We are honored to have an incredible lineup and variety of distinguished speakers for the the Marine Parents conference in April, 2006. Our speakers represent military and civilian, Marine Corps and Navy, retired and active duty, all of which have the common thread of serving tours of duty in combat zones past and present as active duty, embedded, or attached to Marine Corps units. We're guaranteed to hear lively, intellectual, entertaining and thought provoking speeches to enrich our lives and our knowledge base.

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Cowan
United States Marine Corps, Retired
Our keynote speaker will be retired U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel Bill Cowan of the Fox News Channel. Bill enlisted in the Navy at age 17, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, served 3 ½ years in combat in Viet Nam, most on special assignments, and spent over 11 years involved in clandestine operations into the Middle East both during and after his time as a Marine. In the early '80's, he was the sole Marine assigned to the Pentagon's most classified counterterrorist unit, and he led the clandestine operational element into Beirut to seek out and target those responsible for the bombing of the U.S. Marine compound in 1983.

Following retirement from the Marine Corps, he served as a staffer in the U.S. Senate and was one of the authors of the legislation creating the U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa, FL.

Besides appearing regularly on television and radio, Bill has his own company in Virginia, providing services to the U.S. government. Known for his insightful, frank, and non-partisan views, his talk will reflect on the Corps, the role of the media in today's Global War on Terror, and the challenges he believes our nation faces in the future.

Lieutenant Colonel Cowan will be the keynote speaker at the banquet on Saturday evening, April 22, 2006.

Colonel Bryan McCoy
United States Marine Corps
Colonel Bryan McCoy was the commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion 4th Marine Regiment from May 2002 through July 2004 and led his battalion through two combat tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 3rd Battalion was the first Marine unit to enter Baghdad on April 7, 2003, and it was this unit that pulled down the Saddam statue in Firdos Square on April 9, 2003. In the second tour the 3rd Battalion saw action during Operation Vigilant Resolve in Fallujah in April and May of 2004.

McCoy has served primarily in infantry and light armored reconnaissance units as platoon commander, company commander, and operations officer at the battalion and regimental levels. In 2004, McCoy testified before the United States Congress House Armed Services Committee on the situation in Iraq.

McCoy’s awards include the Legion of Merit with Combat ‘V’, the Bronze Star with Combat ‘V’, and the Combat Action Ribbon with gold star in lieu of second award. He was the winner of the 2003 Navy League General John A. Lejuene Inspirational Leadership Award and has been the subject of articles in Time magazine and New York Times Magazine.

McCoy is a published author on combat leadership (The Passion of Command: The Moral Imperative of Leadership) and is the subject of the book McCoy’s Marines: Darkside to Baghdad by embedded reporter John Koopman. He recently graduated from the National War College in Washington D.C., and is currently the assistant chief of staff/operations officer at the Training and Education Command.

Colonel McCoy will be the guest speaker at the opening and closing ceremonies, Friday evening, April 21, and Sunday morning, April 23, 2006.

Lieutenant Colonel Blankenship
United States Marine Corps
In June of 2003, Lieutenant Colonel Blankenship was assigned as the Operations Officer, Recruit Training Regiment until assuming command of First Recruit Training Battalion in January 2004. After two years in command, and training over 12,000 new Marines, Lieutenant Colonel Blankenship relinquished command in January 2006. He has been selected for promotion to Colonel and assignment to the Naval War College.

We are honored to have Lieutenant Colonel Blankenship speaking on the "State of Bootcamp" Saturday Evening as well as presenting the Bootcamp Breakout Session on Saturday morning.

Michael M. Phillips
The Wall Street Journal
Michael M. Phillips, author of The Gift of Valor and a staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has done four tours in Iraq with 3/7, the Third Battalion, Seventh Marines. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two children.

The Gift of Valor is the story of Jason Dunham, a 3/7 Marine corporal from upstate New York, who threw himself on a grenade to save fellow Marines during a firefight in western Iraq, and of his long journey home to die in the presence of his grief-stricken parents.

Mr. Phillips will be the guest speaker at the banquet on Friday evening, April 21, 2006.

Lieutenant Carey H. Cash
United States Navy
Lt. Carey H. Cash is the author of A Table in the Presence: The Dramatic Account of How A U.S. Marine Battalion Experienced God's Presence Amidst the Chaos of the War in Iraq. He is a US Navy chaplain with infantry Marines. As a chaplain to the Marines, Lieutenant Carey Cash heard the muttered prayers for courage from the thousand-plus men of the "Fightin' Fifth", the first ground force to cross Iraqi borders during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also heard their tear-filled prayers when one of their most beloved leaders became the war's first American casualty. But more than anything, he heard prayers for protection, whispered by each Marine as the battalion moved into the presence of enemies. He is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and was commissioned as a chaplain in 1999. Cash and his wife, Charity have five children, and live near Oceanside, California.

Lieutenant Cash will be the guest speaker to officiate the Worship Service on Sunday morning, April 23, 2006.

Rear Admiral Stuart Franklin Platt
United States Navy, Retired
Admiral Stuart Platt completed a distinguished 31-year military career and has followed it with an equally successful executive career in business, principally in the technology and defense sectors. Appointed by President Reagan as the Navy’s first Competition Advocate General, he led an historic reform program to improve the way the Navy buys ships, aircraft and weapon systems. He was also Deputy Commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command, where he was responsible for the acquisition of Navy surface ships and submarines during the build-up of the 600 ship Navy. He was recently honored by being named to the Cold War Leadership Hall of Fame by the Submarine Force Library & Museum Association. Platt is also the Chairman of the Historic Ships Foundation in San Francisco and was a presidential appointee to the Board of Governors of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Admiral Platt will be the guest speaker at the luncheon on Saturday, April 22, 2006.