IWC Co-Hosts FBI National Academy Association’s Annual Asia-Pacific Symposium in Vietnam

The Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) co-hosted the FBI National Academy Association’s annual Asia-Pacific symposium in Danang, Vietnam, June 24-25, 2024.

Dr. Jeff Gardner, IWC’s Chief of Curriculum, provided opening remarks and welcomed more than 190 attendees to the annual event.

“The IWC is honored to assist in sponsoring this 24th Asia Pacific Conference to allow continued professional collaboration in dealing with common threats, like cybercrime and illicit use of digital assets,” said Gardner. “We’d like to thank our Vietnamese hosts, the FBI, the FBI National Academy Association, SOCPAC, the national delegations as well as sponsors for this tremendous opportunity.”

Dr. Gardner and Varsha Koduvayur (IWC Contractor, Valens Global) gave a presentation on Gray Zone activities focusing on countering hybrid threats to the nearly 200 participants, including U.S. and international law enforcement personnel who are all graduates of the FBI National Academy.

The IWC team covered strategic frameworks for hybrid threats, and utilized threat finance as a case study to show how law enforcement is already working to counter hybrid threats. This significant multi-national cooperation with law enforcement agencies on countering hybrid threats is paramount to integrated deterrence, building resiliency and countering global irregular activities in collaboration with U.S. allies and partners.

The IWC serves as the central mechanism for developing the Department of Defense’s (DoD) irregular warfare knowledge and advancing the Department’s understanding of irregular warfare concepts and doctrine in collaboration with key allies and partners.

The Center’s foundation is built upon three Lines of Effort:

• AMPLIFY and collaborate to build an innovative and adaptable global networked IW community of interest.
• Strategically ILLUMINATE current and future irregular threats, crises, and obstacles.
• ADDRESS current and future irregular threats to the US, allies, and partners by providing optionality to leaders.

Through these LOEs, the Irregular Warfare Center addresses current and emerging security concerns and challenges with world-class research, rigorous analysis, top-tier strategic education and training for U.S. and international partners.