It’s been one year since we started CIMSEC as an experiment in empowering maritime security collaboration and discussion (alright, after I stared it as a. During this time we’ve published over 250 articles and posts on the NextWar blog and have grown to over 100 members. Our articles and authors have been re-run, cited, or quoted in media from the Sunday Times of London to the Somaliland Sun (ironically a pirated article on Somali piracy).

As an organization of volunteers we’ve relied on the uncompensated hard work and efforts of many individuals, and have received help, publicity, and endorsements from many other good people and our partner sites (at right). We’re also thankful for you, our members and readers, who by your commentary, words of encouragement, and visits to the site have spurred us on to continue our endeavor. Not all of our undertakings have succeeded, and our project ideas are often bigger than our free-time allows – but we’ll keep striving to improve in Year 2 to improve our forum for connecting with others and developing ideas for maritime security.

On Tuesday we’ll celebrate at Old Dominion Brewhouse in Washington, DC – 1219 9th St NW – from 5 to 8pm (Convention Center/Mt. Vernon Square stop on the Green/Yellow Lines). Feel free to drop for an informal discussion of our April Analysis Week and a chance to share a few beers with fellow maritime folk.

Hope to see you there!