CNAS Live

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.

A Conversation on Bolstering American Democracy

On September 17, 2020, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), in partnership with the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL) and the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC), both of the University of Pennsylvania, presented a virtual symposium, "Protecting Democracy: Foreign Interference, Voter Confidence, and Defensive Strategies in the 2020 Elections and Beyond." Christopher C. Krebs, Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), joined experts Carrie Cordero and Claire Finkelstein for a conversation about the agency's efforts to #Protect2020.

A Conversation with Teresa Fazio and Matt Gallagher on ”Fidelis”

On September 10, 2020, the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted Iraq War veteran Teresa Fazio in discussion about her forthcoming book "Fidelis: A Memoir." The event was held as a CNAS webinar in conjunction with Bronx River Books.
Acclaimed author Matt Gallagher interviewed Fazio about her coming of age story of joining the Marine Corps, deploying to Iraq, and coping with homecoming through writing. Gallagher is author of "Empire City," "Youngblood," and "Kaboom" and teaches Words After War at NYU. Fazio's writing has been published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Foreign Policy, Washington Post, and The Nation, as well as the anthologies "Retire the Colors," "The Road Ahead," and "It’s My Country, Too."

Report Launch: Toward a More Proliferated World?

On September 2, 2020, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted a virtual panel discussion on a joint report from CNAS and the Center for Strategic and International Studies entitled "Toward a More Proliferated World?" by Eric Brewer, with Ilan Goldenberg, Joseph Rodgers, Maxwell Simon, and Kaleigh Thomas. The event featured a panel discussion with Eric Brewer, Rebecca Friedman Lissner, and Vipin Narang, moderated by Ilan Goldenberg.

Open Future: The Way Forward on 5G

On August 27, 2020, the CNAS Technology and National Security Program hosted a virtual discussion on regaining momentum in 5G through the use of open interfaces and modular architecture. It was held in conjunction with the release of the CNAS report, "Open Future: The Way Forward on 5G." This event featured Elsa B. Kania, Adjunct Senior Fellow at CNAS, Yuka Koshino, Research Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Schuyler Moore, Board Member at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, and Martijn Rasser, Senior Fellow at CNAS. This event was moderated by Ainikki Riikonen, Research Assistant at CNAS.

A Conversation with Richard Fontaine and Robert Zoellick on ”America in the World”

On August 12, 2020, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted author Robert B. Zoellick for a discussion of his new book "America in the World: A History of U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy." CNAS CEO Richard Fontaine sat down with Zoellick for a moderated discussion about the book and its themes.