The 2018 SAME Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo (JETC) is coming to the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo., May 23-25. With more than 1,700 attendees expected from across the military, government, industry and academic sectors, this year’s event will feature education, training and relationship-building opportunities to help you advance your career while together, we identify solutions to national security needs.
From keynote speakers to networking receptions to joint engineer response scenarios, JETC offers something for everyone within the A/E/C industry and joint engineer community.
Enhance. With more than 70 hours of education and training sessions led by over 100 subject matter experts, JETC is the place for professionals in the joint engineering community to gain knowledge that will advance their companies and agencies. Presentations are specific to the learning needs and interest areas of those working to support national security.
Engage. Through a bustling Exhibit Hall of more than 200 companies, an Innovation Theater, and exciting networking events livening the week, JETC provides valuable opportunities for attendees to enhance their visibility, grow their presence in the federal marketplace, and meet with decision-makers who can move their enterprise forward.
Inspire. As SAME’s Annual Meeting, JETC celebrates the achievements of the Society’s Posts and volunteer leaders and highlights the role the organization plays in bringing government and industry together to make a difference. Join your fellow members to share lessons learned and best practices as we build momentum towards our Centennial in 2020.
2018 JETC Highlights
• Opening Reception at KC Live!
• 70 Hours of Education & Training Sessions
• Technical Tours: Kauffman Center for Performing Arts and the Kansas City Streetcar System
• Engineering Service Chiefs Panel
• Society Ball & Awards Gala
• Society Leadership & Post Awards Luncheon
• Exhibit Hall Featuring Over 200 Companies and Agencies
• New Madrid Fault Disaster Response Table Top Exercise
• Keynote Speakers: Jake Wood, CEO, Team Rubicon, and Mark Nutsch, Commander, “Horse Soldiers”
Meet the Keynote Speakers
The 2018 JETC will feature two engaging keynote speakers: U.S. Army veteran Mark Nutsch, who was Commander of Operational Detachment Alpha 595, the Special Forces unit known as the “Horse Soldiers” that helped to overtake the Taliban in Afghanistan after 9/11; and Jake Wood, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and CEO of Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization that provides veterans with the opportunity to continue their service by responding to natural disasters and global crises.
As portrayed by actor Chris Hemsworth in the recent major motion picture, 12 Strong, Commander Mark Nutsch shares lessons learned in the now-declassified saga of a U.S. Special Forces team that overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to help achieve a historic military victory. On stage, Nutsch enthralls audiences with an edge-of-your-seat, behind-the-scenes account of how this almost unbelievable event played out, impacted the world, and earned them the gratitude of a nation. He also shares perspectives on preparing his team of “guerrilla diplomats” for ever-evolving on-the-ground circumstances, and how resourcefulness, inventiveness, and commitment, along with adaptability, a diverse team, and a capacity to persevere enabled them to successfully accomplish their mission.
Jake Wood is cofounder and CEO of Team Rubicon, the only nonprofit disaster response organization that utilizes the skills of military veterans to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. In giving veterans an opportunity to continue their service, Team Rubicon provides them with a sense of purpose, community and identity. Since the organization’s founding in 2010 following the massive Haiti earthquake, Team Rubicon has responded to over 100 disasters and grown from eight to 35,000 volunteer members. Under Wood’s leadership, the organization has responded following the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, Hurricane Sandy, the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the 2014 wildfire in Pateros, Washington, and the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal.
As a sergeant in the Marine Corps, Wood deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a Scout Sniper and earned the Navy-Marine Commendation Medal.
Professional Development in Focus
70 Hours of Education & Training. The 2018 JETC will feature education and training sessions designed to help you advance your career while supporting the needs and requirements of the joint engineer community. Built from a Call for Presentations process that drew submissions from throughout the world, presentations will come from a host of technical fields, including Business & Leadership; Energy & Sustainability; Joint Engineering; Environmental; Facility Management; Architecture & Engineering; and Resilience & Mission Assurance.
Joint Engineer Table Top Exercise. SAME will host the third annual Table Top Exercise (TTEx) at the 2018 JETC, featuring a Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response scenario analyzing the organization, planning, preparation and operations of a joint military-government-industry response to an earthquake on the New Madrid Fault, which stretches across the southern and Midwestern United States, over parts of eight states. An earthquake would cause incredible devastation to people, businesses, resources, and infrastructure. This year’s TTEx welcomes both industry and government participants to sit in on the exercise, which includes leading decision-makers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service and other uniformed service commands, multiple federal agencies (notably the Federal Emergency Management Agency), and senior engineers from the Combatant Commands.
Kauffman Center for Performing Arts: Guided Design and Construction Tour. Tour through architect Moshe Safdie’s Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, home to the Kansas City Ballet, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Symphony. The guided tour will present an overview of the center’s development, highlighting its unique design and engineering aspects. In addition, members of the JE Dunn construction team will discuss design and construction challenges and overall successes of the project, completed in 2011. (Separate registration required)
Kansas City Streetcar System: Design, Installation and Operations Tour. Take a walking tour-and-ride to learn about how the new Kansas City Streetcar public transportation system was designed and constructed and now serves downtown residents and visitors alike. The tour will also include a briefing from HDR’s program manager on design and construction challenges and successes of the project along with a visit to the train maintenance yard with a presentation by the yard manager on the overall maintenance of the system. (Separate registration required)
Engineering Service Chiefs Panel. On Friday afternoon, the Engineering Service Chiefs will participate in a panel discussion that addresses pressing issues facing the military engineering community and where the A/E/C industry and SAME can provide support—including ways to improve project delivery trends, technology and resource advancements to enhance operational performance, and efforts to maintain the nation’s engineering advantage into the future.
Building and Enhancing Relationships
The 2018 JETC will offer numerous networking events and social activities, from the President’s Reception at the World War I Museum on Tuesday night to the Society Ball & Awards Gala wrapping up the week on Friday.
Wednesday afternoon, celebrate the achivements of SAME’s 30,000 members and 100-plus Posts at the Society Leadership & Post Awards Luncheon. This annual event recognizes many deserving members for their contributions to the organization, and salutes the Top Posts and Top Regions for the past year.
Then Wednesday evening, wrap up day one at the Opening Reception at KC Live!, the heartbeat of downtown Kansas City. A block-party atmosphere will allow attendees to have fun as you make new connections and rekindle old friendships, enjoy local music and cuisine, and of course quench your thirst on a warm spring night. Located in the Power & Light District, KC Live! covers an entire city block with two levels of world-class restaurants, taverns, and night spots.
A strong industrial base is vital for a strong nation, and the 2018 JETC will enable attendees to meet with and learn from products and service providers that can propel the industry forward. With more than 200 exhibitors, the JETC Exhibit Hall is the place for professionals from the public and private sectors to learn more about services and capabilities available to support our nation’s infrastructure-related challenges. In the Innovation Theater, see demonstrations first-hand of products and services that might be just what your business or agency needs to achieve project success.
On Friday, JETC will feature the swearing in of new SAME National President, Col. Marv Fisher, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.), who will take the oath from outgoing President, Col. Sal Nodjomian, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.). And then JETC conclude with the Society Ball & Awards Gala, where awardees from the uniformed services and SAME will be honored for their contributions to the profession and the organization.
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For a full list of 2018 JETC events, the conference schedule, full session descriptions, and travel and lodging information, visit www.samejetc.org. Follow the event using #SAMEJETC18. Recap the 2017 JETC in Columbus and check out all last year’s photos. Have specific questions? Contact the SAME National Office staff.
