AFCEA, (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics
Association) is a non-profit membership association serving the military,
government, industry, and academia as an ethical forum for advancing
professional knowledge and relationships in the fields of communications,
IT, intelligence, and global security.
Founded in 1946, AFCEA International’s roots trace back to the
American Civil War. Today, AFCEA serves as a bridge between
government requirements and industry capabilities, representing the top
government, industry, and military professionals in the fields of information
technology, communications, and intelligence.
AFCEA International has 134 worldwide chapters with 19,000
individual members, 13,000 corporate associates from government,
military, and industry.
Over 1,600 corporate member sponsors, representing the World’s
leading designers, planners, manufacturers, testers and users of systems,
services and components for IT, communications, and intelligence.
AFCEA individual chapters have long enjoyed a reputation as the
premier professional association for individuals committed to excellence in
the previously mentioned disciplines. That reputation was built by
volunteers… intelligent, focused, and dedicated professionals worldwide.
The Blue Angels Pensacola AFCEA chapter’s primary goals are to
provide a strong ethical forum where C4I professionals can exchange ideas
and learn of the latest technologies available in order to satisfy command
and control, electronics, and intelligence requirements and award
scholarships to those in pursuit of such endeavors. Our chapter helps
foster close cooperative relationships among civil government agencies,
the military and industry.
Chapter events include luncheons featuring distinguished guest
speakers, scholarships and awards, annual scholarship fund raising golf
tournament, and access to annual banquets, conferences/symposia that
bring in leading edge technology and Chief Information Officers from all
occupations to discuss information technology issues.
All of these events provide excellent opportunities for members to
interface with government, military, commercial industry, and educational
foundations in a common forum to exchange ideas and solutions.
The AFCEA Awards and Scholarship program promotes academic
excellence in science and engineering at the graduate, undergraduate and
ROTC program levels with the Blue Angels Pensacola chapter supporting
educational and merit endeavors by elementary through high school,
community colleges and universities. The mission is to support
development of engineers and technical personnel through selective
motivational awards, prizes and scholarships, grants for educational
activities of unique and high value and professional educational programs.
The primary fund raising event for the Blue Angels Pensacola
Chapter’s Awards and Scholarship Fund is our annual Golf Tournament.
Past events have provided for the funding for scholarship awards to local
deserving students. Support for higher education is a primary focus for the
organization at the local and national level. In recent years, local
engineering and technology students received several thousands of dollars
in scholarships.
In 2003 $750 Scholarship was awarded to Paul Jones, University of
West Florida student, while pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in
Electrical Engineering. Same year, $750 Scholarship was awarded to Tina
Tallon, Pensacola Junior College student, with a Computer Science major.
In 2004 Liann Lofton was selected to receive the General Emmett
Paige Scholarship, and was presented this award at a Pensacola chapter
meeting by LTG John Dubia, Executive Vice President for AFCEA
International.
In 2005 two students from the University of West Florida were each
awarded significant scholarships with the support of AFCEA International.
Liann Lofton received her second General Emmett Paige Scholarship in the
amount of $2,000. Jenni Williams was one of eleven students nationwide
who received the General John A. Wickham Scholarship in the amount of
$2,000.
In 2006 with the support of AFCEA International, Rick O’Conner,
Marine Science Instructor, Institute of Maritime Studies, Washington High School, Pensacola was awarded a $1,000 Scholarship as a recipient of the
AFCEA Educational Foundation’s Science Teaching Tools Award program.
In 2006 a cash offering of $500 was awarded to the AFCEA Czech
chapter in support of International membership, growth and AFCEA, (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics
Association) is a non-profit membership association serving the military,
government, industry, and academia as an ethical forum for advancing
professional knowledge and relationships in the fields of communications,
IT, intelligence, and global security.
In 2007 two $500 scholarships were provided from the Blue Angels
Pensacola (2005) fund raiser chapter golf tournament. The first $500 was
awarded to Scott T. Murphy, University of South Florida student, for his
pursuit in Nuclear Engineering, and a Tampa AFCEA chapter member.
The second scholarship was awarded to his twin brother, Sam C. Murphy,
a Florida State University student also pursuing education in Nuclear
Engineering, and a Pensacola AFCEA chapter member. Both young men
graduated from Gulf Breeze High School in 2006.
In 2007 two $1,000 scholarships, from the Blue Angels Pensacola
(2006) fund raiser chapter golf tournament were awarded to University of
West Florida and Pensacola Junior College. Bob Pierce, VP Awards and
Education, Pensacola Chapter verified each college recipient met award
criteria.
In 2008 (for 2007) the following scholarships will be awarded:
$1,000 Scholarship as a recipient of the AFCEA Educational Foundation’s
Science Teaching Tools Award program. Shannon Farrell, Science
Teacher Woodlawn Beach Middle School, (Teacher of the Year 2007-2008
WBMS). Farrell played an instrumental part in the WBMS Robotics Team
and their participation in the Boosting Engineering, Science, and
Technology (BEST) local competition, which they won and then went on to
compete at state title level.
$1,000 Scholarship to Sam Murphy, Pensacola AFCEA chapter member.
Sam will be in his third year at Florida State University, participating in the
Florida A& M University/Navy ROTC program.
$1,000 Scholarship to the University of West Florida Foundation, via Ms.
Gretchen Van Valkenburg to be awarded to a student in pursuit of higher
education in the Division of Engineering, Computer Sciences, and/or
Information Technology fields.
$1,000 Scholarship to the Pensacola Junior College Foundation, via Ms.
Meredith Jones-Wolf to be awarded to a student in pursuit of higher
education in the Division of Engineering, Computer Sciences, and/or
Information Technology fields.
In the past, the Blue Angels Pensacola chapter, representing AFCEA
International, has presented UWF Cadet Second Lieutenant Kenneth Torres, UWF Cadet Jenni Williams, UWF Cadet Jonathan Berg, and UWF
Cadet Joseph M. McCandless with AFCEA Honor Awards.
In addition to our scholarships, our fund raising golf tournaments
have allowed us in the past to be a sponsor of the Pensacola Bay Area
Chamber of Commerce Military Appreciation Month (MAM) Student Essay
Contest and to participate in annual MAM Golf Tournaments.
We anticipate an increase in our return from this year’s and future
annual golf tournaments to further enhance our ability to provide awards
and scholarship assistance to deserving students. While the AFCEA Blue
Angels Pensacola Florida Chapter is still a very young organization, it has
made significant strides in becoming a major contributor in the affairs of the
Gulf Coast community. The chapter has received awards for outstanding
achievements as the “Model Chapter of the Year” in 2003 and 2005. The
chapter received the “Albert J. Myer Award for Achievement” in recognition
for total membership growth in 2003 and 2005.