CNAS Live

Crafting a U.S. National Technology Strategy

On March 16, 2021, the CNAS Technology and National Security Program hosted a virtual event on “Crafting a U.S. National Technology Strategy.” Speakers for this event included Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors; Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security; and Martijn Rasser, Senior Fellow of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.
Panelists included Secretary James "Hondo" Geurts, Performing the Duties of Under Secretary of the Navy, Director Sue Gordon, Senior Advisor at Pallas Advisors and Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Loren DeJonge Schulman, Vice President of Research and Evaluation at the Partnership for Public Service and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. The panel was moderated by Megan Lamberth, Research Associate for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.

A Conversation with Wesley Morgan on ”The Hardest Place”

On March 11, 2021, the CNAS Technology and National Security Program hosted a virtual book discussion with author Wesley Morgan about his new book, The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan's Pech Valley. Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the CNAS Technology and National Security Program, sat down with Morgan to discuss the work and its central themes.

Artificial Intelligence and the Role of Confidence-Building Measures

On March 5, 2021, the CNAS Technology and National Security Program hosted a virtual discussion on AI and the role of confidence-building measures. This event is a part of the CNAS Artificial Intelligence and Global Security Initiative, which explores how the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution could lead to changes in global power, the character of conflict, and crisis stability.
Speakers for this event included Michael C. Horowitz, Richard Perry Professor and Director of the Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania, Helen Toner, Director of Strategy at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), and Kerstin Vignard, Head of the UNIDIR Support Team to the UN Cyber Negotiations (OEWG and GGE). This event was moderated by Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS.

Building a Trusted ICT Supply Chain

On January 14, 2021, the CNAS Technology and National Security Program hosted a virtual panel to discuss the challenges, findings. and recommendations of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission white paper, "Building a Trusted ICT Supply Chain." Speakers for this event included Congressman Mike Gallagher, Co-Chairman of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission; Dr. Sarah Sewall, Executive Vice President for Policy at In-Q-Tel; Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Associate Professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin; and RADM Mark Montgomery, USN (Ret.), Executive Director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Martijn Rasser, Senior Fellow at CNAS, moderated this event.

Report Launch: Massachusetts Veteran Needs Assessment: During the Pandemic and Beyond

On February 9, 2021, the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) held a two-part event to launch the report Massachusetts Veteran Needs Assessment: During the Pandemic and Beyond. The event was held as a CNAS webinar, and featured a presentation by Nathalie Grogan, keynote remarks by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services Cheryl Poppe, and a discussion hosted by Emma Moore and Rosye Cloud, featuring panelists Michael Allard, Michael Dwyer, Meg Harrell, Pamela Johnson, and Kristy Kaufmann.

Caregiving in the Military | Athena Leadership Project

On December 1, 2020, the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and the Athena Leadership Project held a roundtable to discuss caregiving in the military. Caregiving can place unique burdens on service members given the demands of a military career, burdens that disproportionately affect women.
Athena Leadership Project directors Jeannette Gaudry Haynie, PhD and Kyleanne Hunter, PhD led a powerful discussion on the lived experiences of panelists MSgt Elizabeth Delellis, USMC (Ret); MSgt Tonya James, USMC (Ret); LCDR Alison Maruca, USNR; and Maj Frances Mercado, USAF.

Common Code: An Alliance Framework for Democratic Technology Policy

On October 21, 2020, the CNAS Technology and National Security Program hosted a virtual discussion for the new report, "Common Code: An Alliance Framework for Democratic Technology Policy.”
Speakers for this event included Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director of the Cyber Policy Center at Stanford University, Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, and Akira Amari, Chairperson of the Research Commission on the Tax System for the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan.
Panelists included Rebecca Arcesati from the Mercator Institute for China Studies, Shin Oya from the Asia Pacific Initiative, Martijn Rasser, Senior Fellow for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, and Ainikki Riikonen, Research Assistant for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. This event was moderated by Kylie Atwood, National Security Correspondent at CNN.

Supporting Veterans During the Pandemic: How Nonprofits are Adapting

On October 15, 2020, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Military, Veterans, and Society Program hosted a virtual panel discussion on how veteran-serving nonprofits are pivoting in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. MVS Program Director Kayla Williams and Rajeev Ramchand of the RAND Corporation moderated a conversation with panelists Tracy Farrell of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), Renee Foster of The Mission Continues, Brian Jenkins of the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP), and Jennifer Mackinday, an Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow Alumni.

Toward a Sustainable U.S. Defense Strategy for the Middle East

For 20 years, U.S. presidents have tried to get out of the Middle East only to be pulled back in. On September 22, 2020, the CNAS Defense and Middle East Security Programs convened a virtual panel discussion on developing a long-term sustainable U.S. military approach to the Middle East. Panelists at this event included CNAS CEO Richard Fontaine, Ilan Goldenberg, and Becca Wasser. This event also featured a special presentation of the CNAS 1LT Andrew J. Bacevich Jr., USA Award to Kaleigh Thomas, a Research Associate with the CNAS Middle East Security Program.

A Conversation on Race in the Military

On September 23, 2020, the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) launched a multi-part discussion series on race in the military. The first discussion session focused on the lived experiences of people of color in the U.S. military; future sessions will cover topics including effective leadership in an increasingly diverse force and the importance of understanding intersectional experiences. Discussions will be moderated by Bishop Garrison and CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellow Dr. Jason Dempsey. Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD) provided keynote remarks at the opening of the inaugural session, and panelists included: Terrence Hayes, an Army veteran and current National Director, Communications & Public Affairs at Veterans of Foreign Wars; Melissa Bryant, a military and veteran advocate, former U.S. Army Captain and Department of Defense senior civil servant; James Anderson, USAF Captain and national security professional; and Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, Co-director of the Athena Leadership Project and Assistant Professor of Military and Strategic Studies at the United States Air Force Academy.