By
Shannon Shaw Duty
Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear has been selected for the 2017 Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC), the Department of Defense’s oldest orientation program.
The JCOC is a weeklong conference Aug. 6-12, hosted by the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The conference is aimed to increase public understanding of national defense and the U.S. Armed Forces among community leaders and civilians, according to the JCOC website. Only 40 participants were chosen from 220 nation-wide nominations, according to a prepared release.
The nominations are made by four-star Generals and Admirals of the President’s cabinet members and are chosen based on their geographical, professional and cultural influence in their fields, according to the website. Standing Bear was nominated by U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Lee Levy, commander of Tinker Air Force Base.
“I was nominated after passing a physical, security background check, and overall review in June,” Standing Bear said in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C. “It is a distinct honor to represent the Osage people and all Native Americans at JCOC.”
The once-a-year conference gives American business and community leaders an opportunity to engage with senior leaders of the Pentagon and military service members and educate participants about the strength and readiness of all five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces in the northeastern United States.
Participants attend activities over six days, sometimes starting as early as 6 a.m. and going until 7 p.m. daily.
According to the website, specific program objectives include:
– Educate and inform participants about the strength and readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces through personal observations of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard operations.
– Provide a better understanding of the challenges faced by men and women in uniform and by the families who support them, both on and off the battlefield.
– Provide the American public opportunities to obtain a better understanding of national defense policies and programs through the eyes of opinion leaders who will share their observations and knowledge based on their JCOC experiences.
– Give participants a sense of what a day in the life of a military service member is like, such as frequent travel aboard many different aircraft and vessels; little to no free time outside of the comprehensive schedule; orientations and engagements with senior military officials and participation in field activities with service members.
The JCOC was established by Secretary of Defense James V. Forrestal in 1948 and was initially a 10-day course for about 60 participants. Participants have included CEOs of Fortune 100 companies, non-profit organizations, presidents of universities, public administrators from metropolitan cities and more, according to the website.
“I am pleased that our Osage Nation is represented in this very select group of participants,” Standing Bear said in the release. “I feel that speaks highly of our commitment to working closely with the U.S. government and Armed Forces.”
Original Publish Date: 2017-08-07 00:00:00
