Co-sponsored by the Center for Security Studies and the America in the World Consortium, this conference investigated America’s relationship with its armed forces.
The conference featured a keynote address by Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks; a fireside chat with Admiral (Ret) Michael Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and a conversation with Sen. Jack Reed, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. In addition, panels discussed civilian control of the armed forces, public confidence in the military and the propensity to serve, the expanding role of the National Guard, and the way forward in an era of polarization.
The conference was held on February 28 to March 1, 2023, in Washington, DC.
Conference videos
If you missed the conference, or want to revisit a conversation, you can access recordings of all sessions, including panels and keynote conversations on YouTube.
Conference agenda
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Opening Remarks
- Peter Feaver, Duke University
Panel 1: Civilian Control: Principles, Norms, Taboos, and Emerging Practices
Moderator: Dr. Carrie A. Lee, U.S. Army War College
- Adm. Dennis Blair, U.S. Navy (Retired)
- Prof. Risa Brooks, Marquette University
- Alice Hunt Friend, Institute for Security and Technology
Panel 2: Politicization of the Military and Pitfalls in Combating It
Moderator: Jason Dempsey, Columbia University
- Bishop Garrison, Georgetown University
- Kori Schake, American Enterprise Institute
- Heidi Urben, Georgetown University
Fireside Chat with Admiral Michael G. Mullen, U.S. Navy (Retired), 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Moderator: Heidi Urben, Georgetown University
Panel 3: Public Confidence and the Propensity to Serve
Moderator: Katherine Kuzminski, Center for a New American Security
- Peter Feaver, Duke University
- Meredith Kleykamp, University of Maryland
- Ron Krebs, University of Minnesota
Keynote Address: The Honorable Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense
Discussion moderated by Peter Feaver, Duke University
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Fireside Chat with Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)
Moderator: Elizabeth Stanley, Georgetown University
Panel 4: Domestic Policing and the Expanding Role of the National Guard
Moderator: Mr. Phillip Carter, Georgetown University Law Center
- Jessica Blankshain, U.S. Naval War College
- Lindsay P. Cohn, U.S. Naval War College
- Maj. Gen. William J. Walker, USA (Ret.)
Panel 5: The Way Ahead: Civil-Military Solutions in a Time of Partisan Polarization
Moderator: Dr. Heidi Urben, Georgetown University
- Lt. Gen. David Barno, U.S. Army (Retired), Johns Hopkins University
- Peter Feaver, Duke University
- The Honorable Michèle Flournoy, WestExec Advisors
- Kori Schake, American Enterprise Institute
Closing Remarks
Heidi Urben, Georgetown University
Speakers
Keynote speaker
- The Honorable Kathleen H. Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense
Panelists and moderators
- Adm. Dennis Blair, Knott Distinguished Visiting Professor of the Practice at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Jess Blankshain, Associate Professor, National Security Affairs, U.S. Naval War College
- Lt. Gen. David W. Barno, USA (Ret.), Visiting Professor of Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
- Prof. Risa Brooks, Allis Chalmers Professor of Political Science, Marquette University
- Phillip Carter, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Law Center
- Lindsay P. Cohn, Associate Professor, U.S. Naval War College
- Jason Dempsey, Executive Director, Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, Columbia University
- Peter Feaver, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, Duke University
- The Honorable Michèle Flournoy, Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors
- Alice Hunt Friend, Vice President for Research and Analysis, Institute for Security and Technology
- Bishop Garrison, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University
- The Honorable Kathleen H. Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense
- Meredith Kleykamp, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland; Senior Sociologist, RAND Corporation
- Ron Krebs, Professor of Political Science, University of Minnesota
- Katherine Kuzminski, Senior Fellow and Director, Military, Veterans, and Society Program, Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
- Carrie A. Lee, Chair, Department of National Security and Strategy, U.S. Army War College
- Adm. Mike Mullen, USN (Ret.), Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; President, MGM Consulting
- Sen. Jack Reed, U.S. Senator, D-RI
- Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
- Elizabeth A. Stanley, Professor, Georgetown University
- Maj. Gen. William J. Walker, USA (Ret.), United States Army (Retired)
- Heidi A. Urben, Professor of the Practice and Director of External Education and Outreach, Center for Security Studies, Georgetown University