Rye Brook economist attends national security seminar

Westmore News, Rye Brook, NY
By: Jananne Abel June 27, 2007

Rye Brook resident Vahan Janjigian, vice president and executive
director of Forbes Advisory Group, Inc. in New York City, recently
participated in a week-long national security seminar sponsored by the
U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.

Janjigian was one of approximately 160 business, government, media and
academic leaders from across the country who took part in the seminar
from June 4-8. The fiveday annual seminar is the capstone event of the
10- month curriculum at the Army War College, the Army’s senior
educational institution.

"It was the best experience I have ever had in my life," said
Janjigian. "It was unbelievable. I have always had a positive feeling
about the military, but this reinforced it."

While the principal purpose of the seminar is to permit the War
College student body to hear a "civilian viewpoint" on defense
matters, it also gives participants an opportunity to meet and
exchange views with the nation’s future military leaders. During the
week participants were assigned to one of 20 student seminar groups to
discuss national security issues.

In inviting civilians to attend this course, "they tried to identify
people they think are influential and can express opinions on
U.S. security issues and relay how the U.S. military feels on issues,"
said Janjigian. "They are trying to improve their image. One way to do
it is to have better relationships with civilian people who would
benefit and relay that."

Unlike with the Vietnam War where people were against the military,
Janjigian said with the Iraq War he doesn’t believe people are against
the military but against the administration, largely because military
service is voluntary.

Topics covered at the seminar ranged from Iraq to the War on Terrorism
to the rising power of China, to education in the U.S. falling behind
that of other countries. It also addressed misconceptions about the
military, said Janjigian, making it clear that the armed forces are
not just full of minorities who are there because they have nothing
else to do.

Among those invited were 40 military officers from foreign countries
ranking from colonel to brigadier general, two of whom were in
Janjigian’s small seminar group, one from Saudi Arabia and one from
Botswana, near the horn of Africa. Others hailed from Great Britain,
Germany, Kuwait, India, Pakistan, Jordan and Egypt.

"The discussions we had were pretty amazing, quite passionate," said
Janjigian. "People feel strongly on certain issues."

"There was a tremendous amount of debate," he added. "I was impressed
with the diversity of opinion and how passionate these officers
are. These are people who take orders at the end of the day, but I was
impressed with how independent thinking and intelligent they are."

Several seminar participants have performed tours in Iraq and some
were returning to Iraq last week.

"Obviously I am concerned for their safety," said Janjigian. "It was
indeed an honor to have spent time with these individuals who
regularly sacrifice so much for their country and often receive little
thanks in return."

Back in October, students from the Army War College went to New York
City to call on different businesses and one of the groups visited
Forbes. Janjigian, an economist who writes a column about the economy
and the stock market, was asked to meet with them.

"I’m sure I was nominated [for this month’s seminar] through that
contact," he said.

The U.S. Army War College was established in 1901 in Washington, D.C.,
"not to promote war, but to preserve peace." The college relocated to
Carlisle, Pa. in 1951. It prepares senior officers to serve in the
highest command and staff positions in the armed forces of the United
States.