175th Wing

Last week our Information Protection Office hosted representatives and adjudicators from the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency for a roundtable event involving wing leadership and staff, as well as representatives from the Air National Guard Readiness Center, neighboring state CIPs (Chief of Information Protection) and some of our Maryland Army National Guard counterparts.

Attendees had the chance to see live system demonstrations, learn more about risk management and continuous vetting, and also participate in specialized breakout sessions.

This unique event worked towards bridging the gap between unit-level security processes and national level adjudication, expanding perspectives and streamlining the security clearance process for National Guardsmen.

"Hosting this event was critical because the security clearance process can often feel like a one-way street of submitting paperwork into a void," said Mr. Steven Adornato, 175th Wing chief of information protection. "By bringing DCSA directly to the 175th Wing, we broke down those communication barriers and moved beyond just trading emails. It allowed us to leverage the unique perspective of a former wing member now working at DCSA to build a genuine face-to-face partnership. This level of direct interaction, especially bringing in our Army Guard and regional counterparts, has the potential to serve as a national model for how the Guard and DCSA can work together more efficiently to maintain readiness."

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