Over seven decades of connecting civilian leaders with America's defense community.
The story of DOCA begins with the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC), established in 1948 by Secretary of Defense James Forrestal. Recognizing that a well-informed citizenry is essential to national defense, Forrestal created JCOC to give prominent civilian leaders an inside look at the U.S. military.
By 1952, alumni of these early conferences felt compelled to continue their defense education beyond the initial JCOC experience. They founded the Defense Orientation Conference Association — a nonprofit that would organize its own conferences, briefings, and installation visits to keep members informed about an ever-changing security landscape.
In the decades since, DOCA has taken members to every corner of the globe — from aircraft carriers in the Pacific to NATO headquarters in Brussels, from the DMZ in Korea to U.S. Central Command in the Middle East. Through it all, the core mission has remained the same: educating civilian leaders about defense and national security.
Secretary of Defense James Forrestal creates the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, the Department of Defense's oldest and most prestigious public liaison program. The program gives selected civilian leaders firsthand exposure to all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Alumni of early JCOC sessions form the Defense Orientation Conference Association to continue their education in defense affairs. DOCA is incorporated as a nonprofit organization dedicated to ongoing engagement with the defense community.
DOCA grows significantly during the Cold War as civilian interest in defense policy intensifies. Conferences expand to include NATO headquarters, European command installations, and strategic nuclear facilities. Membership broadens across all 50 states.
To better serve members nationwide, DOCA establishes its regional structure with Regional Vice Presidents coordinating activities and recruitment across designated geographic areas. Regional conferences supplement the national program.
International conferences take members to allied nations in Europe and the Pacific. DOCA members visit U.S. embassies, allied military commands, and forward-deployed forces, gaining insight into America's global defense posture.
Following the fall of the Soviet Union, DOCA conferences address the changing security landscape including NATO expansion, peacekeeping operations, and the transformation of the U.S. military for a new era of challenges.
After September 11th, DOCA's mission takes on renewed urgency. Conferences address counterterrorism, homeland security, operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the challenges facing the All-Volunteer Force during sustained combat operations.
DOCA programs address emerging challenges including cyber warfare, great power competition, the Pacific rebalance, and the modernization of America's nuclear deterrent. Conferences visit U.S. Cyber Command, Space Command, and Indo-Pacific installations.
DOCA adapts to include virtual programming during COVID-19 while resuming ambitious travel schedules. Current focus areas include strategic competition with China and Russia, AI in defense, space domain operations, and Arctic security.