Contact: 202-955-7174
June 23, 2004

Islamic Free Market Institute Foundation Chairman
Attends Week Long Department of Defense Conference

Chairman of the Islamic Free Market Institute, Khaled Saffuri participated in the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC 67). The chairman was invited by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld to attend the week long event.

The conference comprised of briefings at the Pentagon and visits to military bases of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard within USA , Ramstein in Germany , Tuzla in Bosnia , Baku in Azerbaijan and Rota in Spain . Very few people, even those employed by the Department of Defense, get the opportunity to interact with such an encompassing cross-section of military leaders and service members of all ranks. Participants were able to fly on military aircraft; experience aircraft landings and launches from Navy ships; observe amphibious landings, urban area combat techniques, special operations assaults, and other warfare demonstrations.

The Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC) is a multi-Service orientation program for civilian public opinion leaders who have limited knowledge of national defense issues. As the Secretary of Defense's oldest and most established outreach program, civic leaders are provided first hand opportunities to meet Department and Service senior leaders, soldiers, sailor, airmen and Marines and to learn more about their missions first hand and gain a better understanding of the goals of our Armed Forces.

Full information on the program can be found at http://www.dod.mil/jcoc/

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