GEN. Louis Wagner, USA (ret.)

Former Commander, U.S. Army Materiel Command

General Louis C. Wagner, USA (ret.) graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1954 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Armor, in the US Army. In over a thirty-five year military career he served throughout the world in a wide variety of command and staff assignments. His career culminated as Commander of the US Army Materiel Command. Following initial troop assignments, General Wagner attended the University of Illinois where ...

MajGen Larry Taylor, USMCR (ret.)

Former Deputy Commander, Marine Forces Reserve, New Orleans

Major General Larry Taylor served in Iraq in '08-09 as a State Dept contractor, managing a program for Civilian Police International. General Taylor was born March 28, 1941, in New York City. He attended the Atlanta, Georgia, public schools and graduated from Georgia Tech in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management. After designation as a Naval Aviator, he served as a squadron pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron...

LTG. Ted G. Stroup, Jr., USA (ret.)

Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Army Personnel

Lieutenant General Theodore G. Stroup, Jr. most recently served as the Association of the United States Army’s Vice President, Education and as Executive Director of AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare. Prior to his retirement from active service, General Stroup was serving as the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel. As a combat engineer, General Stroup has commanded at all levels. He has extensive overseas service as a sapper in Korea,...

Chief Joseph Polisar, (ret.)

Garden Grove, California Police Department

Chief Joseph M. Polisar began his service to the Garden Grove, California Police Department as Police Chief on June 1, 1998. Previously, he served as Chief of Police for the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department. Chief Polisar served as the 91st president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) from 2003-2004. He was elected to IACP board in October 1997. Joseph Polisar began his career in law enforcement 25 years ag...

VADM James B. Perkins, III, USN (ret.)

Former Commander, Military Sealift Command

Vice Admiral James B. Perkins III, USN (Retired) is the President of L-3 Communications/TMA Corporation. TMA is headquartered in McLean, Virginia; employs over 500 people in ten primary offices and numerous field sites nationwide; and provides project engineering, technical services, and information technology services to support government and commercial clients. Admiral Perkins also serves as the Senior Military Advisor for the American Maritim...

Maj Gen Robert B. Patterson, USAF (ret.)

Former Commander, Air Force Special Operation Command (AFSOC); Former Commander 23rd Air Force, Military Airlift Command; Advisor Emeritus (In Memoriam)

General Patterson retired from the United States Air Force after thirty-three years of distinguished service, during which he served in many important operational and managerial positions. From 1985 to his retirement in November 1989, he served as the first Commander, Air Force Special Operation Command (AFSOC) and also Commander 23RD Air Force, Military Airlift Command. His joint service responsibility was Air Force Component Commander to the...

Dr. Joshua Muravchik

Since March 1987, Joshua Muravchik has been a Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research where he researches the United Nations, neoconservatism, the history of socialism and communism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and global democracy, terrorism, and the Bush Doctrine. He is the author of Heaven on Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism. His professional experience includes serving as an adjunct professor at...

Chief Joseph Morris, (ret.)

Port Authority of NY & NJ Police Department

Joseph M. Morris, Jr. has experience both in the public and private sectors. As a police executive, he demonstrated expertise in developing and maintaining Police/Public Safety and Security Standards for a large metropolitan police department and transportation agency. During his police career, responsibilities included Administrative Management, Investigations and Patrol Functions, Operations/Emergency Response, Safety/ Security Management, Staf...

MG. William C. Moore, USA (ret.)

Former Director of Army Operations and Plans

General Moore was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the infantry upon graduation from the United States Military Academy on 3 June 1952. His initial assignment was to Korea as a rifle platoon leader in Company A, 7th Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division and the US Army Training Center, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. In 1958, he joined the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Georgia, where for two years he commanded Company b of the 9th Infantry Reg...

Hon. Dave McCurdy

Former U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 4th Congressional District

Dave McCurdy was elected President of Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) in October of 1998 and oversees the activities of the national trade organization that includes 2,500 member companies whose products and services range from the smallest electronics components to the most complex systems used by government and industry, including the full range of consumer products. The Alliance is a partnership of electronic and high-tech associations an...

LtGen Frederick McCorkle, USMC (ret.)

Former Deputy Commandant for Aviation

Fred McCorkle retired from the United States Marine Corps on October 1, 2001. Fred last served as the Deputy Commandant for Aviation, Headquarters, Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors and as a Senior Advisor for GKN Aerospace Services. He, additionally serves on the Rolls-Royce North America Board of Directors, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Lord Corporation. Fred also serves on two tax-e...

Lt Gen Charles May, USAF (ret.)

Former Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force

After receiving his commission in the Air Force as a second lieutenant and aeronautical rating as a navigator, General May entered primary pilot training at Bainbridge Air Base, GA., flying T-34s and T-37s. He then was assigned to Reese Air Force Base, TX, where he completed T-33 training in September 1960 and earned his pilot wings. In October 1960, the general transferred to James Connally Air Force Base, TX, to fly T-29s. Later, he became and ...

MajGen Jarvis Lynch, USMC (ret.)

Former Commander, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island and the Eastern Recruiting Region

Major General Lynch, a native of Glassboro, New Jersey, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy on 1 June 1956 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps. Upon completion of The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia, he was designated a Marine Infantry Officer.Major General Lynch, a native of Glassboro, New Jersey, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy on 1 June 1956 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps. Upon co...

VADM Anthony A. Less, USN (ret.)

Former Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet

V. Adm. Anthony A. Less was born in Salem, Ohio on August 31, 1937. Upon graduating from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, he completed the Naval Aviation Officer Candidate Program and was commissioned as Ensign in April 1960. He earned his Naval Aviator's wings in June 1961. Subsequent operational and combat tours included five Light Attack squadron assignments, flying primarily A-4 Skyhawk and A-7 Corsair II aircraft. VAMD Less has logged ...

ADM Jerome Johnson, USN (ret.)

Former Vice Chief of Naval Operations

Admiral Jerry Johnson has extensive experience in government service, defense related industries, financial services, and National Defense Security Programs. From 2002 to 2004, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 385-thousand members of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). Admiral Johnson currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Smiths Detection Inc., and Smiths Interconnect Inc.; Vice Pres...

LTG. Thomas Griffin, USA (ret.)

Former Chief of Staff, Allied Forces Southern Europe in Naples, Italy; Advisor Emeritus (In Memoriam)

Gen. Griffin's last military assignment was as the Chief of Staff, Allied Forces Southern Europe in Naples, Italy in 1988. Other positions that he held include: 3rd Armored Division Commander and the Commander of the Frankfurt Military Community, U.S. Army Berlin Brigade Commander and Commander of the Berlin American Military Community, Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver) 3rd Armored Division (Spearhead) and Commander of the Giessen Military ...

ADM Leon Edney, USN (ret.)

Former Commander, U.S. Atlantic Command; Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic

Adm. Leon Edney, USN (ret.), a native of Dedham, Massachusetts, was commissioned an Ensign in 1957 following his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University in 1963. Designated a Naval Aviator in 1958, Admiral Edney's first operational flying tours were with Air Antisubmarine Squadrons 27 and 24. Following his graduate studies at Harvard, he served a two-year tour in Wash...

Maj Gen Robert D. Eaglet, USAF (ret.)

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management Policy and Program Integration, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition

General Robert D. Eaglet retired as deputy assistant secretary for management policy and program integration, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. General Eaglet entered the Air Force from Cleveland, where he graduated from East High School. He received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arizona in 1962 and a doctorate in electrical engineering from the ...

Hon. Eric Cantor

Former House Majority Leader

Eric Cantor is the Vice Chairman and a Managing Director at Moelis & Company where he also serves on the Board of Directors. He joined the Firm to advise clients on public policy issues across industry sectors, particularly where international business and finance intersect. Mr. Cantor, who has more than 25 years of political and business experience, was formerly United States Representative from Virginia. He served as House Majority Leader f...

Hon. J. Kenneth Blackwell

Former Ohio Secretary of State

Ken Blackwell has a distinguished record of achievement as a finance executive, entrepreneur, diplomat, educator and independent corporate director. He is one of the nation's leading conservative voices and a strong advocate for free market enterprise. In 2006, he became the first African-American in Ohio history to be a major party nominee for governor. Testimony to his impact on national economic and tax debates was the endorsement and strong s...

Deputy Chief Michael Berkow, (ret.)

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)

Appointed in April 2003, Michael Berkow was the first outside sworn deputy chief in the history of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The LAPD has over 13,000 employees with approximately 9,300 sworn officers serving a city of 470 square miles and a population of almost 4 million residents. As deputy chief, Berkow commands the Professional Standards Bureau, responsible for all police misconduct and corruption investigations as well as the ...

Sheriff Kevin Beary, (ret.)

Orange County, FL

Sheriff Kevin Beary is the chief law enforcement officer of Orange County. Elected in 1992, the sheriff commands one of the largest agencies in the southeastern United States. With an annual budget exceeding $131 million and over 2,200 employees, Sheriff Beary is responsible for the safety of over 960,000 residents and the more than 43 million tourists that visit Orange County each year. In addition, Sheriff Beary is president of the Major Cou...

Prof. Anne Bayefsky

Anne Bayefsky is a senior fellow with Hudson Institute. Before joining Hudson, she was an adjunct professor and associate research scholar from 2002 to 2004, and a visiting professor from 2001 to 2002, at Columbia University Law School in New York. In 1996, Bayefsky joined the Department of Political Science at York University in Toronto as a Full Professor. She is currently on leave. From 1996 to 1999, she was the director of York's Centre for R...

Hon. Bill White

Former Mayor of Houston

A three-term mayor of Houston, Texas, Bill White was born in San Antonio in 1954, the child of schoolteachers. He then attended Harvard on a scholarship, where he graduated in economics. After studying law at the University of Texas at Austin, where he edited the college law review, White joined the Houston practice of Susman Godfrey LLP, eventually becoming partner. After 14 years with the firm, he joined the Clinton administration in 1993 as De...

Oliver "Buck" Revell, (ret.)

Former Associate Deputy Director, FBI

Mr. Revell is President of Revell Group International, Inc., Rowlett, Dallas County, Texas; he serves as the Executive Vice President of Rogue DNA, Inc of Vancouver, Canada, as a Trustee of the Center for American & International Law, Plano, Texas; a director of Vance Security USA, Inc., Oakton Virginia; the Chairman, Board of Directors, Middle East Media Research Institute, (MEMRI) Washington, DC; and Senior Advisor to Synfuels International...

RADM Edward Masso, USN (ret.)

Former Commander Navy Personnel Command; Former Deputy Chief, Naval Personnel

A native of San Clemente, California, Rear Admiral Masso graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1977 and was commissioned an ensign through the NROTC program. While assigned in USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964), he served as First Lieutenant, Navigator, and ASW Officer. Following his division officer tour he was a Joint Chiefs of Staff Intern and a junior officer assignment officer in the Bureau of Naval Personnel’s Surface Warfare Distribut...

Chief Bill McSweeney, (ret.)

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Chief William J. McSweeney, a 37-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, assumed command of the Detective Division on March 21, 2010. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the six bureaus that comprise the Division: Narcotics Bureau, Homicide Bureau, Special Victims Bureau, Commercial Crimes Bureau, Major Crimes Bureau, and the Taskforce for Regional Autotheft Prevention. Prior to this assignment, ...

RADM William F. Merlin, USCG (ret.)

Former Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, New Orleans

Admiral Merlin is a native of Tampa, Florida, where he now resides after completing a thirty-four year career in the U. S. Coast Guard. During Admiral Merlin’s Coast Guard career, he was assigned on Coast Guard Cutters in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf, and Caribbean, and served in several shore engineering and RDT&E billets, notably the National Data Buoy Project, before serving as the Twelfth District Chief of Operations and Chief of Staff i...

RDML Thomas J. Wilson, III, USN (ret.)

Former Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy

Rear Admiral Wilson is a native of Charleston, S.C., and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1973. Early tours at sea were in cruisers, carriers and a destroyer. He served as executive officer in USS TRUXTUN (CGN 35). Rear Admiral Wilson’s first command was USS BARBEY (FF 1088). He deployed to the Arabian Gulf, arriving 2 August 1990 and was part of the initial Gulf maritime interception operations for Operation Desert Shield. ...

LTG. Guy Swan, USA (ret.)

Former Commander, United States Army North (Fifth Army)

General Swan is the Vice President for Education at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) and the Executive Director of the Institute of Land Warfare in Arlington, VA. AUSA is a private, professional, non-profit educational organization that supports the United States Army – Active, National Guard, Army Reserve, Army Civilians, concerned citizens, Veterans, Retirees, Wounded Warriors, and family members. Lieutenant General Guy C. ...

Lt Gen Tad J. Oelstrom, USAF (ret.)

Former Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy

Lt. Gen. Tad J. Oelstrom, USAF (ret.) serves as the Director of the National Security Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He also served as the fourteenth Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The general was born in Milwaukee and earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy. A career fighter pilot, he is a graduate of the Fighter Weapons Instructor Co...

Gen Hal M. Hornburg, USAF (ret.)

Former Commander, Air Combat Command; Former Air Component Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command and U.S. Northern Command

Gen. Hal M. Hornburg was the Commander, Air Combat Command, with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and Air Component Commander for U.S. Joint Forces Command and U.S. Northern Command. General Hornburg is responsible for organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and warti...

LtGen Earl B. Hailston, USMC (ret.)

Former Commander, U.S. Marine Forces Pacific; Commander, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command; Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific; Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Bases, Pacific

Lieutenant General Earl B. Hailston served as the Commander, U.S. Marine Forces Pacific/Commander, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command/Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific/Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Bases, Pacific headquartered at Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. He assumed his current assignment on August 10, 2001. General Hailston enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1967. Following graduation from boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina,...

Gen Don G. Cook, USAF (ret.)

Former Commander, Air Education and Training Command

Donald G. Cook is a retired United States Air Force four star general who served as Commander, Air Education and Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas from 2001 to 2005. As Commander, he was responsible for the recruiting, training and education of Air Force people. His command includes the Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered air forces and Air University. Air Education and Training Command consists of 13 bases, more than 66,0...

Senator Joseph Lieberman

(In Memoriam) Former U.S. Senate from Connecticut

Senator Lieberman served as senior Counsel at the law firm of Kasowitz, Benson, Torres, and Friedman in New York. For 24 years, he served in the U.S. Senate from Connecticut, serving as Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He was also a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. Before his 1988 election to the U.S. Senate, Senator Lieberman served 10 years in the Connecticut State Senate and six years as...

Hon. Shelley Berkley

Former U.S. Representative for Nevada’s 1st Congressional District

Shelley Berkley, was the U.S. Representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district, serving since 1999 until 2013. After obtaining her law degree in 1976 from the University of San Diego School of Law, Berkley returned to Las Vegas and began her professional career. She practiced law for several years, mainly as a member of the legal counsel for several Las Vegas casinos. She also served as the national director for the American Hotel-Motel Ass...

MajGen John A. Gallinetti, USMC (ret.)

Former Deputy Commander, Marine Forces Command

Major General Gallinetti received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in June 1972 upon graduation from California State University, Fresno, CA. His assignments have included Fleet Marine Force tours with 1st, 2d, and 3d Marine Aircraft Wings and with I, II, and III Marine Expeditionary Forces. He commanded aviation units at the Squadron, Group and Commander Marine Corps Air Bases levels, and served at diffe...

COL. Jack Jacobs, USA (ret.)

Medal of Honor Recipient

Jack Jacobs was born in Brooklyn, New York. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Rutgers University and entered the U.S. Army in 1966 as a Second Lieutenant through the ROTC program. He served as a platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division, executive officer of an infantry battalion in the 7th Infantry Division, and commanded the 4th Battalion 10th Infantry in Panama. A member of the faculty of the US Military Academy, Jacobs taug...

ADM Mark P. Fitzgerald, USN (ret.)

Former Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples

Admiral Mark Fitzgerald currently consults with numerous defense and commercial maritime and aviation contractors. He is Chairman of the Board of the Association of Naval Aviators and Vice Chairman of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. He was commissioned in the U.S. Navy in 1973, designated a naval aviator in October 1975 and retired from active duty on 1 December 2010. From November 2007 to October 2010, he was Commander, Allied Joint For...

RADM Garry J. Bonelli, USN (ret.)

Former Force Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command

Admiral Bonelli’s distinguished career spanned 45 years of active and reserve service. He made combat deployments in Vietnam as a frogman, and served as the commanding officer of SEAL Team 5 during the 1990 Gulf War. Recalled to active duty again in 2006, Bonelli was promoted to Flag rank and served as Deputy Commander and the ninth Force Commander of Naval Special Warfare. He provided the vision and leadership for a 9,000-person worldwide m...

Lt Gen Mark D. Shackelford, USAF (ret.)

Former Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition

Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford, USAF (ret.) serves the aerospace industry and the U.S. Government as an executive consultant for acquisition program management, systems engineering, and business development. He has shaped capture strategies for several aircraft and satellite programs, assessed SpaceX’s launch vehicle certification timeline, and reviewed major acquisition programs for the Department of Defense. He provides expert advice to senior cor...

MG. John A Macdonald, USA (ret.)

Former CJ3 Operations Officer for a Four Star, United Nations, Combined and Joint Command in Korea

John completed 33+ years of service to the Nation retiring on 31 AUG 2012. During his time in the Army, he served 17 years outside of the US.  He led troops in combat in Grenada, Saudi Arabia and Iraq and most recently in Afghanistan.  John was an attack helicopter aviator serving 5 years in the 82nd Airborne Division and 18th Airborne Corps, 10 years along the Demilitarized Zone in Korea,  6 years in Germany before, during and after the fall ...

Lt Gen Michael C. Gould, USAF (ret.)

Former Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy

Lt. Gen. Michael C. Gould served as the 18th Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., from June 2009 to June 2013. He retired from the United States Air Force in July 2013. Lt. Gen. Gould earned his commission and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1976. He commanded an operations group, an air refueling wing, an air mobility wing and the Cheyenne Mountain Operations C...

Gen Duncan J. McNabb, USAF (ret.)

Former Commander, United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM)

Gen. Duncan J. McNabb is the former commander, United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, IL. USTRANSCOM is the single manager for global air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense (DOD). Gen McNabb had command over $56B in strategic transportation assets, 150,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and civilians, and a worldwide command and control network. He also served as DOD’s Distribution Process Owner,...

LTG. Rhett Hernandez, USA (ret.)

Former First Commander, Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER)

Lieutenant General Hernandez retired on 1 November 2013 following 39 years of distinguished service in the United States Army. His last active duty assignment was as the first Commander of Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER), where he was responsible for the daily operations and defense of all Army networks, and when directed, conduct the full range of cyberspace operations. In addition to building a cyber force of more than 17,000 people, he led the de...

Devon Cross

Devon Cross is Director of The Policy Forum on International Affairs in London. She was founder and president of The Donors Forum on International Affairs, was executive director of the Gilder Foundation in New York City, and president of the Donner Canadian Foundation in Toronto. From 1984-1993, Mrs. Cross was director of the Smith Richardson Foundation in New York. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and attended The Johns Hopkins School ...

Fred Zeidman

Over the course of his distinguished 45-year career, Zeidman has been involved in numerous high-profile workouts, restructurings and reorganizations. He was former CEO, President and Chairman of Seitel, Inc., a Houston-based provider where he was instrumental in the successful turnaround of the Company. He most recently served as Chief Restructuring Officer of Transmeridian Exploration, Inc. and Interim President of Nova Biosource Fuels, Inc., a ...

VADM Carol M. Pottenger, USN (ret.)

Former Deputy Chief of Staff, Capability Development at NATO Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation

VADM Carol M. graduated from Purdue University in May 1977, and was commissioned as an ensign through NROTC. One of the first women selected for sea duty, VADM Pottenger served as a division officer, department head and executive officer on a range of repair and combat support ships. VADM Pottenger assumed command of USS Shasta (AE 33) in 1996, and of USS Bridge (AOE 10) in 2001; completing several deployments and awarded the Battle E and the...

Morris J. Amitay

(In Memoriam)

Morris Amitay (“Morrie”) began his Washington career in the Executive Office of the President at the beginning of the Kennedy Administration following his graduation from the Harvard Law School. He also received a Masters’ Degree from Harvard in Public Administration, and earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia. Amitay was appointed as a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of State in 1962. During his seven years in the ...

GEN. James D. Thurman, USA (ret.)

Former Commander, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea

A native of Marietta, Oklahoma, General Thurman earned his commission through ROTC at East Central Oklahoma University in 1975. His first three commands were in Germany where he led a troop in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the 2d Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment; followed by the 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. He then commanded 2d Brigade, 3d Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. His next assignment was as...

GEN. Walter “Skip” Sharp, USA (ret.)

Former Commander, United Nations Command, Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea

General Walter “Skip” Sharp was born in Morgantown, West Virginia while his father was fighting in the Korean War. General Sharp graduated from West Point in 1974 and was commissioned as an armor officer. He earned an M.S. in operations research and system analysis from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is a graduate of the Army War College. General Sharp commanded the United Nations Command, Republic of Korea-United States Combined For...

Gen James F. Amos, USMC (ret.)

35th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps

General Amos most recently served as the 35th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring on Dec. 1, 2014, after 42 years of active service. Born in the northwest, General Amos graduated from the University of Idaho in January 1970 with a degree in Finance. After commissioning, he attended naval pilot training in Pensacola, FL, and was designated a Naval Aviator on 23 November 1971. General Amos was privileged to command Marine units at e...

MG. Robert G.F. Lee, USA (ret.)

Former Adjutant General, State of Hawaii, Department of Defense

Major General Robert G.F. Lee was appointed the Adjutant General, State of Hawaii, Department of Defense, on January 1, 2003 and served until January 8, 2011. In addition to commanding 5,500 soldiers and airmen, he served as the director of State Civil Defense (Emergency Management), heads Homeland Security for the State of Hawaii, provides direct support to the Office of Veterans Services, and mentored Hawaii’s at risk youths toward high schoo...

LTG. John D. Johnson, USA (ret.)

Former Director, Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO)

John D. (JD) Johnson retired as a Lieutenant General following a 38-year career in the U.S. Army. While serving in the Army, he held numerous senior command and staff positions. He served as the Deputy Commanding General for the U.S. Army I Corps and Deputy Commanding General for Operations of Multinational Corps-Iraq between August 2008 and November 2010. He served as the Eighth U.S. Army Commander and Chief of Staff for U.S. Forces-Korea from N...

LTG. Howard B. Bromberg, USA (ret.)

46th Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1

Lieutenant General Howard B. Bromberg retired from military service on October 1, 2014. He served as the U.S. Army’s 46th Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 from July 21, 2012 until his retirement. As the Army G-1, Lieutenant General (Retired) Bromberg was responsible for developing, managing, and executing manpower and personnel plans, programs, and policies for the total Army. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Deputy Commanding General/Chief...

Lt Gen Jay Silveria, USAF (ret.)

Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Jay B. Silveria is the Executive Director of Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government & Public Service in Washington, DC. Appointed to the position by Bush School Dean Mark Welsh III in September 2020, Silveria brought with him a wealth of experience and a vision to provide a stellar educational experience to graduate students seeking careers in government and public service. Prior to joining the Bus...

Lt Gen Kevin McLaughlin, USAF (ret.)

Former Deputy Commander, United States Cyber Command

Lt Gen J. Kevin McLaughlin, USAF (ret.) has over 35 years of experience in the space and cyberspace business with a focus on creating and leading large-scale, innovative, global organizations, and with unique strengths in operations, strategic planning, policy development, organizational transformation, and human capital development. He is the Director of the Program for Cyber Policy, Strategy, and Security and an Adjunct Professor of Practice a...

Gen. Frank Gorenc, USAF (ret.)

Former Commander of US Air Forces Europe, Commander US Air Forces Africa and Commander, NATO Allied Air Command at Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Director, Joint Air Power Competence Centre, Kalkar, Germany

Frank Gorenc retired from the United States Air Force at the rank of General after 37 years of active duty service. He held a variety of demanding command and staff positions culminating as the Commander of US Air Forces Europe, Commander US Air Forces Africa and Commander, NATO Allied Air Command at Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Director, Joint Air Power Competence Centre, Kalkar, Germany. In this role, he was responsible for Air Force activiti...

MG Sidney Shachnow, USA (ret.)

Former Commander, U.S. Army Special Forces Command; Senior Advisor Emeritus (In Memoriam)

MG Sidney Shachnow survived imprisonment, the Nazi Holocaust, and the Second World War to become one of the most influential Army Special Forces officers of the post-Vietnam era. A lieutenant who volunteered for SF in 1963, he commanded at all levels, from detachment to a two-star Army command. During the post-Vietnam era, Shachnow worked with others to establish SF as a branch, building units and commands that are fully engaged today in the camp...

Lt. Gen. William J. Bender, USAF (ret.)

Former Chief Information Officer, United States Air Force

Lt. General (Ret) William J. Bender currently serves as Senior Vice President - Strategic Account Executives & Government Relations, within the Business Development & Strategy Group at Leidos. General Bender is responsible for strengthening and advancing trusted relationships with customers and advancing strategic initiatives to foster enterprise growth. General Bender brings more than 34 years of military experience and executive-leve...

LTG Kevin W. Mangum, USA (ret.)

Deputy Commanding General of U.S Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Lieutenant General Kevin W. Mangum served over 35 years in the U.S. Army with his final assignment being the Deputy Commanding General of U.S Army Training and Doctrine Command. He was commissioned from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1982. After completion of the Officer Rotary Wing Aviator Course in 1983, he served in a variety of special operations, conventional and joint assignments. His commands include the US A...

LtGen Thomas L. Conant, USMC (ret.)

Former Deputy Commander, United States Pacific Command

Tom Conant is an Independent Consultant who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. His consulting roles include Board of Strategic Advisors (Maritime) for General Atomics Aerial Systems Incorporated; Board of Advisors for KARGO UAS, Kaman Corporation; and Board of Advisors, Capewell Aerial Delivery Systems LLC. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, President’s Council for the National Naval Aviation...

GEN Herbert J. Carlisle, USAF (ret.)

Former Commander, Air Combat Command

Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle became president and chief executive officer of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) June 15, 2017. Gen. Carlisle came to NDIA after a 39-year career in the Air Force, from which he retired as a four-star general in March 2017. His last assignment was as commander, Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Before that, Carlisle was the commander of Pacific Air Forces; the air comp...

VADM Herman A. Shelanski, USN (ret.)

40th Naval Inspector General

Vice Adm. Herman Shelanski holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado and a Master of Science in Electrical and Space Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. He was enrolled in Eta Kappa Nu Electrical Engineering Honor Society for Academic Excellence. He earned a Doctor of Science, Honous Causa, University of Colorado. He is a graduate of the Navy Nuclear Power Scho...

COL. Henry (Butch) Kievenaar, USA (ret.)

Former Chief, Director’s Strategy Group, Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO)

Mr. Henry “Butch” A. Kievenaar, III is a 1985 Distinguished Military Graduate from George Mason University and was commissioned in Armor. He later received a Master’s degree in Military Arts and Sciences. His professional military education includes the Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Airborne School, Combined Arms and Services Staff School and U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Mr. Kievenaar's assignments include dut...

VADM William R. Burke, USN (ret.)

Former Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Warfare Systems (N9)

Vice Admiral (ret) Burke joined Carnival Corporation & PLC in December of 2013 as Chief Maritime Officer where he is responsible for leading the company’s commitment to health, environment, safety, security, and sustainability. A native of Hornell, N.Y., Burke graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering and completed a Master of Business Administration at Marymount University. He earne...