The featured speaker for our Thursday, 20 April chapter membership meeting will be Col. Trent Mills, who joined the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2022 as the Army Advisor to the Director.  He will discuss the Army's future role in the Indo-Pacific region given the threats from China and North Korea, their impact on other countries, and how DARPA can support that new mission with technology.

Col. Mills graduated from Gonzaga University in 1996 with a degree in English and a commission into the Army as a Transportation Officer. Following assignments in Germany, Hungary, and Virginia, he taught English composition and literature at the US Military Academy at West Point and then returned to the field as an Army Strategist. His operational experiences include planning and problem framing challenges at US Army Central Command (Atlanta and Kuwait), Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (Djibouti), and the UK Army HQ supporting British Army future concepts, research, and experimentation. Prior to joining DARPA he served as the senior strategist for the Director of the Army Staff where he synchronized decisions for the Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the Army.  Col. Mills also holds a Master’s Degree in National Security and Strategy from the Naval War College.  
 

The meeting starts with a cash bar from 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM. The two entree buffet dinner is served at 6:45 PM. A meal purchase is not required, and mask wearing in optional.  Please RSVP to Melissa Kalner at mkalner77@gmail.com or call/text her at 703-819-1480 by noon, Tuesday, April 18th.  A meal purchase is not required, but if you order a meal and don't show, please mail your payment since the chapter pays for the set number of meals ordered.  
 

AVVA also is collecting cash donations for The Lamb Center, our successful community outreach for the homeless.  For questions about the Center's activities, call Diane Ignatowski at 703-772-5303.