VFMC hosts 4th Annual National Security Symposium

Valley Forge Military College hosted the fourth annual National Security Symposium on Friday, April 10 in Mellon Hall. The annual event brings together category experts to discuss U.S. national security issues, as well as security in homeland emergencies, and foreign affairs. The two keynote speakers for this year’s event were LTC Matthew Rasmussen USA (Ret) and Mark Kelton, CIA (Ret).

LTC Rasmussen, a retired US Army infantry officer and an adjunct Assistant Professor and current Director of the Futures Program at the US Army War College, brought cutting edge research from the War College about AI and quantum computing and its effect on national security. A West Point graduate, he holds master’s degrees from the Naval War College and the US Army War College. During his 24-year Army career, he commanded a Stryker Infantry Battalion, a Combat Advisor Battalion, and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan four times. His main research areas are emerging technology, energy and critical infrastructure and their intersection with national security and strategy.

Mr. Kelton is a retired senior U.S. intelligence executive with more than three decades of experience in intelligence operations, counterintelligence, and global security challenges. Following his government service, Mr. Kelton became a founding partner of the Five Eyes Group and Director of MEK & Associates. In these roles, he advises senior executives and brings together the private and public sectors to solve complex national security challenges. He discussed the growing intelligence conflict with China.

This year’s discussions also included two cadet speakers, sophomores Corum Caponsacco and Michael Kelly. The Cadets applied what they’ve learned through their Global Conflict course to understanding the development of the Iran War.

“Enhancing that knowledge and hearing from their stories and experience, it was a great effort and I think it was great for the whole Corps of Cadets to be updated on, especially now with what we’re dealing with with the Iranian conflict and China, Russia and our other adversaries,” said Cadet Caponsacco, who is a political science major at VFMC.

“Coming here as a cadet freshman year, sitting down and listening to being able to be where I am now second year being able to now present is quite the opportunity,” he added.