Communicator receives award from Microsoft

Published Sept. 22, 2009

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- One of Air Force Reserve Command's top communicators received a Microsoft Innovator of the Year Award during the Air Force Information Technology Conference 2009 here Aug. 24-27.

Bret Wilson, chief of the network integration division at Headquarters AFRC, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., accepted his award from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the conference in Renaissance Montgomery Hotel. Mr. Wilson's award recognizes him for AFRC being the lead major command deploying the Windows Vista operating system, the command's early adoption of Web conferencing software and his work establishing off-base work locations.

"While this is a nice professional achievement, it is really the work of the staff here and not just me," Mr. Wilson said. "If you are organized and give your people some direction and the tools they need, these men and women have everything they need to succeed"

Although the conference meets annually, the Innovator of the Year Award is only presented every three to four years.

"Air Force Information Technology: The Warfighter's Edge in Battlespace" was the theme of this year's conference.

"The goal of the conference is to show how IT hardware, software, and services are being used today and how they will be used in the future to help the Air Force achieve its goals in air, space, and cyberspace," said Gregory Garcia, director of the 754th Electronic Systems Group, Maxwell AFB, Gunter Annex, Ala.

Speakers at the conference included Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff, Washington, D.C., and Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of Air Force Space Command at Peterson AFB, Colo.

Representatives from IBM, Intel, Dell, McAfee and Cisco Systems held technical seminars and exhibitions.

"Keynote speakers and seminars focused on topics arming Department of Defense participants with the most current information technology updates for our success in this critical domain," Mr. Garcia said.

Topics of discussion included communities of practice, internal and external threats, new technologies and next the generation of smart card login.

The Air Force has held its annual AFITC conferences in the Montgomery area for more than 25 years. The AFITC is the Air Force's primary conference on IT issues. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)