The Naval Information Force Reserve (NAVIFORES) Region Southwest Leadership Symposium was held, Jan. 5-7, in San Diego, bringing together more than 80 information warfare (IW) service members assigned to commands within the region.

Designed to provide unit triads with best practices related to man, train and equip (MT&E) efforts, the symposium also focused on enhancing active duty and reserve force integration.

"Holding symposiums such as this are critical to the future success of the information warfare community," said Rear Adm. Gene Price, commander, Naval Information Force Reserve. "Cross-pollination is key to bringing information warfare personnel together as a community."

The three-day event consisted of briefings by subject matter experts, round-table discussions, and a waterfront panel which brought together senior, active-duty leadership from local IW commands including Naval Information Forces West, Fleet Weather Center San Diego (FWC SD), Navy Information Operations Command San Diego and Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station San Diego.

"You could never tell who is a reservist and who is active duty. Everyone stands on the watch floor," said Capt. Michael Roth, the FWC SD commanding officer.

This symbiotic relationship between reserve forces and active duty personnel was one of many highlighted during the panel discussions and showcased both the support and experience reservists add to operational efforts.

"According to Navy Reserve Forces Baseline Assessment Memorandum, there are literally more IW reservists in today's war zones than medical and security professionals combined," said Cmdr. Jessica Kimber, NAVIFORES Region Southwest officer-in-charge. "We cannot leave talent and hard-won combat experiences unincorporated in our day-to-day production. As IW professionals, we should constantly seek ways to better partner with our Reserve family. The next time those skills are put to the test may be in a combat zone where the stakes are highest."

NAVIFORES Region Southwest is responsible for the MT&E mission for more than 1,200 selected IW reservists in a region that encompasses California, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam.

For more information on Naval Information Forces, visit http://www.navifor.navy.mil/, http://www.navy.mil/local/navifor/, http://www.dvidshub.net/unit/NAVIFOR#.V1lrXP72Z7g and http://www.facebook.com/USNavyInformationDominanceForce.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.