February 03, 2015

Ideas to Action

Suggestions for the 25th Secretary of Defense

By Michèle Flournoy, Shawn Brimley, Ilan Goldenberg, Elbridge Colby, Nicholas Heras, Alexander Sullivan, Jacob Stokes, Patrick M. Cronin, Paul Scharre, Van Jackson, Jerry Hendrix, Julianne Smith, Phillip Carter and Katherine Kidder

In advance of Dr. Ashton Carter’s upcoming nomination hearing to be Secretary of Defense, experts from the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) have produced a series of commentaries outlining the key issues the 25th Secretary of Defense will face. The commentaries – including one from CNAS CEO Michèle Flournoy – recommend future courses of action for the Department of Defense.

Authors

  • Michèle Flournoy

    CNAS Board of Director, Chief Executive Officer, WestExec

    Michèle Flournoy is CEO of WestExec and is the former CEO of CNAS, an organization she co-founded. She serves on the CNAS Board of Directors. She served as the Under Secretary...

  • Shawn Brimley

    Former Executive Vice President and Director of Studies

    Shawn Brimley was the Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) where he managed the center’s research agenda and staff...

  • Ilan Goldenberg

    Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Security Program

    Ilan Goldenberg is Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. He is a foreign policy and defense expert with ext...

  • Elbridge Colby

    Director, Defense Program

    Elbridge Colby is the Director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security, where he leads CNAS’ work on defense issues. Previously, Colby served as the D...

  • Nicholas Heras

    Fellow, Middle East Security Program

    Nicholas A. Heras is a Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), working in the Middle East Security Program. He is also a Senior Analyst at the Jamestown Found...

  • Alexander Sullivan

    Adjunct Fellow, Asia-Pacific Security Program

    Alexander Sullivan is an Adjunct Fellow in the Asia-Pacific Security Program, where he focuses on US-China relations, maritime security, regional military modernization and U....

  • Jacob Stokes

  • Patrick M. Cronin

    Senior Advisor and Senior Director, Asia-Pacific Security Program

    Patrick M. Cronin is a Senior Advisor and Senior Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Previously, he was the Senior ...

  • Paul Scharre

    Senior Fellow and Director, Technology and National Security Program

    Paul Scharre is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. He is author of Army of None: Autonomou...

  • Van Jackson

  • Jerry Hendrix

    Former Senior Fellow and Director, Defense Program

    Jerry Hendrix was the Senior Fellow and the Director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. A retired Captain in the United States Navy, his staff ...

  • Julianne Smith

    Adjunct Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Program

    Julianne (“Julie”) Smith is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and is currently serving as a Weizsäcker Fellow at the Bosch Academy in Berlin....

  • Phillip Carter

    Former Senior Fellow and Director, Military, Veterans, and Society Program

    Phillip Carter was the former Senior Fellow and Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security.  His research focused on iss...

  • Katherine Kidder

    Former Fellow, Military, Veterans, and Society Program

    Katherine Kidder was a former Fellow in the Military, Veterans, and Society Program and the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). In that capacity, she led the CNAS Rebui...