February 28 – March 1, 2023

Washington DC

 

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 through 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.

Conference Videos

Did you miss the conference? Want to revisit a conversation? Recordings of all sessions, including panels and keynote conversations, are available on YouTube!

Check out the playlist

Agenda

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.  |  Opening Remarks

  • Dr. Peter Feaver, Duke University

9:15 – 10:30 a.m.  |  Panel 1: Civilian Control: Principles, Norms, Taboos, and Emerging Practices

  • Adm. Dennis Blair, U.S. Navy (Retired)
  • Prof. Risa Brooks, Marquette University
  • Dr. Alice Hunt Friend, Institute for Security and Technology
  • Moderator: Dr. Carrie A. Lee, U.S. Army War College

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  |  Panel 2: Politicization of the Military and Pitfalls in Combating It

  • Mr. Bishop Garrison, Georgetown University
  • Dr. Kori Schake, American Enterprise Institute
  • Dr. Heidi Urben, Georgetown University
  • Moderator: Dr. Jason Dempsey, Columbia University

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.  |  Lunch Break

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.  |  Fireside Chat with Admiral Michael G. Mullen, U.S. Navy (Retired), 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  • Moderator: Dr. Heidi Urben, Georgetown University

2:45 – 4:00 p.m.  |  Panel 3: Public Confidence and the Propensity to Serve

  • Dr. Peter Feaver, Duke University
  • Dr. Meredith Kleykamp, University of Maryland
  • Dr. Ron Krebs, University of Minnesota
  • Moderator: Ms. Katherine Kuzminski, Center for a New American Security

4:30 – 5:30 p.m.  |  Keynote Address: The Honorable Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense

  • Discussion moderated by Dr. Peter Feaver, Duke University

 

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.  |  Fireside Chat with Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)

  • Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Stanley, Georgetown University

9:15 – 10:30 a.m.  |  Panel 4: Domestic Policing and the Expanding Role of the National Guard

  • Dr. Jessica Blankshain, U.S. Naval War College
  • Dr. Lindsay P. Cohn, U.S. Naval War College
  • Maj. Gen. William J. Walker, USA (Ret.)
  • Moderator: Mr. Phillip Carter, Georgetown University Law Center

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  |  Panel 5: The Way Ahead: Civil-Military Solutions in a Time of Partisan Polarization

  • Lt. Gen. David Barno, U.S. Army (Retired), Johns Hopkins University
  • Dr. Peter Feaver, Duke University
  • The Honorable Michèle Flournoy, WestExec Advisors
  • Dr. Kori Schake, American Enterprise Institute
  • Moderator: Dr. Heidi Urben, Georgetown University

12:00 p.m.  |  Closing Remarks

  • Dr. Heidi Urben, Georgetown University

 

Speakers

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