service cultures on a foundation of trust is an important idea that is central to the Academy's mission to develop Airmen who are leaders of character."

The summit begins what will be a week of professionalism, character and leadership events at the Academy. Following the DOD Professionalism Summit, the Academy's CCLD will host its 23rd annual NCLS, bringing together cadets, faculty, staff, and students from civilian colleges and national speakers to discuss topics of ethics, character development and leadership.