The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society Of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) is hosting a panel discussion reviewing the current status of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) use of commercial satellite communications and providing insights on into the key trends and developments on more than $500 million spent in this area. Confirmed speakers for this event, taking place Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m. EST (networking reception begins at 6:00 p.m.) at International Launch Service‘s McLean, Va., office, include Col. Tom Shearer of the U.S. Air Force‘s National Security Space Office; John Jacobson from Lockheed Martin Space Systems; Leslie Bake from Americom Government Services; and Kathryn Holman from Intelsat Government Solutions Corp. For security reasons, those interested in attending must RSVP to La Rene Tondro via e-mail at [email protected] by close of business today.