Veterans for National Security Foundation to Host Reception at the Residence of America Online Founder

The Veterans for National Security Foundation will host a reception at the residence of James V. Kimsey, Founder/Chairman Emeritus of America Online, on March 1, 2006. Former Special Operations Commander General Wayne A. Downing will also receive an award at the event.

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) February 28, 2006

The Veterans for National Security Foundation will host scores of political, military and business leaders at a reception in McLean, Virginia on Wednesday, March 1, 2006.

The event will take place at the residence of James V. Kimsey who is a distinguished West Point graduate, decorated Vietnam veteran, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of America Online (AOL) as well as Founder of the Kimsey Foundation headquartered in Washington, DC. More information about Mr. Kimsey can be found at http://www.kimseyfoundation.org.

General (Ret) Wayne A. Downing, former Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Special Operations Command, will receive the foundation’s leadership and service award at the event. Downing is a decorated Vietnam veteran who commanded all special operations during the 1989 invasion of Panama as well as a joint special operations task force deep behind enemy lines during Desert Storm. After retirement, he served on multiple presidential commissions charged with evaluating the terrorist threat to the United States while evaluating America’s laws, policies and practices for preventing and punishing terrorism directed at U.S. citizens. Downing currently serves as Chairman of the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

A partial list of the wide array of political, military and business leaders scheduled to attend the March 1 event include:

• Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne (West Point graduate)
• Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs John W. Nicholson (West Point graduate, retired Brigadier General)
• Senator Harry Reid (Democratic Leader, U.S. Senate)
• Congressman Tom Davis (Former Army officer; Member, Homeland Security Committee)
• Congressman Mark Kirk (Naval Reserve Intelligence officer; Member, Veterans Affairs Subcommittee)
• Congressman James Langevin (Member, Armed Services Committee)
• Congressman Rob Simmons (Former Army and CIA officer; Member, Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees)
• Congressman Joe Wilson (Former Army officer; Member, Armed Services Committee)
• General (Ret) Barry McCaffrey (West Point graduate; former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command)
• Lieutenant General (Ret) William Tangney (Citadel graduate; former Commander, U.S. Army Special Operations Command)
• Major General (Ret) Joseph Franklin (West Point graduate; Chairman and CEO, Frequency Electronics)
• Major General (Ret) Alan Salisbury (West Point graduate; former Commander, Army Information Systems Engineering Command)
• Brigadier General (Ret) Steve Cheney (Naval Academy Graduate; COO, Business Executives for National Security)
• Dr. Tom Carhart (West Point graduate, author of several books including West Point Warriors and Iron Soldiers)
• Sarah Farnsworth (Vice President, USO)
• Kelly Perdew (West Point graduate, author of Take Command)

In 2002, a group of service academy graduates joined forces to form GradPAC, the service academy political action committee, serving fellow graduates who desired to further the ideals of “Duty, Honor, Country” in the realm of elected office. Immediately struck by the dearth of current or incoming members of Congress with prior military experience, the leadership of GradPAC set out to form a national, nonpartisan foundation. This new organization would serve all military veterans who seek to continue their selfless public service in federal office. In 2004, the Veterans for National Security Foundation was established as a 501(c)(4) organization. For more information, log onto http://www.TheVNSF.org.

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Members of the media may contact Thomas J. Ratcliff at (866) 799-VNSF or Thomas.Ratcliff@TheVNSF.org.