Welcome to the new AOC website! I hope that AOC members (and the public) find this site to be a helpful tool for staying up-to-date on current events in our nation's capital and our community. I want to take a moment to explain some of the new functionalities on the Advocacy page. One of our goals in developing the new website is to make it more interactive. First and foremost to this goal is the new advocacy blog. As Director of Government and Industry Affairs, it is my responsibility to provide regular blog entries updating you on current events. Another key component to the blog, however, is the "comment" function where you can share your thoughts on the blog entry or provide readers with additional information. I will also invite special guests to contribute blog entries that provide different perspectives on key issues facing our community.

Second, you can be an active AOC member by posting on the AOC Forum. This message board allows you to start a new discussion threads or respond to an existing comments. It is a great way to network crows around the world. We welcome your thoughts and contributions as a way to give greater voice to AOC members everywhere.

The third new ”“ and very important ”“ function is the "Recognizing our Warfighters" module. The purpose of this project is to highlight and keep track of EW/IO warfighters who are preparing for, on, or returning from deployment. It will also be a tool for acknowledging and expressing our appreciation for EW/IO warfighters who receive military honors for their service. As this project grows, it will also be a mechanism for sponsoring warfighters while they are on deployment to let them know that we appreciate their service and sacrifice. This project requires unsolicited input from the EW/IO community. If you know of any warfighters deserving of recognition, please do not hesitate to contact me at kmiller@crows.org.

Finally, the new website will be a clearing house for important information and documents that are pertinent to current events, such as the annual defense budget, AOC policy agenda, legislative initiatives, Department of Defense publications, and industry white papers. It is our goal to make the website a one-stop shop for information on government and industry affairs.

I hope that you find the new website a helpful and relevant tool to educate, advocate, and connect. As with any new project, some new initiatives will take time to mature. Therefore, I welcome your feedback and insight. The new website is for you, AOC members. Please help make it a quality nexus for the EW/IO community.