SAN DIEGO, Calif. — June 27, 2012 — The HALO Corporation today announced its sixth annual HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit, taking place October 29 — November 2, 2012 at Paradise Point Resort, a private island located in San Diego’s Mission Bay. This year’s Summit will take a giant leap forward in homeland security training capabilities, occupying the entire 44-acre island for five days of live action demonstrations, realistic tactical training scenarios, and classroom education from subject matter experts who are all field-proven in their areas of expertise. As one of the nation’s largest multi-jurisdictional counterterrorism events, the Summit will utilize “HALO Island” to educate and train the entire range of national security stakeholders, from law enforcement and border security to government agencies and elite military special operations units. To watch an exclusive video preview of the Summit, please visit www.youtube.com/user/thehalocorp and select “HALO Overview.”
“With this year’s HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit, we set out to create something that’s never been done before,” said Brad Barker, president of the HALO Corporation. “It’s an experiential, multi-jurisdictional “˜trial by fire’ environment where operators and emergency responders can learn from subject matter experts, as well as their counterparts, beyond the typical classroom setting. With water on all sides, a dedicated marina and immersive demonstrations day and night, the sky is literally the limit at HALO Island.”
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
HALO training summits draw the best and brightest minds from the counterterrorism and emergency response fields. This year’s keynote speakers currently include:
“¢ General Michael Hayden (ret.)— Mr. Hayden served as director of the National Security Agency (1999-2005), the first principal director of National Intelligence (2005-2008), and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2006-2009). Following his 39-year career in the Air Force as a four-star general, he is now a principal at the Chertoff Group.
“¢ Deputy Chief Michael Downing – As commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Counterterrorism and Special Operations Bureau, Mr. Downing leads five operational divisions: Major Crimes Division, Emergency Services Division, Metropolitan Division, Air Support Division and Emergency Operations Division. He also sits on the executive board of the Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC).
“¢ Alejandro Poiré Romero — Mr. Romero is Secretary of the Interior for the country of Mexico. He previously served as the director-general of the Ministry of Public Safety and the Center for Research and National Security, a Mexican intelligence agency.
DEMONSTRATIONS ON “˜HALO ISLAND’
Attendees of the HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit will be part of immersive training not normally available at other locations. HALO has partnered with Strategic Operations Inc. to create a realistic tactical training environment utilizing “Hollywood magic.” Located on the lot of Stu Segall Productions, a full-service TV/movie studio, Strategic Operations has provided “Hyper-RealisticTM” training support to more than 600,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guard personnel prior to combat deployment.
Strategic Operations will create at least two Hyper-RealisticTM scenarios during the Summit. The highlight will be a Middle Eastern village featuring state-of-the-art sets, props, battlefield special effects, combat wound effects, medical simulation systems and professional role players. Military, law enforcement, and homeland security personnel will also be able to participate. Observation areas will allow all delegates to view the scenarios live, or on large monitors throughout the venue. Additional demonstrations will include a simulated Somali pirate incursion on the shores of Mission Bay, unmanned aerial vehicles and flyboats, and more.
EDUCATION
The Summit’s multi-track training environment will offer over 30 courses on current and relevant security issues ranging from border and maritime security to cyber terrorism and modern warfare. Many of the courses taught are eligible for continuing education credits. The full schedule will be announced shortly, including courses such as:
“¢ Emergency Response & Disaster Management: First-Person Account of the Floods of the Midwest
“¢ Domestic Counter-Insurgency Operations
“¢ Basic iPhone Forensics and Exploitation for Law Enforcement
“¢ Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking
“¢ Drug Cartels: An American View from Mexico
“¢ Islamic Literalist Ideology
“¢ Foreign Weapons Identification
FREEDOM STATION USA
The HALO Corporation has selected Freedom Station USA as its charity partner for the HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit. Freedom Station is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that provides transitional housing and recovery support services to injured veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Freedom Station assists warriors with the transition from military service to civilian life with a temporary residence facility located near Naval Medical Center San Diego, and services such as educational and career guidance. Freedom Station residents have successfully gone on to new careers outside the military. For more information, please visit www.freedomstation.org.
SUMMIT REGISTRATION AND LODGING
Registration for the HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit is now open. To register, please visit http://www.thehalocorp.com/counter-terrorism-summit. Pricing is $1000 for government, law enforcement, military and EMS professionals, or $1400 for private sector attendees. Hotel rooms can be booked directly through the Paradise Point Resort by visiting www.paradisepointresort.com. This San Diego luxury resort features California beach bungalow-style guest rooms amidst lush, tropical gardens and meandering lagoons. Room rates range from $131-$289, and GSA room rates are also available. For sponsorship and exhibitor information, please contact a HALO representative at (619) 881-9125, ext. 3.
About the HALO Corporation
Founded in 2006, the HALO Corporation is a California-based security organization comprised of former special operations, national security and intelligence personnel. HALO exists to provide safety and security for those in need and to improve all aspects of physical and information security, disaster response and humanitarian aid. Through its three core divisions – training and education, operational services, and science and technology – HALO supports the U.S. military, government and law enforcement agencies, and corporate and international clients. HALO operational services and specializations include: counterterrorism; kidnap and ransom (K&R); executive protection; critical infrastructure protection; disaster management and response; maritime security and force protection; and intelligence, threat reporting and surveillance operations. For more information, please visit www.thehalocorp.com.
