Industry cited for 'flexibility' in war.

• Author: Byron, Norma
• Position: Women in Defense

At the Women In Defense annual meeting and dinner, Suzanne Patrick, deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial policy, praised the defense industry's flexibility in responding to the war on terrorism, particularly to military operations in Afghanistan.

She described the conflict as an "Internet-age" war, enabling U.S. soldiers on horseback employing global-positioning systems to locate and fight the enemy.

Despite such successes, Patrick noted that the defense industry faces a growing crisis in its workforce, where large numbers of skilled workers are scheduled to retire over the next few years.

Particularly worrisome, she said, is the shortage of engineers and technicians needed to replace retirees.

During the meeting--which was held at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va.--NDIA President Lawrence P. Farrell, Jr., installed WID's incoming national board of directors.

Chapter Development

Interest in forming regional WID chapters continues to grow. At Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., NDIA's local chapter and Michael Devine, technical director of the U.S. Army's Tank-Automotive and Armament Command's Armament Research Development and Engineering Center, sponsored a luncheon in March to begin formation of a WID chapter there. An organizing committee was appointed, and 41 new members agreed to join.

At NDIA's Leadership Conference in April, Art Heydermann, president of NDIA's Iowa-Illinois Chapter, explained why his organization assisted in forming a...