Reception Events

New Jersey Reception of Champions

April 12, 2023

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted the 7th annual New Jersey Reception of Champions in Camden, NJ on April 12, 2023. The purpose of this event was to recognize the critical role New Jersey plays as home to some of our nation’s best missile defense engineers and warfighters.

We were honored to be joined by Mr. Paul Mann, Program Executive, Sea-Based Weapon Systems & Program Director, Aegis BMD and Captain Sid Hodgson, Commanding Officer, AEGIS Technical Representative to commemorate our Navy Aegis Air and Missile Defense Champions. The Champion engineers and developers of the Aegis Combat System and the Long-Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) were recognized for their excellence as being part of the team that is making the world a safer place.

Huntsville Breakfast of Champions

August 10, 2022 – Huntsville, Alabama: Home and birthplace of our nation’s rocketry and missile defense – we hosted our 20th annual Breakfast of Champions in conjunction with the Space and Missile Defense Symposium, bringing the nation’s missile defense team together to reflect, look forward, and to recognize our missile defense community for its champions.

New Jersey Reception of Champions

December 1, 2021

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted the 6th annual New Jersey Reception of Champions in Camden, NJ on December 1, 2021. The purpose of this event was to recognize the critical role New Jersey plays as home to some of our nation’s best missile defense engineers and warfighters.

We were honored to be joined by Rear Admiral Tom Druggan and Captain Phillip Mlynarski to commemorate our Navy Aegis Air and Missile Defense Champions. The Champion engineers and developers of the Aegis Combat System and the Long-Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) were recognized for their excellence as being part of the team that is making the world a safer place.

New Jersey Reception of Champions

February 17, 2021

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted the 5th annual New Jersey Reception of Champions virtually on February 17, 2021. The purpose of this event was to recognize the critical role New Jersey plays as home to some of our nation’s best missile defense engineers and warfighters.

We were honored to be joined by Rear Admiral Tom Druggan and Captain Phillip Mlynarski to commemorate our Navy Aegis Air and Missile Defense Champions. The Champion engineers and developers of the Aegis Combat System and the Long-Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) were recognized for their excellence as being part of the team that is making the world a safer place.

New Jersey Reception of Champions

December 13, 2019

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted the 4th annual New Jersey Reception of Champions on Decebmer 13, 2019 in Camden, New Jersey. The purpose of this event was to recognize the critical role New Jersey plays as home to some of our nation’s best missile defense engineers and warfighters and additionally this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Aegis Combat System.

We were honored to be joined by Rear Admiral Tom Druggan and Captain Phillip Mlynarski to commemorate our Navy Aegis Air and Missile Defense Champions. The Champion engineers and developers of the Aegis Combat System and the Long-Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) were recognized in New Jersey for their excellence as being part of the team that is making the world a safer place.

New Jersey Reception of Champions

October 11, 2018

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted the 3rd annual New Jersey Reception of Champions. The purpose of this event was to recognize the critical role New Jersey plays as home to some of our nation’s best missile defense engineers and warfighters.

We were honored to be joined by Rear Admiral Tom Duggan and Captain Phillip Mlynarski to commemorate our Navy Aegis Air and Missile Defense Champions. The Champion engineers and developers of the Aegis Combat System were recognized in New Jersey for their excellence as being part of the team that is making the world a safer place. We were also honored to recognize eight warfighters that keep our nation safe.

Huntsville Breakfast of Champions

August 8, 2018

Huntsville, Alabama – home and birthplace of our nation’s rocketry and missile defense – we hosted our 16th annual Breakfast of Champions in conjunction with the Space and Missile Defense Symposium, bringing the nation’s missile defense team together to reflect, look forward, and to recognize our missile defense community for its champions.

Celebrating 35 Years of the Strategic Defense Initiative and the Way Forward for Missile Defense

March 23, 2018

On March 23, 2018, the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance was honored to recognize the best missile defenders from the U.S. Army National Guard in California and the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center during MDAA’s Celebration of 35 Years of the Strategic Defense Initiative at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation in Simi Valley, California.

We had the privilege to have Lt Gen Samuel Greaves, Director of the Missile Defense Agency as our guest speaker to present the way forward for missile defense.

Arizona Reception of Champions

December 15, 2017

On behalf of our efforts to make the world a safer place through the deployment and development of missile defense, we were honored to recognize our best missile defenders and champions of the year from Arizona that contribute to the world on making the world and our nation a safer place at our 3rd Annual Arizona Reception of Champions on Friday, December 15, 2017.

We were honored to be joined by Congresswoman Martha McSally (AZ-2nd District), Lieutenant General Mark Kelly (Commander, 12th AF), and Rear Admiral Johnny Wolfe (Program Executive, Aegis BMD, MDA) in recognizing  our best missile defenders and champions of the year from Arizona.

NATO Live Fire Recognition Event

November 9, 2017

Crete, Greece: The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance was honored to recognize the best missile defense crews of the 2017 Crete Tactical Air and Missile Defense exercise at Crete, Greece. MDAA Alert: Crete Award Ceremony

New Jersey Reception of Champions in Camden, New Jersey

September 22, 2017

MDAA hosted its second annual New Jersey Reception of Champions event in Camden, New Jersey at the Adventure Aquarium.

We were honored to be joined by Lt Gen Sam Greaves (Director, MDA), United States Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1), and Assemblywoman Patricia Egan Jones (NJ State Legislator) to commemorate our Navy Aegis Air and Missile Defense Champions. The Champion engineers and developers of the Aegis Combat System, along with those champions developing the Long Range Discriminating Radar (LRDR) – – were recognized in New Jersey for their excellence as being part of the team that is making the world a safer place.

We were also honored to recognize Aegis BMD Sailors from the USS MAHAN (DDG-72), the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC), and AEGIS TechReps that keep our nation safe.

Huntsville Breakfast of Champions

August 9, 2017

Huntsville, Alabama – home and birthplace of our nation’s rocketry and missile defense – we hosted our 15th annual Breakfast of Champions in conjunction with the Space and Missile Defense Symposium, bringing the nation’s missile defense team together to reflect, look forward, and to recognize our missile defense community for its champions.

MDAA Awards Heroes of the Exercise: TOBRUQ LEGACY 2017

July 22, 2017

M.K. Air Base in Romania: The United States Army Europe led a coalition of ten NATO countries participating in one of the biggest land air and missile defense exercises of this century – Tobruq Legacy. This exercise fused together 22 different land based sensors, located in three large operating areas in Lithuania, Czech Republic and Romania in this exercise to provide the complete air picture to NATO for the efficiency and confidence of firing solutions. It also fused both ballistic missile defense with air defense in this regional exercise, with the intent that they are inseparable in the defense of national borders, forward operating areas, staging areas and critical high priority areas.

New Jersey Reception of Champions in Camden, New Jersey

October 21, 2016

In Camden, New Jersey at the Adventure Aquarium alongside the Delaware River across from Philadelphia, MDAA hosted the first ever New Jersey Reception of Champions event. We were honored to be joined by VADM James Syring, United States Congressman Norcross (D-NJ-1), and Congressman MacArthur (R-NJ-3) to commemorate our Navy Aegis Air and Missile Defense Champions. The Champion engineers and developers of Aegis Combat System, along with those champions developing the Long Range Discriminating Radar (LRDR) – being placed in Alaska in 2020 to increase reliability to defend the U.S. Homeland – were recognized in New Jersey for their excellence as being part of the team that is making the world a safer place.

Arizona Breakfast of Champions in Tucson, Arizona

August 26, 2016

MDAA hosted a Reception of Champions in Tucson, Arizona. We recognized the critical role that Arizona that plays in our nation’s missile defense. For this recognition, we were honored to be joined by Arizona Senator John McCain, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Vice Admiral James Syring, head of the Missile Defense Agency. Also speaking was Dr. Taylor Lawrence, President of Raytheon Missile Systems; Phil Joyce, Vice President of GMD at Orbital ATK; and Lt Gen Chris Nowland, Commander of the 12th Air Force.

Huntsville Breakfast of Champions in Huntsville, Alabama

August 17, 2016

MDAA was honored to host the annual Huntsville Breakfast of Champions at the 2016 Space & Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. It is an annual tradition that we have carried out with missile defense advocates in Alabama for over a decade and a celebration of achievements that have taken place over the past year in missile defense.

Speaking at the event was: Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL); Vice Admiral James Syring, Director of the Missile Defense Agency; Lieutenant General David L. Mann, Commander of U.S. Army SMDC/ARSTRAT, JFCC-IMD; and hosted by MDAA Chairman and Founder Riki Ellison.

Ballistic Missile Defense Breakfast of Champions in Pascagoula, Mississippi

May 6, 2016

Last week, MDAA visited the primary source of modern American sea-power, the ship yards of Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It is there were the majority of the most advanced U.S. warships are constructed, such as Aegis BMD destroyers and the Amphibious LPCs, LHAs, and LPDs, the latter three being new littoral combat vessels designed for coastal warfare. MDAA had the honor to personally visit two brand spanking new ships built at this ship yard: the USS John Finn (DDG-113)—the first Aegis guided-missile destroyer built from the shipyards with baseline 9 and equipped with SPY-1 D(V) radar that has space kill assessment capability —as well as the state-of-the-art LPD 28—an ultra-light littoral transport vessel designed to deploy 800 Marines with all their mechanized equipment and ammunition for amphibious combat missions.

Anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative Speech

March 23, 2016

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance was honored to partner with The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library to commemorate the anniversary of President Reagan’s historic Strategic Defense Initiative Speech. We also presented the Presidential Library with missile defense artifacts and recognized current leadership in the field of missile defense. The recognition ceremony took place Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 6PM at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

MDAA German-U.S. Tactical Firing Awards

October 1, 2015

In the MDAA German-U.S. Tactical Firing Awards which were held in Crete, MDAA honored and recognized the best missile and defense crews from Germany and the United States that participated in the live fire of 37 Patriot interceptors. Medals were given to the best German Launching Crew, the best German Tactical Firing Crew, the best American Tactical Firing Crew, the best German Patriot Maintainer, and the best German Patriot Logistician.

SBX 10th Anniversary

September 22, 2015

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance was privileged to recognize and pay respect to all those that helped create, build, maintain and operate the SBX on its 10 year anniversary here on Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. From MDAA’s first visit to SBX during its construction in Brownsville, to its 10th anniversary on Wednesday, we have been proud to stand with SBX every step of the way.

California Breakfast of Champions

September 14, 2015

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted its first California Breakfast of Champions  to honor and recognize the many valuable and unheralded contributions of the State of California and its citizens to U.S. missile defense. The reception honored the best of the best from the U.S. Military in California and California civilian engineers. The awardees included Sailors from the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), which served for 10 years as the U.S. Navy’s test ship for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system. Also recognized were Airmen from the 7th Space Warning Squadron at Beale AFB, which is home to an Upgraded Early Warning Radar, a central part of U.S. homeland defense sensor architecture.

Texas Reception of Champions

August 28, 2015

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted the 2015 Texas Breakfast of Champions in Fort Worth recognizing those from the 32nd AAMDC and the 11th  and 69th brigades out of Fort Bliss and Fort Hood respectively, as well as the vital role the state of Texas plays in the global missile defense mission.

Huntsville Breakfast of Champions

August 12, 2015

In Huntsville, AL the birthplace of U.S. missile defense, the intercontinental ballistic missile, and the Atlas rockets that put men on the moon, the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance recognized the contributions of the state of Alabama and its citizens to the missile defense mission.

Recognizing Excellence in the Partnership between Japan and the United States

May 28, 2015

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance had the privilege to recognize the U.S.- Japan partnership on the SM-3 Block IIA with members of the U.S. and Japanese governments, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, the U.S. Navy, and U.S. and Japanese industry at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Arizona Reception of Champions

April 10, 2015

In this Reception of Champions in Tucson, Arizona, Arizona was recognized for its critical role it plays in our nation’s missile defense. For this recognition, the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance was honored to be joined by Arizona Senator John McCain, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Congresswomen Martha McSally, representing Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, warfighters from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, and representatives from Arizona’s aerospace industry.

U.S. Seventh Fleet & Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces Aegis BMD Recognition Event

February 23, 2015

In Yokosuka, Japan, MDAA hosted an event to  recognize the accomplishments of the U.S. 7th Fleet and Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces’ Aegis BMD mission. The event highlighted the achievements of the ships and crews of the USS Shiloh (CG-67) and the JS Kirishima (DDG-174) that are currently deployed there.

Recognition of the Tenth Anniversary of the Operational Aegis BMD System

November 14, 2014

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted the 10th Anniversary of the Aegis sea-based ballistic missile defense (BMD) system becoming operational.

A Decade of Missile Defense: Commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of the Operational Ground Based Midcourse Defense System

September 30, 2014

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted a celebration and recognition of the 10th Anniversary of the activation of the Ground Based Midcourse (GMD) Missile Defense System in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

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