Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will be among the guest speakers this weekend at the 35th National Guard Association of the United States convention in Honolulu.
Shinseki, former Kauai resident and retired Army chief of staff, will speak at 3:35 p.m. Saturday, and U.S. Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, is scheduled to address the convention at 8:30 a.m. Sunday in the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
More than 3,000 National Guard men and women are expected to attend the conference, which is the association’s annual business meeting. Guard officers from all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia will discuss the issues that confront their force, such as budget cuts, and set their legislative agenda.
Other speakers Saturday include Gov. Neil Abercrombie at 12:15 p.m. and Gen. Frank J. Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at 4:05 p.m. Grass’ address will be the conference theme, "America’s National Guard: A Force Leaning Forward."
Other Sunday speakers are U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono at 9 a.m. and Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, at 11:15 a.m.
Events get underway at 5:30 p.m. Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the conference’s industry exhibition. About 250 companies, including the nation’s leading defense and homeland security contractors, have purchased booths.
This is the fifth time Hawaii will host the National Guard Association conference.
The Sheraton Waikiki Hotel will be the convention’s headquarters.
