Current Essay Contest Awardee

 The 2009 NIF/NIP/AFCEA Naval Intelligence Essay Contest Award was presented by the AFCEA Vice President for Intelligence, Mr. Steve Ritchey, at AFCEA WEST in San Diego, to Commander Mark D. Houff, USN, on 2 February 2010. 

(Left to right, Mr. Kent Schneider, President and CEO, AFCEA International, CDR Mark Houff, USN, AFCEA International Vice President for Intelligence International Col. Steve Ritchey, USAF-Ret, NIP President CAPT Terry Roberts, USN-Ret and the Honorable Mr. Rich Haver)

Commander Houff’s winning essay, written while he was a Naval War College faculty member, was titled “Teaching an Old Trick to a New Dog: Adapting an Anti-Submarine Warfare Mentality to Irregular Warfare.” The essay may be published in the AFCEA SIGNAL magazine, and will be published in the NIP Quarterly.

Signaling the beginning of a very important and fruitful relationship between the Naval Intelligence Foundation, Naval Intelligence Professionals (NIF/NIP), and AFCEA, the Essay Contest award was included, along with AFCEA awards, at this major event. Mr. Kent Schneider, President and CEO of AFCEA International; Mr. Ritchey; Ms. Terry Roberts, NIP President; and Mr. Rich Haver, representing NIF; participated in the ceremony.

From NIF, CDR Houff received a check for $1,000, a commemorative plaque, and the cash equivalent of a five-year membership in NIP, since he is already a lifetime member as a result of winning the NIF-Navy League Award “for exceptional leadership in providing excellence in operational intelligence support to the fleet” in 2003. During that period he was assigned to the USS George Washington Battle Group during Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and SOUTHERN WATCH.

CDR Houff received a three-year membership from AFCEA. 

The second place winner was CAPT Mark D. Dowd, USN. His essay was entitled “Information Dominance: a Warfighting Function?” earned him a $500 check and a one-year NIP membership from NIF and a two year AFCEA Membership from AFCEA.

CAPT Dowd wrote his essay as Commander, Navy Intelligence Reserve Region Southeast, Fort Worth, Texas. He was deployed to Iraq in 2006-2007 and has three active duty tours since 9/11 to Bahrain, Italy, and the Persian Gulf in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. His essay will also appear in the NIP Quarterly.

NIF, NIP, and AFCEA are currently working the ground rules for the 2010 essay contest.