Chair Update

This is my first update for the members of the Naval Intelligence Professionals.  I am happy to be able to contribute to an organization that represents the good of the Naval Intelligence Community as a whole.  As I have told the NIP Board, Tony and the team have made great progress in modernizing NIP and increasing its value to its members and the Information Warfare Community as a whole.  My job is to keep that momentum going and bring value to our members.  

There are three efforts that I and the board will focus on over the next few years:

• Expanding and reinvigorating NIP Chapters
• Growing NIP membership
• Increasing communications with the membership

The board’s priority focus is to establish and maintain healthy NIP Chapters. The Chapters serve as engagement points for our global members to support NIP’s mission, network, mentor, and have fun. Our most active Chapters are San Diego, Tampa, and New York. The New York Chapter recently conducted a Pearl Harbor remembrance luncheon at the Fort Hamilton Club in Brooklyn. The National Capital Chapter hopes to resume in-person events this spring. We re-established Chapters in Hawaii, Hampton Roads, Colorado (Rocky Mountain), and Monterey. We are especially thankful to RADM Brett Heimbigner and RADM Rob Hoppa for agreeing to serve as senior advisors for the Rocky Mountain and Hampton Roads Chapters, respectively. If you are interested in getting involved in any capacity or are not affiliated with one of our eight Chapters, please update your address on our website and contact Jason Spencer at nipchaptercoordinator@gmail.com. 

 CAPT (ret) Shep Shepard is the new lead for NIP Membership. One of our goals is to relay the importance of NIP membership and the relevance of our history to the organization. To that end, we are looking for our Chapters to host commemoration events for the 80^th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway on Saturday, 4 June 2022. The Midway anniversary will serve as a starting point to bring members together and build our camaraderie. From there, we look to increase national and chapter events by engaging our members through personal and professional activities to further develop as intelligence professionals. NIP leaders will also do a better job of attending Chapter events to support this goal. Separately, we plan to hold a Zoom meeting with Chapter leaders in January to pass best practices to help guide membership activities nationwide. The key here is individual ownership of NIP, whether as Chapters or members. We make or shape NIP today and in the future by how we invest in the organization. Finally, NIP can provide funding support for Midway commemorations and other membership social events. 

Final note on growing membership…make sure your membership has not lapsed. We are reaching out to lapsed and former members to make sure they are aware of their status and to understand better why they are 'former' members. Your views count, so please help Shep and his team get a better understanding. For those having problems logging on to the website, please reach out to Shep if you need your user ID or have other issues. 

Communications has been an area in which NIP has made some significant progress over the past couple years.  

• CDR (ret) Sue Himes has been a rock star in delivering the READBOOK…the 9/11 20^th Anniversary edition last fall was outstanding. This spring’s edition will focus on how OPINTEL has been re-imagined for the current era. The next fall edition will either center around intelligence support to cyber operations or where we are on the implementation of IWC Afloat—two topics that will generate plenty of interest, so let Sue know your thoughts. She can be reached at navintproeditor@gmail.com.

• The one good thing coming out of this pandemic has been the monthly Speaker Series hosted on GoToMeeting. Nine sessions were held in 2021. CAPT (ret) Bob Allen reports that the focus for early 2022 will be on the Warfare Centers with a presentation from Fallon in January and UWDC in February. He is looking to line up engagements with IFOR for later this spring. I highly recommend participation…the sessions allow our active-duty members to get a view into potential future assignments and the retirees to stay connected. Contact Bob at bob_allen36@hotmail.com if you have ideas for future speakers or topics.

• CAPT (ret) Mo Fox is working hard to deliver the 1^st edition of the "NIP Gouge Book" for our junior military and civilian members this spring/early summer. Along with ISCM Jessica Billings and LCDR Jason Spencer, they are gathering short sea stories from older members to help fill in the gaps in the curriculum at Dam Neck. I am working on a short piece tentatively titled "Civilians: What are They Good For?" for all those new officers and sailors arriving at ONI.  Mo can be reached at mfsylvester@gmail.com.

• We are revamping our presence on LinkedIn with the "Naval Intelligence Professionals – National" group site (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8599124/).  Early days yet but hope it can become a place to check in with and communicate with fellow members. Take a look and submit a request to join the group. Let’s start the conversation.

• The NIP History project is moving forward. We are closing in on finalizing a MOU between ONI, NIP, and NHHC. This is a long-term effort, and we continue to look for researchers and authors willing to take on one of the chapters in the book. I will continue to manage this effort and I can be reached at nip.project.2032@gmail.com.

• In the months ahead, keep your eyes out for notifications for scholarship applications deadlines, the annual Essay Contest that we sponsor with USNI and the dates for Spring Red Tie luncheon (probably early May).     

B. Lynn Wright
Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Naval Intelligence Professionals