Speakers

Lieutenant General Eric Austin was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1991, earned his wings as a naval aviator in 1994, and selected to fly the AV-8B Harrier. Lieutenant General Austin has extensive operational and tactical experience in the AV-8B, to include deployment aboard amphibious shipping as part of a Marine Expeditionary Unit and combat experience from multiple deployments to Kuwait and Iraq. He commanded Marine Attack Squadron 211 from May 2007 to November of 2008 and commanded Marine Aircraft Group 14 from June 2014 to May 2016. He served as the Deputy Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command from 2017 to 2018. He most recently served as the Commanding General of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan.

His staff assignments include Director, Capabilities Development Directorate, Combat Development and Integration; Deputy Director, Joint Training, Joint Staff J7; Military Secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps; Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing; Pacific Command Action Officer, Operations Directorate for the Joint Staff J-39; Executive Officer, Marine Aircraft Group 13; Executive Officer, Marine Attack Squadron 513; Weapons and Tactics Instructor, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1; and various squadron billets in operations, aviation maintenance, aviation safety and pilot training.

Lieutenant General Austin graduated from the Naval Academy with a BS in Aeronautical Engineering in 1991, was a distinguished graduate of The Basic School in 1992, and completed flight school in 1994. He was awarded a Masters of National Security Strategy from the National War College in 2010, graduated from the Marine Corps University Senior Planner’s course in 2012, and completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program in 2013.

Major General James (Jay) Bartholomees received his commission as an Infantry Officer from the United States Military Academy in 1995. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College and US Army War College.

Prior to assumption of command of the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii, MG Bartholomees served as the G3 and Chief of Staff of U.S. Army Pacific and Executive Officer to the Director of the Army Staff. He commanded the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) in Europe, the 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord as well as 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. His previous field grade assignments include Operations Officer, Executive Officer and Deputy Commander, 75th Ranger Regiment, as well as Liaison Officer and Executive Officer, 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. His previous company grade assignments include Company Command and Staff in 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division as well as 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He began his Army career as a Platoon Leader in the 82nd Airborne Division and Platoon Leader in 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

MG Bartholomees' peacekeeping deployments include Haiti with the 82nd Airborne Division in 1996 and Bosnia-Herzegovina with the 3rd Infantry Division in 2000 – 2001. He deployed several times to Iraq including the initial assault with 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in 2003 as well as multiple deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2016.

Major General Bartholomees is married and has four children.

Lt. Gen. Dennis O. Bythewood is the Commander, U.S. Space Forces – Space and United States Space Command’s Combined Joint Force Space Component Commander, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Lt. Gen. Bythewood leads thousands of joint and combined personnel across 50 tactical units with a mission to command combat forces in space superiority operations to protect and defend, with allies and partners, United States Space Command’s Area of Responsibility and to deliver global space-enabled effects to the Joint Force. Lt. Gen. Bythewood plans and executes space operations through two command and control deltas and oversees five distinct and geographically dispersed operations centers, including the Combined Space Operations Center at Vandenberg SFB, California; the National Space Defense Center at Schriever SFB, Colorado; the Missile Warning Center at Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, Colorado; the Joint Overhead Persistent Infrared Center at Buckley SFB, Colorado; and the Joint Navigation Warfare Center located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

Lt. Gen. Bythewood entered the Air Force via the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1992 upon graduating from the University of Vermont and transferred to the Space Force in 2021. He has commanded space operations at the squadron and group level and as Joint Task Force commander. He has served in a variety of acquisition leadership roles as a Materiel Leader, two-time System Program Director, and Program Executive Officer.

Prior to his current position, Lt. Gen. Bythewood was the Special Assistant to the Chief of Space Operations, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.

Colonel Gabe Diana enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1996. He deployed to Marine Barracks Panama in 1997 and participated in three Division-level Super Squad Competitions, serving as a team leader on the 2001 winning squad. He was promoted to Sergeant on 2 April 2001, and later graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in History.

From January to December 2002, Colonel Diana graduated from Officer Candidate School, The Basic School, and the Infantry Officer Course. In December 2002, he reported to 3d Battalion, 2d Marines, where he served as Rifle Platoon Commander, 81mm Mortar Platoon Commander, and Mobile Assault Platoon Commander. He supported Operation IRAQI FREEDOM I as a member of Task Force Tarawa, conducted security operations with Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa, and deployed for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 04-06.

In January 2006, Colonel Diana joined the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, supporting concept development and live-force experimentation for Distributed Operations. He graduated from Expeditionary Warfare School in 2008 and subsequently augmented OCS as a platoon commander.

In September 2009, he reported to 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, serving as H&S Company Commander and later as Battalion Operations Officer. During this assignment, he supported Operation UNIFIED RESPONSE in Haiti and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan. In 2012, he completed the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) and the Art of War Scholars Program.

In June 2013, Colonel Diana assumed command of Recruiting Station Charleston, West Virginia. The team’s exceptional efforts resulted in the Station earning the Eastern Recruiting Region’s “Most Improved” award in 2015. In 2016, he attended the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), and then reported to III MEF’s G35, where he served as lead planner for ULCHI FREEDOM GUARDIAN, KEY RESOLVE, and MEFEX 19.

From June 2019 to May 2021, he commanded 1st Battalion, 2d Marines, participating in the 2d Marine Division’s MAGTF Warfighting Exercise (MWX) and Unit Deployment Program 20-1. Following this tour, he attended the National War College and was then assigned to the Joint Staff, serving as Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director of Regional Operations and Global Force Management. He most recently served as Deputy Director of Operations at Plans, Policy, and Operations.

Colonel Diana earned Master’s Degrees in Military Arts and Sciences through CGSC and SAMS, and in National Security Studies from NWC. He completed MIT’s Seminar XXI National Security Program in 2023. His awards include the Division Super Squad Badge, Father Donald Smythe Award for outstanding military history student at CGSC and the Colonel Richard Christie Writing Award at NWC.

On April 18, 2024, Brigadier General Simon M. Doran assumed duties as Commanding General, Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory / Futures Directorate and Vice Chief of Naval Research.

Brigadier General Doran was born in Liverpool, England. He graduated from Purdue University in 1993 and was commissioned a 2nd Lt in the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon completion of The Basic School, he attended flight training and was designated an FA18 Hornet pilot. From May 1998 to May 2002, he was a pilot in VMFA-251 He attended TOPGUN in May of 2000 and the USMC Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course in Oct of 2000. He deployed with Carrier Air Wing ONE (CVW-1) for two combat deployments aboard the USS John F. Kennedy in 1999 for Operation Southern Watch and in September 2001 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

From June 2002 to June 2005 BGen Doran was an instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) where he flew both the F/A-18 Hornet and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. At TOPGUN he was the subject matter expert in Close Air Support and Air-to-Ground Employment.

From August 2005 to June 2006, he attended the Naval War College and graduated with distinction, earning a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He then returned to the cockpit of the F/A-18 in July 2006 for a tour with the “Red Devils” of VMFA-232. While with the “Red Devils” BGen Doran filled the billets of Operations Officer, Aviation Maintenance Officer, and Executive Officer while doing two cruises with Carrier Air Wing ELEVEN (CVW-11) aboard the USS Nimitz in 2007 and 2008 in support of OIF, OEF and a WESTPAC.

Brigadier General Doran then served aboard the Staff of the Commanding General, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing (3d MAW) from 2008 to 2009 as the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing Joint Strike Fighter Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Marine Aviation Training Support Site Officer in Charge. From July 2009 to July 2010, he served as the Tactical Aircraft Integration and Plans Officer for the Deputy Commandant of Aviation.

In September 2010, Brigadier General Doran returned to the Beaufort, SC for duty as the Executive Officer with the “Thunderbolts” of VMFA-251 for a combat deployment aboard the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) in support of Operations NEW DAWN and ENDURING FREEDOM.

On 29 July 2011, he was privileged to take command of the “Thunderbolts” and lead them on the final deployment of the USS ENTERPRISE supporting combat operations in support of OEF. During his command, VMFA-251 won the Hanson award as the best Marine Fighter Attack Squadron in the Marine Corps.

After relinquishing command of the Thunderbolts in May 2013, Brigadier General Doran attended the Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama in 2013-2014 where he graduated with distinction and earned a Master of Strategic Studies degree. From 2014-2015, Brigadier General Doran served as the Executive Officer at The Basic School. He then served on the Joint Staff J-8 Programming, Budget and Analysis Division as the USMC service representative, Readiness and TACAIR Subject Matter Expert.

Brigadier General Doran commanded Marine Aircraft Group ELEVEN (MAG-11) from July 2017 to July 2019. From August 2019 to August 2020, he served as the Assistant Wing Commander of 3d Marine Aircraft Wing.

From August 2020 to July 2022, Brigadier General Doran served as the U.S. Senior National Representative to the Commander U.K Carrier Strike Group on the inaugural operational deployment of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH (R-08).

From July 2022 to April 2024, Brigadier General Doran served at the Director of Strategy and Plans, HQMC Plans, Policies and Operations.

Brigadier General Doran’s decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star, three individual Air Medals; two with combat distinguishing device, seven strike flight Air Medal awards, Navy Commendation Medal with two gold stars, and various unit awards. BGen Doran has flown over 600 combat hours in the F/A-18 and F-35B, was the 2012 recipient of the USMC Tailhooker of the Year award and has over 800 landings on nine different aircraft carriers.

Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Ellis received his commission in the infantry from the United States Military Academy at West Point in ​1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Russian. He has served in various units including the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry; 2nd Battalion, 75th ​Ranger Regiment; and the 1-501st Infantry Regiment (Airborne). Ellis has ​conducted multiple deployments in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and ​Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has also served as a current operations officer and the executive officer to the commander of Joint Special Operations Command.

In June of 2010, Ellis assumed ​command of 1-501st Infantry Regiment (Airborne) in Anchorage, Alaska. While serving as the battalion commander, he deployed the battalion for 10 months in support of Operation Enduring ​Freedom in Afghanistan. ​

Ellis then commanded 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, during which he deployed ​twice to Afghanistan. He also commanded 2nd Calvary Regiment until July 2018. ​Following command, Ellis was assigned to U.S. Southern Command in Miami, where he served as the executive officer to the commander until June 2020. ​In July 2020, Ellis assumed the role of the deputy commander of operations for ​the 7th Infantry Division. 

​Ellis then served as the chief of staff for I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, ​Washington, supporting the Army’s operational headquarters for the Indo-Pacific and ​advancing distributed command and control for forces in the region. 

Ellis then served as the deputy chief of staff for operations, G3, at U.S. Army ​Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF), in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he supported the ​USAREUR-AF mission to train, equip, provide and command combat-credible Army ​forces across a 104-nation area of operations. As G3, Ellis managed planning and ​operations across numerous functions including military operations, training and ​exercises, aviation and mission command systems.

Ellis most recently served as the director of the Network Cross-Functional Team within Army Futures Command. Ellis was responsible for the continuous improvement of network transport, command, control, communications and intelligence to enable mission command.

Ellis’ military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer ​Advanced Course, Ranger School, Command and General Staff College and U.S. Army ​War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He also has a master’s in management and strategic studies.

His awards and decorations ​include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, ​Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation ​Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert ​Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and Ranger Tab. ​

Ellis is married and has two grown children.​

A lifelong Nebraskan, Deb Fischer is the senior senator from Nebraska. Senator Fischer was first elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2012, becoming the first Nebraska woman elected to a full term and the first Nebraska state senator elected directly after service in the state legislature. She was reelected for a second term in 2018, and in November 2024, Nebraskans voted to send her back to the Senate for a third term. During the 119th Congress, she serves as deputy whip under Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), working to present the concerns of Nebraskans directly to Republican Senate leadership. She also serves on six important Senate committees: Armed Services, Appropriations, Commerce, Agriculture, Rules, and Ethics.

Senator Fischer believes the first duty of Congress is to defend the nation. As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, she is committed to defending against growing threats to our homeland and our allies. She serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, which focuses on America’s nuclear triad and associated delivery systems, the emergence of space as a warfighting domain, and defending the nation against increasingly sophisticated missile threats. The subcommittee directly oversees two unified combatant commands: U.S. Strategic Command, headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, and U.S. Space Command.

Senator Fischer also serves on the Appropriations Committee, which helps shape the federal government’s spending policies. This position ensures that Nebraskans have greater input into the programs and agencies that directly affect their lives. Senator Fischer is committed to leveraging this role to rein in irresponsible spending and benefit Nebraska.

As a member of the Commerce Committee, Senator Fischer continues to lead on issues related to our nation’s infrastructure. Senator Fischer is particularly committed to improving roads, bridges, and broadband access, priorities dating back to her time in the Nebraska Legislature. She recently was appointed Chair of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media which has broad jurisdiction over communications matters, including telephone, Internet, satellite, broadcast, wireline and wireless broadband, spectrum management, and public safety communications.

Senator Fischer also sits on the Agriculture Committee. Her service on this committee is vital for Nebraska, and she knows agriculture is the economic engine of our state. Senator Fischer is a Nebraska cattle rancher with over 40 years of real-life experience working with agriculture producers and rural and economic development groups across the state. As Nebraska’s voice on this committee, she works to cut regulations negatively affecting agriculture and open up new trade opportunities for farmers and ranchers.

Before her election to the U.S. Senate, Fischer served in the Nebraska Unicameral, representing the 43rd Legislative District from 2005 to 2013. During her time in the state legislature, she chaired the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. She was also a member of the Revenue Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Executive Board.

Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Senator Fischer attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated with a degree in education. She and her husband, Bruce, have a ranching business in the Nebraska Sandhills. They have three sons and six grandchildren.

​​Lt. Gen. Gregory J. Gagnon​ is ​Commander​, ​U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado​. As commander, he is responsible for over 12,000 Guardians and Airmen focused on generating, presenting and sustaining U.S. Space Force combat-ready space control, global operations and combat service support forces. Moreover, as the USSF service force provider, he is responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Space Operations for sourcing, training, certifying and assessing the readiness of America’s Space Forces to execute service and combatant commander-assigned missions.

Lt. Gen. Gagnon was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Saint Michael’s College in Winooski, Vermont. He is a career Intelligence officer with an extensive background in cyberspace operations. Gagnon has commanded at the squadron, group and joint wing levels with one command tour within Afghanistan. He is a fully qualified Joint Staff Officer. His staff tours include Pacific Air Forces, Air Force Space Command, Air Combat Command, U.S. Strategic Command and U.S. Space Command. Gagnon has deployed on multiple occasions in support of joint air and special operations. Prior to his current position, Gagnon was the Special Assistant to the Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.

Colonel Timothy M. Helfrich is the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He is responsible for the development, production, fielding, sustainment, and modernization of the Air Force fighter portfolio, which includes the A-10, F- 15, F-16, F-22, and special programs; as well as the development of the F-47 program, Collaborative Combat Aircraft and other advanced aircraft capability development activities. 

Col Helfrich was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He received his commission from the United States Air Force Reserve Officer Training Course, Detachment 220 at Purdue University in May 2002. He has served in a variety of acquisition positions at an Air Logistics Center, the Air Force Research Laboratory, a flight test squadron, Air Staff, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and a classified program office. He served in key acquisition leadership roles as the Materiel Leader for the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, the Senior Materiel Leader for Cyber Systems and most recently was the Senior Material Leader for the Advanced Aircraft Division. Col Helfrich has combat experience from Operation IRAQI FREEDOM where he was the Detachment Commander for a joint flying unit, and from Operation INHERENT RESOLVE where he served as the SOCCENT Forward Headquarters Commandant. 

Colonel Corey Klopstein is the Program Executive Officer (PEO), Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI), and is the Commander (CC), System Delta 81 Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA. Col Klopstein leads a combined team of military, government civilians, and contractors at two geographically separated units in the execution of a $4B+ portfolio to create a robust, enduring OTTI. These advanced systems provide the foundation for High- End Advanced Test, Training, and Tactics Development by all Guardians. As PEO OTTI and CC SYD 81, Col Klopstein’s portfolio includes the National Space Test and Training Complex (NSTTC) and enterprise Space Training systems providing interconnected, scalable, and distributed physical and digital ranges for full- spectrum test and training capabilities for the joint warfighter.

Col Klopstein was commissioned in 1999 through the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. His career has spanned 25+ years across a variety of acquisition, staff, and command assignments at many across in the Space Force, Air Force, and Department of War. He recently served as Chief of the Analysis Branch in the Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment Directorate on the Joint Staff, Executive Officer to the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) Commander, Materiel Leader of the Enhanced Polar System, and Branch Chief on the United States Air Forces in Europe staff.

Prior to his current position, Col Klopstein was the Senior Materiel Leader of the Warfighter Enterprise Acquisition Delta. The Warfighter Enterprise team developed and fielded Cyber, Test, Training, and Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) capabilities to counter current and evolving threats within the space domain.

Colonel Neikirk is a native of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, and a 2003 graduate of The Citadel with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is currently serving as the Commanding Officer, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan.

Colonel Neikirk has served in all three active-duty Marine Divisions of the Fleet Marine Forces. In 2004, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with 2d Battalion, 11th Marines and served as a provisional infantry platoon commander. He participated in Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah as well as combat operations in and around Ramadi and across Anbar province. His unit also secured polling sites during the first free and democratic elections in Iraq, as well as secured a border crossing with Saudi Arabia facilitating the Hajj. In 2005, he deployed with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to Southeast Asia and the South China Sea. During this deployment, he participated in Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Relief efforts on Leyte Island in the Republic of the Philippines. In 2011, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a Battery Commander for 2d Battalion, 10th Marines. His battery was employed as provisional infantry supporting Regiment Combat Teams 5 and 6 securing Forward Operating Bases Delaram and Dwyer in the Helmand province. In 2012, he was assigned as the Operations Officer for 2d Battalion, 10th Marines. From 2020-2022 he served as the Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, 12th Marines - working closely with the Joint Force in support of sea-denial and sea-control operations.

Colonel Neikirk has also held a variety of billets in the supporting establishment. From 2007 to 2010, he was assigned to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island. He initially served as a Series Commander in 3rd Battalion before transferring to Support Battalion where he served as both a Company Commander and battalion Operations Officer. In 2010, he attended the Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia. In 2013, he served as the Staff Secretary for the 2d Marine Division. In 2014, he was assigned to the College of Naval Command and Staff in Newport, Rhode Island. From 2015-2018, he commanded Marine Corps Recruiting Station Raleigh, North Carolina. From 2018-2020, he was assigned to Special Operations Command, Pacific where he served as a deliberate planner before serving as Director of the Commander's Action Group. From 2022-2023, he attended Harvard's Kennedy School of Government as a National Security Fellow.

Colonel Neikirk is a Joint Qualified Officer. His professional military education consists of The Basic School, Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Expeditionary Warfare School, College of Naval Command and Staff, Joint Forces Staff College, Joint Professional Military Education Phase I and II, and Harvard Kennedy School National Security Fellow.

He is married to the love of his life and has two daughters.

Colonel Niedziocha was born in Elizabeth, NJ and grew up in suburban Philadelphia.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1996 and attended recruit training at MCRD Parris Island, Marine Combat Training at the School of Infantry East, and Marine Corps Communications and Electronics School. As a field radio operator, he served four years in Btry I, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment.

Col Niedziocha was commissioned via the Platoon Leaders Course. After graduating from the Infantry Officer’s Course he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment where he deployed twice, to Okinawa, Japan and to Afghanistan. During his time in 1/6 he served as a weapons platoon commander and the anti-armor platoon commander.

After his first tour in 1/6, Col Niedziocha was reassigned to 2D Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Company where he deployed twice, first to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and as the boarding force officer in charge for Commander, Task Group 515.1 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Philippines.

Col Niedziocha’s next assignment was 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment where he served as the assistant operations officer and then commanding officer of Weapons Company. While in 1/1 he deployed twice to 5th and 7th Fleet with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
Following his tour in 1/1, Col Niedziocha executed orders to joint duty at the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) where he served in a number of assignments to include J34 support operations branch chief, action officer on the director’s staff group, military secretary to the Vice Director, and J33 current operations officer. While at JIEDDO, Col Niedziocha deployed to Afghanistan as the counter IED officer for Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan.

Returning to the operating forces, Col Niedziocha was the assistant operations officer at 6th Marine Regiment for exercise Bold Alligator ’14. He was reassigned as the executive officer for 1/6 where he deployed with the 22D MEU. After his XO tour was complete, he became the operations officer of the 24th MEU where he deployed to 5th and 6th Fleets. Upon returning, the 24th MEU was quickly redeployed to Puerto Rico for disaster relief. Col Niedziocha also participated in Exercise Trident Juncture ’18, a two-month long NATO exercise in Iceland and Norway.

In January 2019 he assumed command of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, leading the battalion through ITX, MWX and a deployment to Okinawa Japan. After commanding 1/6, he served assignments as the director of Marine Corps Warfighting Lab’s Wargame Division and as a strategist at the Commandant’s Office of Net Assessment.

His personal awards and decorations include the Silver Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal with two gold stars, and the Combat Action Ribbon with gold star. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College Distance Education Program, Joint Combined Warfighting School and the Secretary of Defense’s Strategic Thinker’s Program. He has a Master’s of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Lt Gen John Shaw (US Space Force, ret) has 35+ years of experience in national security space and aerospace engineering with a focus on leading large-scale technical, global organizations. His unique proven strengths in executive decision-making, strategic risk management, and combat operations at all levels have made him a leader in organizational transformation, strategic culture transformation, and the innovative integration of allied/international and commercial capabilities into national security missions. He was among the first general officers to accept a commission in the US Space Force, resigning his US Air Force commission to do so.

General Shaw’s last active duty assignment, as a 3-star general in the US Space Force, was Deputy Commander of United States Space Command, where he directed 12,000+ personnel worldwide and oversaw a $525M budget to defend the nation’s critical space capabilities and to deliver space effects to terrestrial warfighters and human society. In this role, he regularly interacted with leaders across the U.S. government, including NASA, Dept of State, Dept of Commerce, and the Intelligence Community. Before joining U.S. Space Command, John was the last commander of 14th Air Force (US Air Force) and the first commander of Space Operations Command (US Space Force) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, leading 10,000+ personnel across the globe that organized, trained, and equipped military space forces and executed global space operations, in teamwork with international partners.

Prior to commanding 14th Air Force, John spent 30 years as a leader of large, complex, and highly technical organizations responsible for some of the world’s most critical space capabilities within both the Department of Defense and the National Reconnaissance Office. He also served as a senior policy advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and co-led a delegation to Vienna to discuss space security issues with Russia during the first Trump administration.

John holds multiple academic degrees in technical and strategic management fields, including a B.S in Astronautical Engineering with Russian Language minor from the US Air Force Academy, an M.S. in Aeronautics & Astronautics from the University of Washington and an M.S. in Organizational Management from The George Washington University. He is a noted public speaker and has delivered dozens of keynotes at various conferences and interviews to the media, has testified often before Congress, and has also authored many works on space-focused strategy, security, and policy. He currently serves on the corporate Board of Directors for SES Satellite, Draper Laboratory, Auria Space, Stoke Space Technologies, and ThinkOrbital.

John is an avid runner, skier, hiker, fly fisher, reader, wine enthusiast, chessplayer, and musician.

On 20 June 2024, the North Atlantic Council approved the nomination of Admiral Pierre Vandier to the post of Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

Admiral Vandier joined the French Naval Academy in 1987, opting for naval aviation. He was first assigned to the frigate Commandant Bory, taking part in operation Artimon and in support of operation Daguet during the First Gulf War in 1991. After training as a fighter pilot, he joined the Landivisiau fighter squadrons on Super-Etendard, with multiple combat missions in Bosnia (1995/1997) and Kosovo (1999). After switching to Rafale in 2001, he commanded Squadron 12F, flying several combat missions in Afghanistan (Agapanthe mission). From 2005 to 2007 he was the Deputy Head of Operations aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, whose aircraft provided support to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. In 2007, he took command of the frigate Surcouf that took part in operation Thalatine, in the wake of the taking of hostages on the Ponant.  He commanded the Charles de Gaulle which deployed twice to the Indian Ocean, in 2013 and in 2015 for mission Arromanches, when it provided support to operation Chammal in Iraq.

He served as Programme Delivery Officer within the Capability Planning Division of the French Joint Staff, heading the Rafale, NH90 and Tiger programmes, before becoming Chief of operations for the African Zone at the Joint Military Operations Centre. He directed the Crisis Unit for operation Serval in 2013.

In 2017, he was appointed Coordinating Authority for International Relations at Navy Headquarters before serving as Deputy Commander of the Mediterranean Maritime Region and Commander Naval Base Toulon.

He was appointed head of the Military Cabinet of the French Minister of Defence in 2018 before being appointed Chief of the French Navy and in 2023 Vice Chief of Defence of the French Armed Forces.

He is a Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur and of the Mérite maritime. His awards include the croix de guerre des théâtres d’opérations extérieures, the croix de Valeur militaire, the médaille du combattant, médaille de l’aéronautique and médaille d’or de la Défense nationale.

In addition to the Naval Academy, he attended the Collège Interarmées de Défense, the Centre des Hautes Etudes Militaires and the Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale.

Admiral Vandier is married to France, they have six children.

Eric Chewning is executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy.  His responsibilities include working alongside the division presidents in leading the company’s strategy for future maritime capabilities and fleet architecture, development of hybrid manned-unmanned teaming strategies; identifying outsourcing partners to accelerate throughput; driving business pursuits for new maritime capabilities; managing enterprise strategic partnerships; managing HII’s Dark Sea Labs Advanced Technology Group, and overseeing enterprise strategy and corporate development.

In addition, he serves as a director on H&B Defence Board of Directors, the HII-Babcock International joint venture in Australia.

He has 25 years of experience across government and industry working issues at the intersection of national security, technology, and business.

Prior to joining HII, he co-led McKinsey & Company’s Aerospace & Defense practice in the Americas.

While in government, Chewning was the chief of staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. In this role he led the secretary’s executive team, working across the military services, Joint Staff, combatant commanders, and senior civilian political appointees. He also provided counsel and advice to the secretary on all matters concerning the department.

Prior to serving as the chief of staff, Chewning was the deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy. In this capacity, he was the principal advisor for analyzing the capabilities, policies and overall health of America’s defense industrial base.

A former U.S. Army military intelligence officer, he is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Prior to his military service, Chewning was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley & Co. where he focused on corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions in the global industrials sector.
Chewning received a MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia where he was recognized as a Shermet Scholar. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in international relations and a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of Chicago. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and appointed to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia by Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Bryan Clark is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute. He studies naval operations, cyber and electromagnetic warfare, autonomous systems, military competitions, and wargaming.

From 2013 to 2019, Mr. Clark was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) where he led studies for the DoD Office of Net Assessment, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Defense Advanced Research Products Agency on new technologies and the future of warfare.

Prior to joining CSBA in 2013, Mr. Clark was a career enlisted and officer submariner. His last assignment was as director of the Chief of Naval Operations Commander’s Action Group, where he led development of Navy strategy and implemented new initiatives in electromagnetic spectrum operations, undersea warfare, expeditionary operations, and personnel and readiness management.

Seamus P. Daniels is a fellow for Defense Budget Analysis in the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he researches issues related to U.S. and global defense funding, force structure, and military readiness. He has authored publications on trends in the overall U.S. defense budget, the legislative process surrounding defense appropriations, defense strategy and force structure, and NATO burden sharing. Prior to joining CSIS, Mr. Daniels worked for Government Executive Media Group. He holds an MA in international relations from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and an AB from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs with minors in Near Eastern studies and Arabic language and culture.

Todd Harrison is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on defense strategy, defense budgeting, and space policy. He has published widely on issues such as the future of US Space Force, trade-offs in defense spending, and military personnel and readiness reform. His work has appeared in outlets including Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Defense One, and Breaking Defense. He has testified before Congress on defense budgeting, space security, and military personnel issues.

Previously, Mr. Harrison served in senior research positions at leading think tanks, including as director of the Defense Budget Analysis program and the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and as senior fellow for defense budget studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. He has also been a senior vice president and head of research in the defense industry, served as a captain in the US Air Force Reserves, and taught graduate courses on space security and defense budgeting at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

Mr. Harrison received a BS and MS in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Jason Levin, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President of Engineering at Anduril Industries. Jason oversees Anduril’s Air Dominance & Strike division, which includes mission autonomy, group 5 autonomous air vehicles, and advanced effects. He is also responsible for flight test, flight software, GNC and operations analysis. Previously, Jason started Anduril’s Counter UAS and Ghost programs. Prior to joining Anduril, Jason served as a Chief Engineer for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. where he worked on small unmanned aerial systems such as MQ-9, MQ-1C, MQ-20, Hypervelocity Projectile, and other IRAD programs. Jason also previously worked at Boeing Research and Technology where he focused on robust adaptive flight control. He has a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Victoria Samson is the Chief Director, Space Security and Stability for Secure World Foundation
(SWF) and has nearly thirty years of experience in military space and security issues. At SWF,
she is the editor of Global Counterspace Capabilities: An Open Source Assessment, an annual
report that examines counterspace capabilities and programs around the world. Before joining
SWF, Ms. Samson served as a Senior Analyst for the Center for Defense Information (CDI),
where she leveraged her expertise in missile defense, nuclear reductions, and space security
issues to conduct in-depth analysis and media commentary. Prior to her time at CDI, Ms.
Samson was the Senior Policy Associate at the Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers, a
consortium of arms control groups in the Washington, D.C. area, where she worked on issues
related to ballistic missile defense and nuclear weapons reduction. Before that, she was a
researcher at Riverside Research Institute, where she worked on war-gaming scenarios for the
Missile Defense Agency's Directorate of Intelligence.

Known throughout the space and security arena as a thought leader on policy and budgetary
issues, Ms. Samson is often interviewed by multinational media outlets, including the New York
Times, Space News, and NPR. She was the head of the Security Task Force of the International
Astronautical Federation and is a member of the Space Security Working Group of the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)’s Committee on International
Security and Arms Control (CISAC).

Ms. Samson holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in political science with a specialization in
international relations from UCLA and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in international relations from the
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Becca Wasser is an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and an expert on defense strategy, military operations, and wargaming. She serves as Defense Lead at Bloomberg Economics, where she directs research and analysis assessing how the evolving geopolitical, technological, and macroeconomic trends impact defense strategy, military operations, and future conflict.

At CNAS, Wasser formerly served as deputy director of the Defense Program, where her work focused on the future of warfare, particularly the long-term implications of great power competition for the defense industrial base, the integration of AI and autonomy into military operations, and conventional and nuclear deterrence in an increasingly proliferated world. Wasser also led The Gaming Lab, where she designed and facilitated innovative wargames and scenario-based assessments to inform senior defense and policy decisionmakers.

She previously served as a staff member on the bipartisan, congressionally appointed 2022 National Defense Strategy Commission, authoring key sections of the Commission’s report on adapting U.S. defense strategy for a more contested and uncertain security environment.

Prior to CNAS, Wasser was a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, providing analytic support on national security and defense issues to the U.S. Department of Defense and serving as liaison to U.S. Army HQDA G-3/5/7. She also worked as a research analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, based in Washington, D.C., and Manama, Bahrain.

Her analysis appears across Bloomberg platforms and in major outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, and War on the Rocks, as well as The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, CNN, and MSNBC.

Wasser holds an M.S. in Foreign Service, with distinction, from Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and a B.A. in international and global studies from Brandeis University.

Jennifer Hlad is managing editor at Defense One and lives in Kailua, Hawaii. Hlad was a Stars and Stripes reporter at the Pentagon and West Coast bureau chief in California before traveling with her Marine Corps husband to posts in Manama and Okinawa, all the while working a mix of assignments with Air Force Magazine, the Daily Beast, Military Times and other publications. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and holds a master’s degree in journalism from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

Lauren C. Williams is Business Editor for Defense One. She previously covered defense technology and cybersecurity for FCW and Defense Systems. Williams has reported for various publications on topics from internet culture and health care, politics to crime. She has a master's in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a bachelor's in dietetics from the University of Delaware.