My Favorite USNI West Conference Panel

Come on! You know without me telling you, doncha?

"Pirates: How Do We Defeat Them?"
Moderator -
Dr. Virginia Lunsford, Professor of History, U.S. Naval Academy
Panelists -
CAPT Chuck Wolf, USN, Commander, Naval Special Warfare Group 4
Col David W. Coffman, USMC, Commander, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Pendleton
RADM Terence E. McKnight, USN, Expeditionary Strike Group 2/Commander, Task Force 51/59/151

How awesome was this?

I ran up to conference room 6A 20 minutes early. I wasn't going to be stuck in the back like I was for the Tuesday afternoon panel "Cyber Issues: What Should Be the Priorities?". I was right in the front row - where the nuns always knew to put me.

I tweeted up a storm!
#WEST10 I am at USNI booth 1032 waiting for the 11 am PST panel on pirates "Pirates: How Do We Defeat Them?"
#WEST10 I am in my front row seat for the piracy panel at USNI West Conference w/RADM McNight.
#WEST10 I am in my front row seat for the piracy panel at USNI West Conference w/CAPT Wolf & Col Coffman & Dr Lunsford
#WEST10 USNI Wilkerson set to open piracy panel with administrative notes to shut off cell phones. He doesn't mean me, does he?
#west10 Dr Lunsford of USNA makes opening statement on USNI conf piracy panel
#west10 Dr Lunsford of USNA makes opening statement on USNI conf piracy panel - piracy growing & not going away
#west10 Piracy panel Col Coffman #USMC - solution to pirate problem - kill them. But no Lappetite' in DC for kenetic operations
#WEST10 piracy panel RADM McKnight who started up CTF151 explaining roots of current situation in Gulf of Aden
#WEST10 piracy panel RADM McKnight who started up CTF151 discussing successes of coalition in Gulf of Aden and different motivations
#WEST10 RADM McKnight wraps up with reminder that in GOA re piracy - land belongs to Africom, water belongs to CTF151
#WEST10 Piracy panel CAPT Wolf points out that w/respect...only Navy SEALs have killed pirates...much laughter & applause
#WEST10 RADM McKnight points out if you read US history, we have always been involved with counter-piracy
#WEST10 How awesome is Col Coffman #USMC in this piracy panel?? He rocks!
#WEST2010 Piracy panel ? 'Should we be fighting piracy in GofA?' All say yes.CAPT Wolf dscs our dealing with some elements of Somali gvnmnt
#WEST10 CAPT Wolf on piracy, comparing situation in Gulf of Aden to Straights of Malacca
#WEST2010 Col Coffman #USMC reminds piracy panel that his Marines R not just there 2 kill pirates, but can do more i.e. humanitarian work
#WEST10 All panelists agree process for prosecution of piracy needs to be streamlined
#WEST10 Piracy panel discussing 'National will' and the degrees of which are required.
#WEST10 1st ? is there a published anti piracy policy. No not yet
#WEST10 question on ship owners paying ransoms and business interests as they factor into fighting piracy
#WEST10 Piracy panel takng questions. Some guy wandered in from the street...his ? was why not estab sea lane? Hello? We have one.
#West10 Piracy panel Col Coffman #USMC order comes from power. we are a powerful nation we need to act powerfully
#WEST10 Piracy panel ? from #USCG drawing comparisons with drug interdiction.
#WEST10 Piracy panel ? from floor what is our primary motive - kill pirates or stop pirate activity? Great question
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I am told there is audio of the panel, I will try to get my hands on that.

Are you reading USNI blog? Proceedings Magazine? Are you a fan of the USNI page on Facebook? Following their Twitter feed? You should be.

Galrahn has a recap of Day 2, which includes his thoughts on this panel.