Local chosen to be representative at the 70th annual National Security Forum

Provided.

MaryBeth Garrison asking a question.

This past week was an amazing personal and professional experience for me. I was a civic representative at the 70th Annual National Security Forum - via a nomination made by Edwards Air Force Base (Danny Bazzel).

I spent the week, at Maxwell Air Force Base, with 98 civic leaders from around the globe and hundreds of brilliant military leaders who've been honing strategic skills to strengthen the defense of our nation. (Blended into the military team were citizens of other aligned nations and other military branches.)

We discussed China, Russia, Ukraine, international wargaming and more. It was intense and transparent. I felt as though I was drinking from a fire hose ... and I didn't want to miss a drop. We broke into smaller discussion teams, called "Seminars" and in my Seminar, there were three of the international officers - from Ukraine, Germany and Ecuador. They came to learn from the best Military minds in the world.

I learned about the Space Force and what it takes to stand up a service. We saw an F22 demo and I was able to do an F35 simulator. Needless to say, I'm no pilot. I'm going back to my day job.

We were briefed by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The expertise and commitment is clear from the top.

I met some incredible people - from all over the country. They represented business, government, education and healthcare. All worked in areas, adjacent or near, U.S. Air Force bases. I learned a lot about international relations and the importance of community partnerships. In times of war and peace, our strength is in our people ... both inside and outside military bases.

Big thanks to Edwards AFB, for trusting me to represent the region, to the Air War College team for taking great care of me and for my team at U.S. Borax for allowing me to go learn and better understand the criticality of this important external stakeholder: the United States Air Force.

P.S.: I asked a question of the Secretary of the Air Force. Later, a 3-Star General thanked me and called me brave. Who is he kidding? They are the BRAVE ones!

MaryBeth Garrison is the External Affairs Communities and Social Performance Manager at Rio Tinto Borates (US Borax).