AFCEA International (formerly called Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association International), established in 1946, is a nonprofit membership association serving the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

, government, industry, and academia as a forum for advancing professional knowledge and relationships in the fields of communications,

information technology Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as t ...

and

global security ''International Security'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of international and national security. It was founded in 1976 and is edited by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University and publish ...

. AFCEA provides a forum for military, government, academic and industry communities with altogether more than 30,000 members. AFCEA supports local chapters, sponsors events, publishes a magazine, promotes

STEM Stem or STEM most commonly refers to: * Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant * Stem group * Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Stem or STEM can also refer to: Language and writing * Word stem, part of a word respon ...

education and provides member benefits.

History

Following the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, the United States Veterans Signal Association was formed from the original

Signal Corps A signal corps is a military branch, responsible for military communications (''signals''). Many countries maintain a signal corps, which is typically subordinate to a country's army. Military communication usually consists of radio, telephone, ...

established under Maj. Albert J. Myer of the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

. This organization was active for many years, ultimately being augmented by veterans from the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

and

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The American Signal Corps Association, another World War I group, merged with the U.S. Veterans Signal Association in 1918 and was active until 1944 (

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

). In May 1946, Maj. Gen. Harry C. Ingles, Brig. Gen.

David Sarnoff David Sarnoff (February 27, 1891 – December 12, 1971) was a Russian and American businessman who played an important role in the American history of radio and television. He led the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) for most of his career in ...

, and a number of industry leaders joined to found the Army Signal Association, absorbing the remaining chapters of its predecessors. In 1947, the name was changed to the Armed Forces Communications Association, and in 1954 the name evolved as the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. In 1979, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association became international with the establishment of chapters in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. On October 1, 2018, the organization's name was shortened to AFCEA International.

''SIGNAL'' Magazine

''SIGNAL,'' not to be confused with the German ''Signal'' magazine, is a monthly international news magazine targeting government, military and industry professionals active in the information technology and intelligence fields. The magazine was started in 1946. Among the topics covered in the magazine are command, control, communications, computers, intelligence,

surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing, or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...

and

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

(C4ISR);

information security Information security is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. It is part of information risk management. It typically involves preventing or reducing the probability of unauthorized or inappropriate access to data ...

;

cybersecurity Computer security (also cybersecurity, digital security, or information technology (IT) security) is a subdiscipline within the field of information security. It consists of the protection of computer software, systems and networks from thr ...

; research and development;

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

machine learning Machine learning (ML) is a field of study in artificial intelligence concerned with the development and study of Computational statistics, statistical algorithms that can learn from data and generalise to unseen data, and thus perform Task ( ...

big data Big data primarily refers to data sets that are too large or complex to be dealt with by traditional data processing, data-processing application software, software. Data with many entries (rows) offer greater statistical power, while data with ...

, cloud technologies,

electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...

; and

homeland security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...

Online publications

A monthly online newsletter, ''SIGNAL Connections'', is emailed mid-month to members. AFCEA's online directories include the corporate member directory, which provides access to detailed information about the companies that support AFCEA. In addition, information in this directory also is available according to corporate focus categories in the Cybersecurity, Intelligence, Health IT, Education and Homeland Security directories. Organizations provide the information in these online publications, including contacts, business focus, products/services, and/or clients. AFCEA is involved in additional communications technologies, including webinars, podcasts, blogs, and RSS Feeds. AFCEA has a presence in social media platforms.

Foundation

The association, in partnership with the AFCEA Educational Foundation, chapters and members, presents $2 million annually in scholarships, grants and awards in six categories: college students with

science, technology, engineering and mathematics Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of ...

(STEM) majors; current and future teachers of STEM subjects in U.S. middle and high schools; underserved/minority college students studying STEM fields; students in fields related to security such as intelligence, cyber and homeland security; ROTC cadets/midshipmen and military personnel; and students attending the five service academies and other military educational institutions.

Professional Development Center

AFCEA's Professional Development provides a wide range of programs of continuing education, leadership development and technical training courses. Courses are available for presentation on-site at organizations' facilities. In addition, some sessions at AFCEA conferences and chapter events qualify as continuing education to maintain cybersecurity certifications. The association also has partnerships with several higher education institutions that offer members discounts on tuition both in the classroom and online.

Women in STEM

Through leadership development, education, events, and networking, the association helps women advance in their careers.

Early Career Professionals and Students

The Emerging Professionals in Intelligence Community (EPIC) Committee enables young professionals to learn about the various aspects in this specialty field.

Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs

Through the Small Business Committee and several focused events, the association provides strategies and programs about business processes, upcoming contracts and marketing.

Chapters

AFCEA has more than 130 chapters and sub-chapters around the world to provide professional education and networking opportunities. Most hold monthly meetings to exchange ideas about communications, intelligence, cybersecurity and information systems technologies. Nearly one-half of AFCEA's chapters conduct symposia and seminars in addition to other chapter activities. Individual chapters provide college scholarships, fund classroom equipment and mentor students in science fairs and technology clubs.

Conferences

AFCEA conferences offer problem-solving opportunities to C4ISR, intelligence, cybersecurity, homeland security and information technology professionals through exhibits, technical panels and speakers. Events include: * West Conference and Exposition,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

* TechNet Indo-Pacific Conference and Exposition,

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

*AFCEA/George Mason University Symposium, Fairfax, Virginia *Homeland Security Conference, Washington, D.C. * Intelligence and National Security Summit, September,

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

*TechNet Augusta, August

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

*TechNet Cyber,

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

*Classified intelligence events and industry days, various locations * TechNet conferences and expositions in various European locations * Rocky Mountain Cyber Symposium,

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010 United States Census, 2 ...

* Chapter meetings, technical panels and symposia, various locations.

References

{{Authority control Military organizations established in 1946 Professional associations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Fairfax, Virginia 1946 establishments in the United States United States military associations