VADM Bird graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Catholic University of America and has completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI in Foreign Affairs, International Relations and National Security.

As a career submarine officer, VADM Bird has served on fast attack and ballistic missile submarines in both the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. His assignments included, USS Seahorse (SSN 669), USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN 641), USS Sea Devil (SSN 664), USS Tunny (SSN 682), and USS Scranton (SSN 756) where he served as the commanding officer and was awarded the Naval Submarine League’s Jack Darby Award for Inspirational Leadership and Excellence in Command, and earned the Submarine Squadron Six (CSS-6) Battle Efficiency “E” for two consecutive years in 1994 and 1995. He commanded Submarine Squadron Eight (CSS-8) which included eight fast attack submarines in Norfolk, VA., from August 1999 to April 2001.

VADM Bird has served as special assistant (Legislative Affairs) to the chief of naval personnel; principal assistant in the Office of Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Undersea Warfare (Readiness and Tactics); division chief for Central, South and Southeast Asia (J5); the assistant deputy director for Political-Military Affairs Asia, J5, on the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the J3/J4 – director for Operations and Plans, Logistics and Engineering, United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), Norfolk, VA. He also has served as the 39th commander of Submarine Group 7, commander, Task Force 74, and commander Task Force 54 in Yokosuka, Japan.

VADM Bird assumed duties as the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, before becoming Commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet. Following his tour at the 7th Fleet, VADM Bird reported to the Pentagon and OPNAV staff as the Director of the Navy Staff.

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Gen. Conway was born in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas and is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. He was commissioned in 1970 as an infantry officer. His company grade assignments included multiple platoon and company commander billets with both the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions; Executive Officer of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63); series and company commander at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego; aide to the Commanding General, and Director, Sea School.

As a field grade officer, he commanded two companies of officer students and taught tactics at The Basic School; he also served as operations officer for the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit to include contingency operations off Beirut, Lebanon; and as Senior Aide to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he was reassigned to the 2nd Marine Division as Division G-3 Operations Officer before assuming command of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines in January 1990.

He commanded Battalion Landing Team 3/2 during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Selected for colonel, he served as the Ground Colonels’ Monitor, and as Commanding Officer of The Basic School. His general officer duties included Deputy Director of Operations, J-34, Combating Terrorism, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.; and President, Marine Corps University at Quantico, Va. After promotion to Major General, he assumed command of the 1st Marine Division. In November 2002, Major General Conway was promoted to Lieutenant General and assumed command of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. He commanded I Marine Expeditionary Force during two combat tours in Iraq. In 2004, he was reassigned as the Director of Operations, J-3, Joint Staff, in Washington, D.C.

General Conway graduated with honors from The Basic School, the U.S. Army Infantry Officers Advanced Course, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the Air War College.

General Conway’s personal decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with palm, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two Gold Stars, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon.

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While serving over 30 years as a fighter pilot, commander and strategist, he attained the rank of Major General. He’s flown F 4, F 16 and A 10 aircraft. Additionally, he flew T 37 and T 38 aircraft as both instructor and commander in the Air Force’s rapid-paced Undergraduate Pilot Training Program.

Following 9/11, General Stutzriem was on the leadership team that directed air operations in Afghanistan resulting in the surrender of the Taliban government in ninety days. He was subsequently awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He pioneered time-sensitive targeting in Afghanistan that led to current high-leverage targeting concepts. During nation-building operations in Iraq, he was assigned to the U.S. Department of State to reinvigorate the political-military interface. He received State’s top service award while acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. His final assignment was as Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy for U.S. Northern Command and NORAD. There, he led a dynamic team that achieved historic breakthroughs in Theater Security Cooperation in the Western Hemisphere and the first Arctic defense strategy. He was a key leader in the modernization of the structure by which defense assets and personnel can be used to assist in missions normally carried out by civil authorities, such as responses to natural and man-made disasters.

After retiring from the military, he established GaleForce Pathways with the purpose of lifting economic opportunity in historically underutilized business zones through the power of small business. General Stutzriem is also the Director of Research for the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. Mitchell Institute is a non-profit organization whose mission is to afford policy leaders effective policy options through the domains of air, space, and cyber that achieve security objectives without placing numbers of American lives at risk.

General Stutzriem has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Arizona State, a Masters in Aviation Management from Embry Riddle, and a Masters of National Security Strategy from the National Defense University.

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After completing his initial nuclear power and submarine training, he served in USS Batfish (SSN 681), USS Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN 658), and USS Seahorse (SSN 669). Admiral Donald was Commanding Officer, USS Key West (SSN 722), from October 1990 to February 1993. He served as Commander, Submarine Development Squadron 12 from August 1995 to July 1997. From June 2002 to July 2003, he was assigned as Commander, Submarine Group 8 and Commander, Submarines Allied Naval Forces South in Naples, Italy. In that capacity, he commanded U. S. and allied submarines in the Mediterranean for Operations ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR and IRAQI FREEDOM. Admiral Donald took command of Naval Submarine Forces, Allied Submarine Command, and Task Forces 84 and 144 in Norfolk, VA in October 2003 and served in that capacity until he was selected to become the fifth Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. His shore assignments included the Pacific Fleet Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board and the staff of the Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion. He also served at the Bureau of Naval Personnel, on the Joint Staff, and as Deputy Chief of Staff for C4I, Resources, Requirements and Assessments, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Admiral Donald assumed duties as the Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program in November 2004 and completed an eight-year term in November 2012. He was transferred to the retired list on 1 January 2013 after a 41-year career in the United States Navy.

Admiral Donald’s awards for his naval service included three awards of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal in addition to several other personal and unit awards. Upon retirement he was presented the National Nuclear Security Administration Gold Medal of Excellence for Distinguished Service and was recognized with the National Award of Nuclear Science and History by the National Atomic Museum Foundation.

In June of 2013, Admiral Donald joined Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. of Alexandria, VA and served as President and Chief Executive Officer until 2015. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for Entergy Corporation, Naval Submarine League, and for Battelle along with being an Executive Advisor for NexPhase Capital Partners. Admiral Donald is a National Association of Corporate Directors Board Leadership Fellow.

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Lieutenant General Glueck’s command experiences include: Marine Medium Squadron 365, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, Joint Task Forces 535 and 505, III Marine Expeditionary Force and the Marine Corps Combat Development Center.

Lieutenant General Glueck’s general officer staff assignments include: Director Expeditionary Force Development at the Marine Corps Combat Development Center, Chief of Staff US Southern Command, Chief of Staff Multi-National Forces Iraq, Director of Logistics and Operations US Africa Command and Deputy Commandant for Combat Development.

Lieutenant General Glueck is a graduate of Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College and NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Illinois and a Master of Science degree in Business Management from Troy State University, Alabama.

Lieutenant General Glueck retired from the Marine Corps in October of 2015; he currently resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife Elizabeth. Lieutenant General Glueck currently serves on the North Carolina Military Foundation, Purple Heart Homes and JINSA advisory boards.

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During his 39 year career Bill Gortney commanded at every level in the Navy. Squadron command tours included VFA-106, the East Coast FA-18 Fleet Replacement Squadron, and VFA-15. Three additional commands were in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, providing support to Maritime Security Operations and combat operations for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi
Freedom. These assignments included Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet / Combined Maritime Forces, Bahrain; Commander, Carrier Strike Group 10, on board USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75); and Commander, Carrier Air Wing 7, on board USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). Four Star commands included U.S. Fleet Forces Command, NS Norfolk, VA, and
his final assignment as Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Northern Command.

Gortney’s additional tours provided extensive fleet, joint, overseas, and Washington D.C. experience, to include assignment as Director, Joint Staff. He holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Gortney flew over 5,360 mishap-free flight hours and completed 1,265 carrier-arrested landings. He is authorized to wear multiple awards to include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (two awards), The Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, the Sea Service Ribbon (8 awards), and the Overseas Service Ribbon (2 awards). Foreign awards include recognition from Bahrain, France, Mexico (2 awards), and Canada.

Admiral Gortney currently continues to serve in both public and private capacities, to include:

• Member, Board of Advisors Draken International, Inc
• Senior Fellow for CAPSTONE, National Defense University
• Highly Qualified Expert, Naval War College
• Member, Elon University President’s Advisory Council
• Independent consultant for Boeing Defense, Space & Security
• Member, Board of Directors Hampton Roads Navy League
• Distinguished Advisor, Wings Over America Scholarship Foundation

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General Chilton is a distinguished graduate of the US Air Force Academy, with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Engineering Sciences, a Columbia University Guggenheim Fellow with a Master of Sciences degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a distinguished graduate of the US Air Force pilot training and test pilot schools. He also was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Creighton University.

General Chilton currently serves as an independent consultant and as a Director for CenturyLink and Orbital ATK corporations. He is a trustee for Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation, a member of the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories Board of Governors, and a member of the Sandia National Laboratory Board of Managers. He is a former Director of the Aerospace Corp, Anadarko Petroleum Corp, and Schafer Corp.

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From 2006-2008, he served as the Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations (PP&O). This posting followed his command of the 1st Marine Division where he led the ground assault during the second Battle of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004 and managed security operations in the Al Anbar province during the 2005 Iraqi national elections.

He sits on JINSA’s Board of Advisors and serves as a member of its Hybrid Warfare Task Forces and previously on its Gaza Assessment Task Force.

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Prior to assuming this position, General Hostage was Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia. As the Air Component Commander for U.S. Central Command, the general was responsible for developing contingency plans and conducting air operations in a 20- nation area of responsibility covering Central and Southwest Asia.

General Hostage is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, and a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours. He has flown combat missions in multiple aircraft, logging more than 600 combat hours in operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.

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LTG Fridovich commanded the Combined/Joint Special Operations Task Force in Operation Joint Forge, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, from January through July 2000. He assumed command of the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in August 2000. There, he led the Army Special Operations Task Force, Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines, Zamboanga, Republic of the Philippines from January through June 2002. In January of 2005, LTG Fridovich assumed duties as Commander, Special Operations Command, Pacific. He subsequently assumed duties as the Director, Center for Special Operations, U.S. Special Operations Command in 2007, and became the Deputy Commander in May 2010.

LTG Fridovich retired on November 14, 2011 after more than 37 years of service in the U.S. Army. At the time of his retirement, he was the senior Green Beret in the Army.

LTG Fridovich is the former Director for Defense & Strategies at JINSA.

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