Spy Museum Honors Admiral McRaven, L3 Warriors at Webster Distinguished Service Gala

PROGRAM FOCUSED ON THE TENACITY AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS TO THE FIELD OF NATIONAL SECURITY

WASHINGTON, DC (November 29, 2018) – Last night, the International Spy Museum (SPY) gathered the Intelligence Community (IC), business leaders, members of Congress, ambassadors, and philanthropists for the second annual Honorable William H. Webster Distinguished Service Award Dinner to celebrate the 2018 Webster honoree, Admiral William H. McRaven, former commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), who oversaw Operation Neptune Spear, the 2011 Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden. 

CNN’s Lead Political Anchor and Anchor of “The Situation Room” Wolf Blitzer emceed for the second straight year, and Congressman Adam Schiff was among the esteemed program speakers.  The dinner’s theme was a Salute to Special Operations Forces, putting a spotlight on the work of individuals and companies in the special ops space.  Fittingly, SPY chose this year to unveil its new Innovation Award, recognizing organizations that create an innovative product or process allowing those involved in intelligence work, both domestically and abroad, to best complete their missions.  The inaugural honor was presented to L3 Warriors Sensor Systems, the maker of four nodule night vision panoramic view systems used by warfighters, first responders, and those on the ground in special operations. 

“As someone who has worked directly with the hardworking men and women in special operations, it’s a distinct privilege to focus attention on their unmistakable contribution to National Security,” said Spy Museum Executive Director Col. Christopher P. Costa, who was inducted into the Commando Hall of Honor for US Special Operations Command in 2013.  “Special ops is inextricably tied to the International Spy Museum’s content and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to share its story as part of the larger intelligence narrative.”

(L-R) CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Admiral William McRaven, Congressman Adam Schiff, and Spy Museum Executive Director Chris Costa join together for the Museum’s second annual Honorable William H. Webster Distinguished Service Award Dinner. Photo by Imagelinkphoto.com.

In addition to his work commanding JSOC, the acclaimed career of the 2018 Webster honoree Admiral McRaven includes Commander of US Special Operations (2011-2014), Commander of Special Operations Command Europe, first Director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Center, more than 37 years of service in the US Navy, and, until recently, Chancellor of The University of Texas System. He is also the author of #1 New York Times bestseller Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World.

There were more than 600 people in attendance at The Ritz-Carlton, including FBI Associate Deputy Director Paul Abbate; DIA Director Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr.; NSA Executive Director Harry Coker, Jr.; Former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and former Acting Director Michael Morell; Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration Edward Gistaro; Former Navy SEAL and the President’s nominee to lead the National Counterterrorism Center Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire, USN, Retired; Lieutenant General Richard Douglas Clarke; Vice Commander, Headquarters US Special Operations Command Lieutenant General James C. “Jim” Slife; Congressman Ro Khanna; Congressman Joaquin Castro; Congressman Will Hurd; Ambassador of Albania to the US Her Excellency Floreta Faber; Ambassador John Negroponte; Ambassador of Japan to the US His Excellency Shinsuke Sugiyama; General Bryan Douglas Brown; Medal of Honor recipient Lieutenant Navy SEAL Thomas R. Norris; among others.

Also present were Spy Museum President and COO Tamara Christian and Executive Director Chris Costa, Museum Founders Milton and Tamar Maltz, and Board of Directors Founding SPY Executive Director Peter Earnest, Mary Kraft, Adrian Martinez, Thomas P. Melcher, H. Keith Melton, and Lori Stokes.  Members of the Spy Museum Advisory Board also joined, including Alison Pentz Bouwmeester, Rollie Flynn, Melissa Boyle Mahle, Keith J. Masback, Jonna Mendez, Robert Wallace, and Kristin Wood.

Former Director of the National Security Agency and of the Central Intelligence Agency General Michael V. Hayden and Former Regional President of PNC Bank for the Greater Washington Area Michael N. Harreld co-chaired the award dinner.  The Honorable and Mrs. William H. Webster, the namesake of the award, served as Honorary Committee co-chairs.  Governor James and Mrs. Janet Blanchard were co-chairs of the Host Committee.  Chair of the Corporate Committee was Jill Singer, Vice President, National Security, AT&T Global Public Sector.

Peraton was the presenting sponsor, Hawthorn was the bar sponsor, and PenFed Credit Union was the valet parking sponsor. FedData sponsored the cocktail reception, Carahsoft sponsored the VIP reception, and Jacobs sponsored the dessert reception.  The centerpiece sponsor was AT&T.  Handler sponsors include Cisco Systems, Polaris Industries, CompTIA, L3 Technologies, and Oracle Corporation.

Funds raised at the Webster Dinner support artifact preservation, educational programming, research, exhibits, and accessibility programs for underserved communities. For information about ways to support the International Spy Museum or future sponsorship opportunities, please contact Vice President of Development & Membership, Rebecca Diamond at 202.654.0954 or rdiamond@spymuseum.org.

For additional photos from the event or general inquiries about the Museum, please contact Aliza Bran at 202.654.0946 or abran@spymuseum.org.

 

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About the International Spy Museum

The International Spy Museum, an independent nonprofit organization, is the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to the tradecraft, history, and contemporary role of espionage and intelligence. Open since July 2002, the Museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display. The mission of the International Spy Museum is to educate the public about espionage and intelligence in an engaging way and to provide a context that fosters understanding of their important role and impact on current and historic events. The Museum's collection chronicles the history of espionage, from its inception, to the modern day challenges facing intelligence professionals worldwide in the 21st Century. In spring 2019, the International Spy Museum will open in a new, purpose-built facility in L’Enfant Plaza, Washington, DC.