Becton Inducted Into National Defense University National Hall of Fame

New York Times Highlights CRRC Records on Saddam Hussein

New York Times reporter and Woodrow Wilson scholar Michael Gordon has published an article on the recent release by CRRC of archival material from the Saddam Hussein regime during the Iran-Iraq War.

The article, titled, "Papers From Iraqi Archive Reveal Conspiratorial Mind-Set of Hussein, " asserts that Saddam's decision to take on Iran during the Iran-Iraq War and his reaction to the Iran-contra affair are two of the most interesting revelations in the recently released documents. Gordon writes that "the transcripts depict a leader who was inclined to see enemies everywhere, who often displayed a shallow understanding of diplomacy outside the Middle East, and who harbored grand ambitions for his country but was prone to epic miscalculations."

The article also includes a multimedia component featuring the twenty records, which has been made available in conjunction with a conference on the Iraq-Iran war, co-hosted by the CRRC and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

The CRRC maintains a researcher database with approximately 1,200 unclassified records from Saddam Hussein's regime and from al-Qaeda and Associated Movements. The records and translations combined constitute over 34,000 pages.

Division General Juan José Ruíz Morales Inducted into NDU International Hall of Fame

NDU Hosts Historic U.S. Visit by Vietnamese Officer

Lieutenant General Vo Tien Trung, Commandant of Vietnam’s National Defense Academy, was the honored guest of Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau, President, National Defense University, Washington, D.C., the week of October 4-7, 2011.

In a rare and historic public address to more than 200 military and civilian leaders on October 6, Lieutenant General Trung gave an overview of his country's military history, discussed its current defense policy, and remarked on the Vietnamese military's strong commitments to both aiding and protecting its own people, and to building international relationships.

“There is no greater strength than neighbors working together for the common good,” Lieutenant General Trung said. He stressed that, despite a history of U.S./Vietnam conflict, “We [both] should close the past.”

Vice Admiral Rondeau agreed.

“The U.S. and Vietnam can be a prime example of reaching out to each other and working together,” she said.

Lieutenant General Trung’s visit followed a trip by NDU President Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau to Hanoi in April 2011 to establish an exchange relationship between NDU and Vietnam’s National Defense Academy at the urging of former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

During his visit to the U. S. National Defense University, Lieutenant General Trung observed a class of international students led by Dr. Sebastian Gorka, a professor in the College of International Security Affairs; participated in several roundtable discussions; and toured the Fifth Annual Star-Tides Field Demonstration where he viewed displays of innovative products and technologies for humanitarian aid delivery.

Lieutenant General Trung had the opportunity to meet the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, as he delivered his first official speech since taking the position of Chairman. On a visit to Capitol Hill, he met with Senator Jim Webb of Virginia and a senior staff member for Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, both of whom served during the Vietnam War.

Lieutenant General Trung also visited the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa., and the Gettysburg National Battlefield, where he was given a tour by Dr. Daniel Kuehl, a military historian and professor at the Information Resources Management College.

NDU Hosts Conversation, Q&A, with Secretaries Panetta and Clinton

Teen Son of 2010-2011 NDU International Fellow Wins Regional Competition for Young Entrepreneurs

National Defense University, Woodrow Wilson Center Partner to Study Iran-Iraq War

NDU President Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau Featured in June 2011 Issue of Navy Magazine

NDU Awards Diplomas to Inaugural Class of ARSOF Master's Degree Candidates

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Twenty Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) soldiers clad in academic regalia and jump boots crossed the John F. Kennedy Auditorium stage June 3 to receive diplomas from the National Defense University's College of International Security Affairs (CISA).

These individuals made up the first class to be awarded fully accredited Master of Arts degrees in strategic-security studies through CISA's Fort Bragg campus at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS).

"We're gathered to recognize the academic accomplishments of 20 special operators who have answered the call for service time and again," said Garry Reid, the ceremony's guest speaker and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism. "What we have here are people with a thirst for challenge and a thirst for adventure."

For 10 months, these students—13 commissioned and seven noncommissioned officers—have participated in a demanding schedule of seminars and graduate-level courses. Core courses focused on geostrategy, strategic thought, and power, ideology and legitimacy. Students also selected an area of concentration: irregular warfare or international security studies.

"We educate operators, war-fighters and combat service support professionals in the life of the mind, and then turn them back to their environment," NDU President Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau said.

The military needs people who can combine the arts of counterinsurgency and irregular warfare with a well-developed sense of tactical insight, said Reid, who is a retired Special Forces command sergeant major. This degree will propel the graduates along a path into increasingly greater positions of influence and discussions, and they are now armed to speak the language of strategy, policy and academic reasoning, he said.

SWCS conducts initial qualification and advanced skills training, as well as regional culture and language education, for special-operations soldiers. The command's Department of Education led the effort to coordinate the master's degree program with NDU. The program mirrors the Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies degree program offered at NDU's main campus at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., which is available to personnel from U.S. departments and agencies, congressional staffs, and military and civilian representatives of the international community.

Read the complete press release from Fort Bragg and view photos of the graduation.

NDU iCollege's Virtual Worlds Conference Heads towards the Future

• David Smith, a computer scientist and entrepreneur who invented "The Colony," the first 3D interactive game. He gave details on some of his work such as the ICE -1994 collaborative 3D working environment, and the LMC GTL Holowall 2011, which he believes will be the "augmented platform of the future."
• Mk Haley, a faculty member and associate executive producer at the Entertainment Technology Center of Carnegie Mellon University, spoke about her experiences with Disney and Carnegie Mellon and showed an example of the "Marshmallow Challenge," an innovative team collaboration.
• Dr. Chris Dede, professor of learning technologies at Harvard University, offered expertise in information technology for immersive learning aross space, time, and multiple interactive media. He shared how middle school students are learning about ecosystems through immersive virtual worlds and how technology is helping students excel in the real world.
• Frank C. DiGiovanni, director of training readiness and strategy in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, provided oversight of the Live, Virtual and Constructive training standards and the development of virtual world training. DiGiovanni stressed that limited resources, an increased need for collaboration, and the digital connectedness of the future workforce are all reasons that DoD is interested in virtual worlds capabilities.

Art Installation Takes Shape in NDU's Lincoln Hall South Atrium

NDU Inducts Three Distinguished Graduates into its International Hall of Fame

NDU President Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau Delivers Speech to National Defense Academy of Vietnam

The delegation travels next to Jakarta, Indonesia, and then on to Singapore.

The visit follows several exchanges and extended invitations between VADM Rondeau and Vietnamese NDA and Defense Ministry senior leaders in the course of their work with the ASEAN Regional Forum Heads of Defense Universities, Colleges and Institutions. Those exchanges have resulted in a partnership between NDU's Institute for National Strategic Studies, and NDA's Institute of Military Strategy and Institute for Foreign Defense Relations that place an emphasis on the exchange of works published by the two universities, and public documents of mutual interests to their faculties, staffs and students.

"My visit here and my meetings with a wide range of Vietnamese strategic analysts, defense and foreign ministry officials underscore my personal as well as professional interest in working with you to nurture a mutually beneficial and productive relationship and to shape a strategic dialogue between our two institutions," VADM Rondeau said in her speech on April 6. "In fact, this dialogue is already taking shape."

In addition to announcing that a Vietnamese officer will be attending National Defense University for the first time next year, VADM Rondeau offered NDU's support for the formation of an ASEAN Institute for International Security Study that would allow members of the ASEAN Regional Forum to cooperate more closely on non-traditional security challenges and encourage information-sharing among regional academic institutions. She also outlined several more steps the institutions can take to solidify their formal relationship.

"I want to conclude by emphasizing that the United States and Vietnam have a shared commitment to regional stability and prosperity, and common approaches to the region's transnational issues. We are working to develop a greater appreciation and understanding of each other, and our growing cooperation is based on mutual trust, transparency, and respect for each other's sovereignty," VADM Rondeau said.

Viewers are invited to read the full text of the speech, and to explore the coverage of foreign media outlets at the following links:

Vietnam.net.

President Barack Obama Addresses the Nation from NDU's Lincoln Hall

President Obama delivers his speech on Libya at NDU on March 28, 2011

President Barack Obama spoke at National Defense University on the evening of Monday, March 28, 2011 before an audience that included Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, NDU President Admiral Ann E. Rondeau, and approximately 450 attendees inlcuding officers of the combatant commands, NDU students, faculty and staff.

An excerpt:

Tonight, I'd like to update the American people on the international effort that we have led in Libya –- what we've done, what we plan to do, and why this matters to us.

I want to begin by paying tribute to our men and women in uniform who, once again, have acted with courage, professionalism and patriotism. They have moved with incredible speed and strength. Because of them and our dedicated diplomats, a coalition has been forged and countless lives have been saved."

Watch the offical White House video of the speech or read the offical transcript.

Conference on "Post-Revolutionary Transitions" in the Middle East Attracts Top Experts

Experts from across the public and private sector attended the event.

On March 14, 2011, Dr. Hans Binnendijk opened the conference "Post-Revolutionary Transitions," jointly hosted by National Defense University and the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).

The timely conference shed light on potential revolutionary indicators and consequences for the fragile Middle East.

Participants from government, academia and private think-tanks included: Ambassador Richard Solomon, president, USIP; Dr. Peter Ackerman, chairman, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict; Dr. Steven Simon, Council on Foreign Relations; Mr. Michael Eisenstadt, dfirector, Military and Security Studies Program, U.S. Department of State; Ms. Dalia Ziada, regional director, American-Islamic Congress (Cairo); Dr. William Lawrence, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Joshua W. Yaphe, DOS/INR/Arabian Peninsula; Mr. G. Eugene Martin, USIP, and Professor Stephen Zunes, University of San Francisco.

NDU experts included Drs. Thomas Lynch, Nicholas Rostow, Mohammed Tabbar, Linton Wells and Judith Yaphe, and Ambassadors Luigi Einaudi, John Herbst, Thomas Krajeski and David Mack.

Capt. Bill Andrews, USAF (Ret.), Dean of Administration for NDU's WMD Center, Profiled in February Issue of AIR FORCE Magazine

In the February 2011 issue of AIR FORCE Magazine, journalist Peter Grier documents the harrowing story of NDU's own Bill Andrews in his article "Call from the Desert."

On the ground in the Iraqi desert in February 1991 after his F-16 was shot down by a surface-to-air missle, and with Iraqi AK-47s trained on him from 30 feet away, Andrews grabbed his survival radio and got a message out to his wingman to break right and drop flares -- an act that saved his wingman's life.

Andrews was subsequently captured, escaped, was re-captured, and interrogated before returning home. He was awarded the Air force Cross for his heroism. He returned to Iraq to fly combat missions enforcing no-fly zones in 2001 and 2002 as commander of the 366th Operations Group before serving stateside on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and eventually coming home to roost at NDU. He retired from the Air Force as a colonel in June 2010.

A reprint of the article (as a .pdf) is available here.

NDU Library Special Collections Receives Model of USS Abraham Lincoln, CVN-72

Stephen Morris presents his model of the USS Abraham Lincoln to Susan Lemke, director of NDU Special Collections.

Stephen H. Morris, Captain, US Navy, Supply Corps, (Retired) recently donated a model of the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, CVN-72, to the NDU Library. The Lincoln model was a gift of the Morris family and Captain Morris upon his retirement after more than 34 years of service in the US Navy. Captain Morris' retirement ceremony was held at ICAF, where he was a Professor of Acquisition, Head of the Aircraft Industry Study, and Director of the ICAF Information Technology Department from 2002-2005. He was the Supply Officer of the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN from 1992-1994, deployed to the Western Pacific/Arabian Gulf in 1993.

Two ICAF Professors Receive Prestigious Awards for Their Significant Contributions

Dr. Gerald Abbott, Professor of Acquisition at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, received the National Order of Merit from the French Government, on 30 September 2010 at the Embassy of France. This award recognizes Dr. Abbott's almost 20 years of collaborative work between the United States and France in the areas of international cooperative acquisition programs, collaborative research, and work on the industrial base. In addition to teaching in the Acquisition core course, and working in the Industry Studies Program, Dr. Abbott teaches an elective course on Comparative International Acquisition Systems in the Senior Acquisition Course and was one of the originators of the bilateral agreement between the US and France that supports our long-standing relationship with our sister school in France, IHEDN, formerly CHEAr. The National Order of Merit is a Presidential award, France's second highest awards for civilians. It is rewarded for distinguished services, in this case, strengthening the United States, France Bilateral relationship. This is a long, on going relationship, fostered over time by the faculty of the Acquisition Department, ICAF and the French government, culminating in this third Order of Merit awarded to a member of the Department.

Dr. Alan Gropman will receive the Air Force Historical Foundation 2010 Major General I. B Holley Award for sustained, significant contribution to the research, interpretation, and documentation of Air Force History during a lifetime of Service. Dr. Gropman retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Colonel.

During his long and distinguished career he flew over 670 combat missions in Vietnam, taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and served with distinction on the Air Staff. He has also taught at the National War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, where he is currently a Distinguished Professor of National Security. Dr. Gropman is recognized as an expert on the History of Blacks in the Military, Logistics in World War II, and the role of Think Tanks in national security strategy formulation. He received the award at the annual meeting of the Air Force Historical Foundation on 18 November 2010.

Military Professionalism Conference Hosted by NDU's Institute for National Security Ethics and Leadership Garner National Media Attention

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen delivers the keynote address at NDU's recent conference on military professionalism. Credit: JCS

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, opened a leadership conference at National Defense University on January 10, 2011, by calling for a proactive self-examination –- institutionally and as by individual leaders –- and appropriate course corrections, as needed.

Adm. Mullen called the all-day conference -- hosted by NDU's Institute for National Security Ethics and Leadership (INSL) and titled Military Professionalism: Introspection and Reflection on Basic Tenets and the Way Ahead -- "an opportunity to begin a conversation and debate about who we are, what we have become, and how that matches up to who we should be."

"For something like this, which is at the heart of who we are, we can't do enough self-examination," Adm. Mullen told the attendees, key leaders of the military education and training community.

"This is not self-flagellation," he added. "This is examination to make sure we understand it and that we keep feeding it back to raise those who will lead, in the not-too-distant future, our military and, in fact, our country."

The conference has garnered widespread national media attention. Links to some of the stories that have appeard are provided below:

National Defense University Dedicates International Student Center in Honor of Former NDU President and Retired Army General Richard A. Chilcoat

The dedication honors the late Lieutenant General (LTG) Richard A. Chilcoat, USA, (Ret.), who served as the 9th President of the National Defense University from 1997 to 2000. LTG Chilcoat passed away in March 2010.

The ceremony and reception was attended by over 400 guests including LTG Chilcoat's wife, Mrs. Dixie Chilcoat and his daughter, Ashley, General Colin L. Powell, USA, (Ret), the Class of 2011 International Officers, NDU leadership, defense attachés, ambassadors and other diplomats, and sponsors from the local community among other distinguished guests.

Colonel John Charlton, USAF, (Ret.), Senior Director of the International Student Management Office served as the Master of Ceremonies and Ambassador Thomas Krajeski, NDU Senior Vice President, gave the welcoming remarks. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, spoke of LTG Chilcoat's distinguished career and highlighted the criticality of international cooperation in the global security environment. VADM Rondeau dedicated the Center by underscoring the significant achievements and strong leadership LTG Chilcoat exemplified while serving as NDU President, and noted his active involvement in international programs, all of which contributed to his legacy.

In the keynote address, General Powell spoke of the important role international partnerships play in U.S. global security and how the relationships and friendships developed through NDU's International Programs help build and strengthen our alliances abroad. He went on to express his esteem and admiration for the late LTG Chilcoat who had served as Powell's executive assistant while he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989-1993.

National Defense University and U.S. Institute of Peace Sign Historic Memorandum of Understanding

Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau, USN, President of NDU, said at the ceremony, "The signing of this MOU marks the formalization of a long-standing relationship between two institutions that are at the center of education and inquiry in the areas of international conflict, national security affairs and the establishment of the rule of law to foster human security. This accord will greatly enhance the preparation of leaders and practitioners in these fields on behalf of our national security."

At the ceremony, Ambassador Richard H. Solomon, President of USIP, said, "What is important to understand about this piece of paper is that our staffs have already gone to work on bringing efforts that would have been conducted separately together." This includes work on critical areas such as genocide prevention, dealing with weapons of mass destruction, understanding the lessons on Provincial Reconstruction Teams serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and using technology to aid in crisis mapping and response in places such as Haiti.

The USIP is an independent, nonpartisan, national institution established and funded by Congress. Its goals are to help prevent and resolve violent international conflicts; promote post-conflict stability and development; and increase conflict management capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide.

Admiral James G. Stavridis Inducted into the NDU National Hall of Fame

NDU President Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau congratulates
National Hall of Fame inductee Admiral James G. Stavridis.

Stavridis assumed his current duties in early summer 2009. He is a 1976 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a native of South Florida. As a Surface Warfare Officer, he commanded the Destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) from 1993-1995, completing UN/NATO deployments to Haiti and Bosnia, and a combat cruise to the Arabian Gulf. The Barry won the Battenberg Cup as the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet under his command.

In 1998, he commanded Destroyer Squadron 21 and deployed to the Arabian Gulf, winning the Navy League’s John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership. From 2002-2004, he commanded Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, conducting combat operations in the Arabian Gulf in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

From 2006-2009, he commanded U.S. Southern Command in Miami, focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. Ashore, he served as a strategic and long range planner on the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has also served as the Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.
Stavridis earned a PhD and MALD from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in International Relations. He holds various decorations and awards, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal and five awards of the Legion of Merit. He is author or co-author of several books on naval ship handling and leadership.

The NDU National Hall of Fame honors American alumni whose exceptional record of service and achievement merits special recognition. To be eligible, NDU alumni must have served at the three- or four-star level in one of the armed services; at the Ambassadorial level in the Foreign Service; or at the equivalent levels in the Civil Service or the private sector/non-government organizations. Priority for induction is given to those alumni who have been recognized for superior achievements in military leadership, diplomacy, international development, or humanitarian work in government or the private sector.

Admiral Stavridis is the 21st individual to be inducted into the NDU National Hall of Fame, where he joins General Peter Pace (USMC), NWC Class of 1986; General George W. Casey, Jr. (USA), JFSC Class of 1981; General James L. Jones, Jr. (USMC), NWC Class of 1985; and the Honorable Colin L. Powell, NWC Class of 1976, among others.

NDU War College Professor Mark Clodfelter Publishes New Book

Mark Clodfelter, a professor of military strategy at the National War College, has published a new book: Beneficial Bombing: The Progressive Foundations of American Air Power, 1917-1945.

The Progressive Era, marked by a desire for economic, political, and social reform, ended for most Americans with the ugly reality and devastation of World War I. Yet for Army Air Service officers, the carnage and waste witnessed on the western front only served to spark a new progressive movement—to reform war by relying on destructive technology as the instrument of change. In Beneficial Bombing Mark Clodfelter describes how American airmen, horrified by World War I’s trench warfare, turned to the progressive ideas of efficiency and economy in an effort to reform war itself, with the heavy bomber as their solution to limiting the bloodshed. They were convinced that the airplane, used as a bombing platform, offered the means to make wars less lethal than conflicts waged by armies or navies.
 
Clodfelter examines the progressive idealism that led to the creation of the U.S. Air Force and its doctrine that the finite destruction of precision bombing would end wars more quickly and with less suffering for each belligerent. What is more, his work shows how these progressive ideas emerged intact after World War II to become the foundation of modern U.S. Air Force doctrine. Drawing on a wealth of archival material, including critical documents unavailable to previous researchers, Clodfelter presents the most complete analysis ever of the doctrinal development underpinning current U.S. Air Force notions about strategic bombing.

Clodfelter is also the author of The Limits of Air Power: The American Bombing of North Vietnam.

NDU Professor Dr. Bernard D. Cole Releases Second Edition of His Book, The Great Wall at Sea

In this new edition, Dr. Bernard D. Cole, Captain, USN (Ret.), revises his acclaimed study of China's navy as it continues to grow in the twenty-first century. The Great Wall at Sea focuses on China's maritime territorial and economic interests, which include the East and South China Seas and which hold significant implications for the Indian Ocean and the global maritime picture.

Of particular note is Beijing's increased attention to guarding its vital sea lanes of communication given China's increasing dependence on maritime trade -- especially the importation of energy supplies. Cole provides a thorough description of China's naval establishment, including its personnel structure, running the gamut from the conscription system to onboard ship training and noting that the political commissar system permeates its navy. He offers a detailed examination and evaluation of China's naval doctrine, operations, and the nation's maritime strategy, and addresses the Chinese Navy's attempt to take full advantage of technological advances while being careful not to overspend on defense.

Cole's findings are summarized in a concluding chapter, which notes that despite double-digit defense budget increases, Beijing is focusing its naval modernization goals on realizing specific national interests, such as finally determining the status of Taiwan.

Cole is a professor at the National Defense University, where he concentrates on the Chinese military and Asian energy issues.

Mullen Praises Trailblazing Military Women

By Lisa Daniel, American Forces Press Service

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, flanked by two of the nation’s top female military officers, recounted on Oct. 6 the early days of women’s integration into the services and said “we would be nowhere as a military” without trailblazing women.

“In combat, in every part of who we are as a military right now, women have been extraordinary,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said at Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women summit here today.

Mullen took the stage before an audience of mostly civilian women leaders alongside Gen. Ann Dunwoody, commander of Army Materiel Command, and Navy Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau, president of National Defense University.

At the summit’s Leadership Lessons panel moderated by CNN’s Kyra Phillips, the three senior leaders recalled how far the services have come in integrating women since they entered the military - Mullen in 1968, and Rondeau and Dunwoody in 1974 and 1975, respectively.
…
The Navy’s lack of preparation for integrating women in the 1970s “was pretty profound,” Rondeau said. What that meant for her, she said, was trying to find a mentor she could trust to help her grow, determining where she could make a difference, and knowing which battles to fight.

Asked whether women servicemembers must prove themselves more than men, Rondeau said, “I’m not sure that it is as much about who you are, as where you are, and what you bring to the table. You come with a certain amount of competence and confidence, then you just lead.”
…
Military leaders need to assess what has been learned from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan regarding women servicemembers, Mullen said. “It’s very important that we take a look at what we’ve learned in these wars and look at whether we should evaluate those policies. Battle is nowhere and it is everywhere right now; everyone is in a combat zone. We’ve got to understand what that means and roll it into the future.”

Rondeau also said she expects laws and policies to evolve to open more doors for women. “We’re putting women on submarines, we’ve had them at sea for a while, and we’ve had them in the air a while,” she said. “You can’t win the current fight without women on the field, and that just is a fact.”

The issue surrounding women in combat roles, Rondeau said, is about not only capabilities, but also mindset. She recalled a time when she was commander of Navy accessions training and a female sailor just out of boot camp went out of her way to ask the commander a question. “Am I ready to fight and win?” the young woman asked Rondeau.

“I’d put her in war any day,” the admiral told the audience. “Being a warfighter is not just about the competence to fight. It’s also about the spirit. A warfighting spirit is something that comes from the heart.”

Complete article online at http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=61171
 
Biographies:
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
Army Gen. Ann Dunwoody
Navy Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau

Related Site:
The Most Powerful Women Conference

Soldiers Begin Masters Degree Program at NDU's New Fort Bragg Campus

Soldiers have started earning masters degrees through the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. In partnership with the National Defense University, special-operations Soldiers are studying the global threat environment, and the roles of power and ideaology under the guidance of five instructors from NDU’s College of International Security Affairs.

The result: after 10 months of study, 20 special operations soldiers will have earned a fully accredited master of arts degree in strategic-security studies.

“These students have all of my support, and none of my sympathy,” said Vice Adm. Ann E. Rondeau, NDU President, during a convocation ceremony Sept. 10 at SWCS formally recognizing the start of a new semester. “This is an academically aggressive program.”

Brig. Gen. Bennet S. Sacolick, SWCS Commanding General, said the convocation marked one of the most important days in the history of SWCS: the official beginning of a relationship between the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and the National Defense University.

“We have an expertly trained force, and we have soldiers at SWCS who have seen more combat than most World War II veterans,” Sacolick said, “but we can’t ignore our soldiers’ education.”

For the complete article, click on the image above.

Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies selects Galvin, Bayardi and CESNAV for 2010 William Perry Award for Excellence in Security and Defense Education

The Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (CHDS) has selected U.S. General (ret) John Galvin and former Uruguayan Defense Minister Dr. José Bayardi in the individual category, and the Mexican Center for Superior Naval Studies (CESNAV) in the institutional category, for the 2010 William J. Perry Award for Excellence in Security and Defense Education.

In announcing the selection on August 24, 2010, CHDS Director Richard D. Downie praised both the awardees as well as the record number of people and institutions from around the Western Hemisphere who were nominated this year for a Perry Award, named after the former U.S. Secretary of Defense whose inspiration resulted in the creation of the Center.

“Interest in the Perry Award reflects the fact that these selections truly recognize significant academic and/or policy contributions in this Hemisphere,” Downie said.

“In their own ways, the work of Gen. Galvin, former Minister Bayardi and CESNAV has led to greater international security cooperation, enhanced effective civil-military relations, and adherence to CHDS core values.”

The Perry Award was first offered in 2007, as part of the Center’s 10th anniversary celebration.

Admiral Mullen Meets with U.S.-Pakistan Senior Officers Program

On Tuesday, June 22, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen met with a delegation of Pakistani military officers as part of the U.S.-Pakistan Senior Officers Program.

This was the fifth meeting of the annual program, which combines a high level strategic dialogue, lectures, presentations, round table discussions and meetings with senior policy makers into a 12-day event. It focuses on improving capacity and interoperability; developing professional relationships amongst officers of both services; and continuing a strategic dialogue that improves “mil to mil” relations between the two countries.

As part of the 2010 program, 13 Pakistani and 12 U.S. military officers met with the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia David Sedney, and senior staffers from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Participants also made presentations on current combat operations in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) at a roundtable discussion hosted by NDU.

The annual event represents the single highest level of engagement between NDU and the Pakistani military. This year’s meeting fell during a key time of improving relations between the U.S. and Pakistan.

NDU iCollege Hosts Third Annual Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds Conference

Dr. Bob Childs, the senior director of NDU’s iCollege, greeted attendees at the opening keynote of the Third Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds Conference (FCVW) on May 13, 2010, both in person and as an avatar – a digitized version of himself.

The conference brought together hundreds of military, civilian and private sector experts committed to the federal government’s use of virtual world technology. This year’s conference focused on the use of fully immersive virtual worlds as collaboration tools.

“Virtual worlds is more than gaming,” Dr. Childs said. “It is about education, innovation, and about changing the way we do business.”

Conference organizer Dr. Paulette Robinson, assistant dean for teaching, learning and technology at the iCollege, told Federal News Radio that she foresees a day when virtual world technology will allow citizens to interact in a meaningful way with government agencies – enhancing openness, transparency, and problem-solving abilities.

“The only problem is that 90 percent of the government can't get in from their desktops,” Robinson told reporters. She added that Consortium is currently spearheading a project to develop virtual world applications that allow secure access across the government.

House Subcommittee Releases First Congressional Review of Professional Military Education System in 20 Years

On May 6, 2010, U.S. House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Vic Snyder and Ranking Member Rob Wittman announced the completion of a year-long assessment of the professional military education (PME) system.

The report, “Another Crossroads? Professional Military Education Two Decades After the Goldwater-Nichols Act and the Skelton Panel,” is the first comprehensive congressional review of the PME system since the Skelton Panel’s groundbreaking review in 1989.

NDU Hosts Delegation from Counterpart NDU in Pakistan

Twenty-four faculty and students from Pakistan’s National Defence University, Islamabad, visited NDU on May 4, 2010 – on the heels of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue at the ministerial level hosted by the U.S. Department of State last month.

The visit to NDU focused on deepening and enhancing the relationship between the two universities through dialogue on key issues, in turn enhancing security cooperation and bilateral relations with our nation’s strategic partner and key ally.

NDU President VADM Ann Rondeau and Senior Vice President Ambassador Thomas Krajeski welcomed the delegation, led by Air Commodore Nadeem Anjum, before launching into a full day of presentations and roundtable discussions.

Faculty and staff from the National War College (NWC), the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA), and the College of International Security Affairs (CISA) were among the presenters. The visitors made two presentations on “Counterinsurgency” and “Casualty Assistance.”

More than 60 people – including current NWC students scheduled to visit Pakistan later this month – were involved in the event.

ICAF Industry Fellows Reap the Reward of Wisdom Shared

At an April 12, 2010, dinner hosted by NDU President VADM Ann Rondeau, ICAF alumna Ms. Sheila Andahazy (Class of 2006), a vice president at Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), a Virginia-based, global information technology services company, shared her personal ICAF “lessons learned” with the current class of ICAF Industry Fellows, executives from the corporations sponsoring this year’s Fellows, and leaders from across NDU.

In her remarks, Ms. Andahazy reminded the students that “a special burden falls upon the industry fellows to represent the industry point of view to their military and government colleagues.” She then enumerated 12 areas of personal growth she attributes to her ICAF experience, including becoming a strategic thinker, learning the value of consensus decision making, and embracing a self-awareness of her leadership and executive skills.

Each year since 1995, ICAF has had Industry Fellows as a part of the student body. These Industry Fellows are mid-career executives chosen by their corporations for their future leadership potential. Recently, Congress increased ICAF’s authority to admit Industry Fellows from 10 to 20 per year. For the 2009-2010 academic year, the program has seven students from Boeing, CSC, EADS, IBM, L-3 Communications, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, and Raytheon, and an Industry Chair on faculty from American Express.

For more information on the program, go to http://www.ndu.edu/icaf/programs/academic/

NDU Community Mourns the Loss of Two Alumni

Two NDU alumni were among the dozens of high-ranking Polish officials killed when their plane crashed in Russia en route to a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre. The crash also killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

Gen. Francisek Gagor, chief of the general staff of the Polish Armed Forces, graduated with distinction from NDU’s National War College in 2002 and was subsequently inducted into the NDU International Fellows Hall of Fame. Gen. Gagor was working with NDU on ways to strengthen NATO transformation; on February 23, he delivered a major speech at the University to the NATO Strategic Concept Seminar.

Gen. Tadeusz Buk, commander of the Polish Land Forces, graduated from NDU’s Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va., in 2001.

NDU President Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau has issued the following statement:

“On behalf of all of us at National Defense University it is with respect and profound sadness that I express our condolences to our Polish colleagues. Here in Washington, we awoke on the morning of April 11 to the devastating news of the plane crash in Western Russia. Our thoughts immediately went out to the Polish nation, a strong, trusted ally and partner of the United States. The scope of loss across the most senior national positions is unfathomable. In a much more intimate manner, the loss of our esteemed NDU alums, General Franciszek Gagor and General Tadeusz Buk, strikes particularly close to home and heart. They were one of us, and leading members of our fraternity of Polish NDU graduates. They were some of the most thoughtful, articulate, well-liked, highly regarded and respected graduates ever to grace the NDU campus. This loss weighs heavily upon faculty, staff and students. Franciszek and Tadeusz were gentlemen in every sense of the word … outstanding leaders for Poland and NATO, great classmates and colleagues, and wonderful friends. We miss them deeply.”

Vice Admiral Wolfram H. Kühn Inducted into the NDU International Fellows
Hall of Fame

Before an audience that included the NDU Board of Visitors, German officials, and the current class of NDU International Counterterrorism Fellows, Vice Admiral Wolfram H. Kühn was inducted into the NDU International Fellows Hall of Fame on April 15, 2010.

VADM Kühn currently serves as the Vice Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces, and Chief of Staff of the Joint Support Service. He is a 1998 graduate of the National War College.

In remarks during the ceremony in Marshall Hall, NDU President VADM Ann Rondeau noted that Germany’s Joint Support Service motto is, “Modern leadership, efficient action, and creative thinking” – a sentiment “reflected in the career and personality of VADM Kühn.”

Since the International Fellows program was launched in 1984, some 728 international students from 98 countries have graduated from National Defense University. VADM Kühn is the 25th Fellow to be recognized in the Hall of Fame since 2000.

Capitol Hill Event Educates Congressional Staffers on NDU Mission, Resources

On March 23, 2010, NDU president Vice Admiral Ann Rondeau and Representative Ike Skelton (Mo.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, welcomed Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), Representative Vic Snyder (Ark.), Representative Roscoe Bartlett (Md.) and more than 150 Congressional staff members to NDU’s first luncheon and information event on Capitol Hill. The event was held in the hearing room of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee in the Cannon Office Building.

In remarks to the group, VADM Rondeau and Rep. Skelton stressed the importance of joint professional military and strategic education, the key role NDU plays in that process, and the valuable academic and research resources NDU can provide to Congress and the nation.

Elected officials and staff members also had the opportunity to review informational booths set up by the University’s major components, meet and speak with component senior leaders, and gather reading and research materials for further review.

For more information, see the one-page brief provided to attendees and a slide show of the event.

IT Security Professionals Hack to Learn at NDU Cyber Security Challenge

A dozen two-person teams took turns attacking and defending the computers and networks of fictional federal agencies at the second Cyber Security Challenge, hosted by NDU’s Information Resources Management College (iCollege) on March 12.

Half of the teams tried to disrupt their opponent’s systems using open-source hacking tools that are readily available on the Internet – often for free. “Hackers” received points for completing certain tasks, such as copying the HR records from their opponent’s Web servers. Simultaneously, “Defenders” worked to avoid point deductions by fending off the attacks.

The Cyber Security Challenge is the brainchild of iCollege faculty member Air Force Maj. Stephen Mancini, who praised the event as a “learning experience,” and a way for IT security professionals to interact with their colleagues in other agencies and sectors.

This year’s players came from the Defense Information Systems Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, military academies, the military and contractors. The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent observers.

NDU Hosts Examination of 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR)

On March 20-11, 2010, National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) hosted more than 400 registrants from across government, academia, the diplomatic corps, and the media at a two-day symposium titled “QDR 2010: Implementing the New Path for America’s Defense.” The program provided a forum for illumination and informed discussion on the issues presented in the U.S. Department of Defense’s most recent Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) – a federally mandated examination of the nation’s defense strategy, force structure, force modernization plans, infrastructure, budget plan and other elements that occurs every four years.

Keynote speakers included Dr. James Miller, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; General James Cartwright, USMC, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Dr. Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Forces; and the Honorable James Locher, III, President and CEO of the Project on National Security Reform.

Local High School Students “Shadow” NDU Faculty Members

Nine students from Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Northwest D.C. spent Feb. 4 engaged in active learning with faculty and staff from NDU’s Information Resources Management College (iCollege) for 2010’s IT Job Shadow Day.

Dr. Cassandra Lewis and Dr. W. Stan Bodie of the iCollege coordinated the group’s visit to NDU, which included interactive activities on cybersecurity, e-learning solutions and virtual worlds.

Sponsored by the Federal CIO Council, the goal of IT Job Shadow Day is to provide an experience through which high school students can learn about IT positions and foster an appreciation for public service. Several DoD components participate each year, including the Army, Air Force, and Marines, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Navel Sea Systems Command, Washington Headquarters Service and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.

NDU's Africa Center for Strategic Studies Welcomes Next Generation of African Military Leaders

Sixty-two military officers from 38 African nations arrived at National Defense University (NDU) on March 2 to attend the Africa Center for Strategic Studies' (ACSS) 2010 Next Generation of African Military Leaders course.

The four-week, accredited, graduate-level program focuses on enhancing professionalism, ethics and leadership in Africa's militaries. Over the next month, the participants will examine security threats, civil/military relations, human rights and humanitarian law, conflict management and peace support operations, counter-terrorism in Africa, security sector reform, and the role of military officers in advancing national security in emerging democratic states.

The officers attending the course, mostly majors and lieutenant colonels, were selected by their countries based on their command experience and/or staff responsibilities, as well as their recognized leadership potential.

The course has been offered at least annually since 2005.

NDU Hosts NATO Seminar on New Strategic Concept for the 21st Century

On February 23, National Defense University and Allied Command Transformation jointly hosted NATO's fourth and last seminar on its New Strategic Concept. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Stéphane Abrial and NDU President Vice Admiral Ann Rondeau each addressed the more than 250 representatives from NATO's 28 member countries. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke to the group off-campus the previous evening.

The seminar addressed "Transforming Structures, Forces and Capabilities." Much of the discussion at NDU focused on the North Atlantic Treaty's Article 5 on collective defense, and on the alliance's need to adapt to new threats and challenges - even during times of economic hardship. .

NATO's Strategic Concept is a process that redefines the alliance's mission and functionality once every 10 years. The seminars are expected to result in a New Strategic Concept agreement by late 2010.

At the conclusion of the day at NDU, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who chairs NATO's Group of Experts, publicly thanked Vice Admiral Rondeau and Dr. Hans Binnendijk, NDU's Vice President of Research, for their contributions to the success of the seminar.

"Vice Admiral Rondeau, it's been great working with you, and I envy you your great position here and everything you're doing to train new people. Thank you very, very much," Dr. Albright said..

The event was hosted in partnership with the Atlantic Council, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations.

Detailed coverage of the seminar, including an agenda, transcripts, audio/video clips and photos are available at http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/events_61583.htm.

Vice President Joe Biden Delivers Major National Security Speech at NDU

In a high-profile speech at National Defense University on February 18, Vice President Joe Biden presented an overview of the Obama Administration's nuclear nonproliferation and security agenda before Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright, NDU President Vice Admiral Ann Rondeau, university faculty, staff and students, and several hundred national security strategists, diplomats and military leaders.

The address received wide coverage by the national news media, including the New York Times, Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.

Biden said that the U.S. would be taking "concrete steps" to implement the President's agenda, including a significant funding increase for the nation's federal nuclear research laboratories.

Wars are "… decided not just by armies, but in classrooms and in labs," Biden said.

The full text of Vice President Biden's speech is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-vice-president-biden-national-defense-university.

NDU Faculty Member Awarded Honorary Designation by Argentinean University

Dr. Luis Kun, a senior research professor of homeland security at National Defense University (NDU)'s Information Resources Management College, has been designated a Profesor Honoris Causa (Honorary Professor) by the Universidad Favaloro in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The award was conferred on Dr Kun in December 2009, while he was at the university to deliver the lecture "Evolution and Transformation of the Health System and Public Health: A challenge of the 21st Century." He is only the fourth person to be awarded this designation by the Universidad Favaloro, one of the world's leading institutions in the field of cardiovascular disease.

Having made numerous contributions to the information technology, healthcare and public health fields, Dr. Kun's previous awards include the 2009 American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's first-ever Fellow Advocate Award. He currently serves on the Administrative Council of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE), the Board of Governors for both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society and the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology, and as the chair of the IFMBE Global Citizen Safety and Security Working Group. He is the founding chair of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee of IEEE-USA and the Bioterrorism & Homeland Security Working Group for the IEEE-USA Medical Technology Policy Committee, and is the U.S. Representative on the World Federation of Engineering Organizations' Committee on Information and Communication.

NDU Receives Prestigious Award from the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff

At an All-Hands ceremony on January 12, 2010, NDU President Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau accepted a Joint Meritorious Unit Award for the University signed by Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The award cited NDU's "exceptionally meritorious achievement … unrivaled by any other institution" in educating strategic leaders from government, private industry, the U.S. Armed Services and the international community from January 2004 to January 2009. It specifically noted NDU's continued growth and expansion, which allowed the University to host more than 2,000 visitors from 79 nations during that five-year period - ultimately enrolling its largest class of 53 resident International Fellows in 2009.

The citation credited NDU's faculty and staff with an "exemplary performance of duty" that brought "great credit upon themselves, their Service, and the Department of Defense."

Senator Jim Webb Updates JFSC Community on Efforts, Issues

U.S. Senator Jim Webb addressed nearly 400 students and faculty of the Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), Norfolk, Va., on Friday, 15 January 2010. JFSC is a component of National Defense University.

"I know there is a wealth of experience in this room and you have my profound respect," the senator said during his speech.

Sen. Webb, who serves as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee and chair of the Senate Armed Service Committee's Personnel Subcommittee, discussed his efforts to establish appropriate force rotation cycles, ensure greater accountability in wartime-support contracting, raise the awareness of U.S. strategic interests in the Pacific region, and the situation in Haiti. He then took several questions from the audience.

Dr. Madeleine Albright Meets With NATO Parliamentarians at NDU

National Defense University hosted the 9th annual Parliamentary Transatlantic Forum on December 7-8, 2009, organized by the University's Institute for National Strategic Studies, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and the Atlantic Council of United States. Dr. Madeleine Korbel Albright, who served first as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and then as Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton, addressed the Forum during the session "Addressing Emerging Security Threats and the New NATO Strategic Concept." Dr. Albright was joined by The Honorable James B. Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State; Dr. Kurt M. Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; and Ambassador Gregory Schulte, former U.S. Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Forum also featured Congressman John Tanner, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly; Ambassador Robert E. Hunter of the Atlantic Council of the United States; and Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau, President of the National Defense University.

Eighty-one parliamentarians from 20 countries participated in the two-day event. The Assembly is the inter-parliamentary organization of legislators from member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance and provides a critical forum for dialogue on an array of security, political, and economic matters. The Assembly helps to maintain understanding, trust, and consistency of purpose across the Alliance.

Center for Complex Operations Launches New Quarterly Journal PRISM

The Center for Complex Operations (CCO) at National Defense University (NDU) is proud to introduce its new quarterly journal PRISM, in December 2009. The CCO was established at NDU to serve as a center for excellence focused on stabilization and reconstruction operations, counterinsurgency operations, security operations, and operations including irregular warfare. It seeks to braid the diplomatic, defense, and development communities together in their joint efforts in complex operations. PRISM is a venue for dialogue and debate on these issues between the scholarly, policymaking and practitioner communities.

PRISM can be found online at www.ccoportal.org/prism. Issue number two will be published in March 2010 and includes articles by General Martin Dempsey, Ambassador Ronald Neumann, Ambassador John Blaney, and others. The CCO welcomes any feedback either directly, or through its Web portal at www.ccoportal.org. As a quarterly journal, CCO also welcomes manuscripts from a wide range of authors. Free subscriptions to PRISM are available by sending full name, Service or agency affiliation, mailing address and email address to prism@ndu.edu

NDU President Speaks at 13th ASEAN Regional Forum Heads of Defence Universities / Colleges / Institutions Meeting

National Defense University President Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau spoke at the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum Heads of Defence Universities / Colleges / Institutions Meeting held November 3-6, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. She led a six-member delegation that represented the United States.

The theme of this year's Meeting was "The Roles of Armed Forces in Maintaining Internal Security," including such crises terrorist attacks, internal unrest, natural disasters, and epidemic disease outbreaks. Vice Admiral Rondeau's remarks addressed the Constitutional and political considerations that surround use of the U.S. military in such domestic situations, as well as U.S. commitments to assist Southeast Asia with security challenges in the region. Delegates from twelve other countries and two non-government organizations also gave presentations related to the Meeting theme. The event provided the entire delegation with opportunities to exchange ideas about military education and international security with foreign counterparts. A total of 20 out of 27 ASEAN Regional Forum participants (ASEAN Member Countries, Dialogue Partners, and ASEAN Secretariat) attended the Meeting, which was hosted by the National Defence Studies Institute, Royal Thai Armed Forces.

CHDS Confers 3nd annual William J. Perry Award on The Strategic Superior Studies College (CAEE) of El Salvador

The Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (CHDS), which is an affiliate of National Defense University, awarded its third annual William J. Perry Award for Excellence in Defense Education in the institutional category to the Strategic Superior Studies College (Colegio de Altos Estudios Estrategicos/CAEE) of El Salvador on September 17, 2009. The award is named after the former U.S. Secretary of Defense, William J. Perry, whose vision resulted in the founding of CHDS. At an evening ceremony held in Rosslyn, Virginia, Center Director Richard D. Downie said that the decision to give the award to CAEE was made “in recognition of the extraordinary work the Colegio is doing in benefit of the Salvadoran people and for the region as a whole.” Downie pointed out that, following its creation in the aftermath of more than a decade-long civil war, the CAEE made important contributions “on the difficult terrain of social reconciliation, by means of a high-level exchange among the military, the new national civilian police and Salvadoran citizens who did not wear uniforms.” In his own remarks, CAEE Director and Salvadoran former Vice Minister of Defense Gen. (Ret.) Omar Vaquerano said that receiving the Perry was “a point of pride and a motive for continuing our work at promoting dialogue and healthy relations between civilians and the military.” Calling the CAEE a “hothouse for leaders,” including members of the Salvadoran Supreme Court, government ministers and academics, and others, Vaquerano recognized the important contribution his Center has played in the country’s democratic consolidation. Eligibility for the Perry award includes a recognized contribution in either academic or policy arena, and extends to practitioners or institutions of defense and security education or policy in the Hemisphere. Last year's winners of the Perry Award were Colombian President Alvaro Uribe (individual category) and the Chilean Academia Nacional de Estudios Políticos y Estratégicos, or ANEPE (institutional category).

New Students Arrive for the Start of the 2009-2010 Academic Year

August 10, 2009 marked the start of the fall semester for the 2009-2010 academic year at the National Defense University (NDU), when more than 500 new students began in-processing for the fall term. NDU's student body is comprised primarily of senior officers from the United States Armed Services, federal government employees, international fellows from more than 60 countries, and private sector civilians. Degree seeking students enrolled at the College of International Security Affairs (CISA) are working to earn a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Security Studies (with a concentration in combating terrorism). Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) students will receive a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy. National War College (NWC) students will earn a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy. The Information Resources Management College (IRMC) offers an array of certificate programs, such as the Information Technology Project Manager (IT-PM) Certificate, Chief Information Officer (CIO) Certificate, and Enterprise Architecture (EA) Certificate. With the academic year underway, COL Randall Keys, Chief of Staff/Dean of Students, ICAF, expressed his outlook stating, "The beginning of a new academic year is always an exciting time at the college. The Class of 2010 is a very talented group and we look forward to a great year as the students and faculty get started on the challenging academic program." Fellow Dean of Students, Mark Pizzo, NWC, also expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming year. "The start of a new year brings great excitement and anticipation. We draw a cross section of the top military, civilian and international students, all who bring a depth and breath of experience to the classroom and a large appetite for knowledge and professional development. What can be more exciting than that?" he said. Students have an assortment of courses, electives, events, and distinguished guest lectures to look forward to in the new academic year.

Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau Becomes 13th National Defense University President

  
NDU’s 12th President, LtGen Frances C. Wilson, USMC, passes the university flag to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Mike Mullen, USN, who passes it to NDU’s 13th President, VADM Ann E. Rondeau, USN.

Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau, USN, assumed duties as the 13th President of the National Defense University from Lieutenant General Frances C. Wilson, USMC, on July 10, 2009. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, USN, presided over the ceremony.

Vice Admiral Rondeau served most recently as the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command. She graduated with a degree in history in 1973 from Eisenhower College, where she was selected by the Board of Trustees as “Most Distinguished Graduate” and received the Groben Award for Leadership. She has a master's degree in comparative government from Georgetown University. She has served in leadership, staff and command assignments in myriad mission areas: fleet operations (anti-submarine warfare, air operations, operations, intelligence, maritime transportation and sealift), strategy and policy, training and education, business enterprise and shore installations. She has served as a White House Fellow and as a Chief of Naval Operations Fellow. Vice Admiral Rondeau is Surface Warfare qualified, earning qualifications on both MSC Merchant Marine vessels and U.S. Navy combatants. She holds subspecialty qualifications in political-military affairs, operational intelligence, operations analysis, strategy and planning and military transportation and is a licensed private pilot. Vice Admiral Rondeau is a permanent member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree from Northern Illinois University. She has been conferred an honorary doctoral degree in public service from Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin and received the New York City USO 2008 Woman of the Year award.

Vice Admiral Rondeau leads the premier center for joint professional military education in the United States. National Defense University is also highly regarded as a center for multinational and interagency education. With facilities located in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., more than 6,000 students study annually at the University, approximately 500 conferences and 20,000 visitors are hosted each year, and University faculty members conduct research and outreach in scores of countries around the world.

Former Secretary of Defense William Perry Visits Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction

Former Secretary of Defense William Perry met with the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction's Program for Emerging Leaders (PEL) on June 23, 2009. He discussed "Lessons in Leadership" with new members and provided a keynote address on "Eliminating the Deadly Nuclear Legacy of the Cold War" during a PEL-sponsored reception later that evening at the NDU Officer's Club. The WMD Center launched PEL in 2007 to help identify and support next generation US government leaders in WMD-related issues. Each year, about 25 outstanding early-to-mid career nominees are invited to join from across the interagency. Through seminars, workshops and visits to offices in Washington and beyond, PEL offers members a better appreciation of WMD, its specific threats and challenges, and the different tools for managing associated dangers.

For more information on PEL, please visit the WMD Center's website:http://www.ndu.edu/WMDCenter/.

Dr. Maureen Crandall Honored with 2009 Distinguished Senior Fellow Award at International Association of Energy Economics

Dr. Maureen Crandall, Professor of Economics at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, was presented with the 2009 Distinguished Senior Fellow Award by the United States Association of Energy Economics (USAEE) on June 23, 2009 at the 32nd annual International Association of Energy Economics (IAEE) International Conference in San Francisco, California. Dr. Crandall was one of two recipients of this award. The Distinguished Senior Fellow Award is given to individuals who have exemplified distinguished service in the field of energy economics and/or the USAEE. Dr. Crandall is a founding member of the Washington USAEE chapter and has written papers and given presentations at USAEE, IAEE, and other conferences. She has given an array of energy presentations throughout the east coast. During the IAEE conference, Dr. Crandall gave a presentation on Caspian gas and oil prospects and the political and economic challenges to them posed by Russia as it attempts to keep and enlarge its European gas and oil markets. The annual conference assembles prominent scholars and experts from around the world to explore, discuss, and debate the challenges facing the global energy sector and offer solutions.

National Defense University Commencement 2009

  
Left: Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered the 2009 commencement address. Right: Former U.S. Senator John W. Warner received the degree Doctor of National Security Affairs, Honoris Causa, from Admiral Mullen; NDU Provost Dr. John Deegan, Jr.; and NDU President LtGen Frances C. Wilson, USMC.

The National Defense University’s 2009 Commencement exercises took place on June 11th at Fort Lesley J. McNair in southwest Washington, DC. A total of 582 students from the College of International Security Affairs (39), the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (320), and the National War College (223) participated in the ceremony held in front of historic Roosevelt Hall.

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, was the Commencement speaker. He is the 17th Chairman and serves as the principal military advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the President of the United States.

Former U.S. Senator John W. Warner received the honorary degree Doctor of National Security Affairs , Honoris Causa. A three-time chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, former Senator Warner recently returned to private life after his decision to not seek re-election to a sixth term as U.S. Senator for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Approximately 54 percent of the graduates are senior officers from the U.S. armed services. Federal government civilians, international students from more than 60 countries and private sector civilians make up the other 46 percent. College of International Security Affairs students received a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Security Studies (with a concentration in combating terrorism). Industrial College of the Armed Forces students received a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy. National War College students received a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy.

The National Defense University is the nation’s premier center for joint professional military education. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education as a graduate-level institution.

IRMC Honored with the 2009 Eagle Award from FDGLA

The Information Resources Management College was honored with the Eagle Award from The Federal Government Distance Learning Association (FDGLA) on Tuesday June 2, 2009. The annual awards ceremony was held last month at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. during the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) International Conference and Expo. Dr. Philip Westfall, President of the association, presented the Eagle Award to the Information Resources Management College for their demonstration of unique leadership in serving the needs of the Federal Government’s distance learning community by providing advocacy, information, networking, and opportunity. Dr. Elizabeth McDaniel, Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs, and Dr. Jay Alden, Professor of Systems Management, Information Strategies Department, accepted the award on behalf of IRMC. The ceremony recognized companies and individuals for long and distinguished support of distance learning in the Federal Government. The Information Resources Management College has a notable history of supporting distance learning in the Federal Government with the creation of the 1993 Invitational Research Conference on Distance Education in the Department of Defense. Dr. Jay Alden organized the conference which was extremely instrumental in leading the way in the application of distance learning throughout the Federal Government. The Information Resources Management College’s continued involvement in promoting leading-edge instructional technologies supporting distance learning earned them the FGDLA 2009 Eagle Award.

Dr. Robert Childs Honored with Excellence in IT and Federal 100 Awards

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Dr. Robert Childs (center) accepts the “Excellence in Information Technology” award at the AFCEA Joint Warfighting 2009 Conference from Kent Schneider (left), President and CEO of AFCEA and Paul Cofoni (right), AFCEA’s Chairman of the Board. Photo by Michael Carpenter Photography.

Dr. Robert D. Childs, Senior Director of the Information Resources Management College (IRMC), was awarded the Excellence in Information Technology Award by The Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association (AFCEA) at the 2009 Joint Warfighting Conference at the Virginia Beach Conference Center on May 13, 2009 for his accomplishments in Information Technology (IT) that advance AFCEA’s mission and impact national IT strategies. The Excellence in IT Award is a senior-level honor given for significant contributions to Information Technology over a sustained period of time. Dr. Childs was recognized for his efforts in furthering the exchange of knowledge about computer systems and IT between defense and non-defense government communities. The award was presented by Kent Schneider, President of AFCEA and Paul Cofoni, AFCEA Chairman of the Board. Dr. Childs has been a member of AFCEA’s Northern Virginia chapter and a board member of its Technology Committee for over ten years.

Dr. Childs also received the 2009 Federal 100 Award from the 1105 Government Information Group and Federal Computer Week at the 2009 Federal 100 Gala in McLean, Virginia on March 25, 2009. The Federal 100 award recognizes individuals in government and industry who have made significant contributions to the federal information technology community in 2008. Dr. Childs was recognized for his leadership in developing innovative information technology teaching programs. In 2008, IRMC held a Virtual Worlds Symposium and executive seminars on Privacy and Government 2.0. The college also offered two new cross-boundary academic certificate programs: the Government Strategic Leaders and Chief Financial Officers programs. Dr. Childs led an IRMC initiative to support reconstruction efforts in Iraq that involved college faculty traveling to Iraq to hold workshops attended by Senior Iraqi Information Technology Officials.

Commander, United States Central Command, Speaks at National Defense University

  

General Richard B. Myers (Retired), Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Speaks at National Defense University

Weathering the Storm: Leading Your Organization Through a Pandemic Flu Event

National Defense University’s IRM College Hosts 2nd Annual Virtual Worlds Conference

Distinguished Lecturer, Mr. Thomas E. Ricks, Speaks at the National Defense University

   

2009 Topical Symposium - America's Security Role in a Changing World, A Global Strategic Assessment

Delegation from Qatar Visits the National Defense University

Special Operations and General Purpose Forces: Roles and Missions for Irregular Warfare

Distinguished Lecture Program Guest Speaker: Joe Galloway, Author and Journalist

President Barack Obama Visits the National Defense University

  

Institute for National Strategic Studies Hosts Author Professor Ibu Connie Bakrie, Indonesian Institute of Defense and Security Studies

General Ann E. Dunwoody Honored by the Industrial College of the Armed Forces

Black History Month Guest Speaker Lieutenant General Michael D. Rochelle, U.S. Army, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, Department of the Army

   

National Defense University Distinguished Lecture Program on the Importance of Psychological Health in Force Readiness

National Defense University Distinguished Lecture Program Guest Speaker, General James N. Mattis, USMC

   

Commandant of the Coast Guard Speaks to Students at the National Defense University

   

National Defense University Distinguished Guest Speaker, General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Retired)

   

National Defense University Hosts the Commandant of the Bangladesh National Defence University

Lieutenant General Mohd Aminul Karim, Commandant of the National Defence College, Bangladesh, visited the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 2009. From left to right, Mr. Peter Lejeune, Executive Vice President, Strategic Analysis Incorporated; Lieutenant General Frances C. Wilson, President, National Defense University; Lieutenant General Mohd Aminul Karim, Commandant of the National Defence College, Bangladesh; and Ambassador Richard Roth, Senior Vice President, National Defense University.

National Defense University Welcomes Distinguished Lecturer

Lieutenant General Frances C. Wilson, USMC, President, National Defense University, welcomes Dr. Mowaffak Al-Rubaie, National Security Advisor to the Iraqi Government, on January 7, 2008. Dr. Al-Rubaie addressed the combined classes of the National War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces as part of the President's Distinguished Lecture Program.

National Defense University Launches Chief Financial Officer Academy

From left to right, the Honorable Clay Johnson III, Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget; the Honorable Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller); Lieutenant General Frances C. Wilson, USMC, President, National Defense University; and Dr. Robert D. Childs, Director, Information Resources Management College, National Defense University.