COVID-19 challenged U.S. Special Operations Command to find innovative
solutions to host this year’s Special Operations Forces Industry Conference
(SOFIC), and USSOCOM delivered.
Personnel assigned to USSOCOM were awarded joint service medals at
the headquarters May 21, 2020, for their contributions to the first virtual SOFIC
held in Tampa, Fla., May 11-15, 2020 which drew participants from around the world.
SOFIC enabled critical conversations and collaboration, and
maintained new and existing networks and connections between the Special
Operations Forces community and their traditional and non-traditional industry
partners.
Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, USSOCOM commander, awarded Army Col.
Anthony Wizner, Noelle Marchbanks, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins and Navy Lt.
Phillip Chitty a Joint Service Commendation medal, Joint Civilian Service
Commendation award, Joint Service Commendation medal and Joint Service
Achievement medal respectively.
This year’s SOFIC was attended by nearly 5,000 registrants; and the first ever with a head of state, the King of Jordan
addressing the conference. USSOCOM reached out to 1,000 industry partners and
drew participants from 32 countries.
“This is something we greatly learned from, greatly will benefit
from,” Clarke said. “In the end it will make us better.”