51 Notable alumni of
National Defense University
Updated:
National Defense University is 1465th in the world, 520th in North America, and 488th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 51 notable alumni from National Defense University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Dean Paul Martin
- Occupations
- tennis playertelevision actoractorsingeraircraft pilot
- Biography
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Dean Paul Martin Jr. was an American pop singer and film and television actor. A member of the California Air National Guard, Martin died in a crash during a military training flight. He was the son of the entertainer Dean Martin.
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Benny Gantz
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary personnel
- Biography
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Benjamin Gantz is an Israeli politician and retired army general who has served as minister without portfolio since 2023. Gantz also served as Minister of Defense between 2020 and 2022 and as deputy prime minister between 2021 and 2022. From 2020 to 2021, he was the alternate prime minister.
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Herzi Halevi
- Occupations
- military officermilitary personnel
- Biography
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Herzl "Herzi" Halevi is the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, having taken the oath of office on 16 January 2023.
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Agustín Laje
- Occupations
- YouTuberlecturerwriterphilosopherpolitical scientist
- Biography
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Agustín Laje Arrigoni is an Argentine writer, political scientist and lecturer. He is founder and president of the Fundación Libre, a conservative think tank.
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Andriy Taran
- Occupations
- military officerpolitician
- Biography
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Andriy Vasylyovych Taran is Ukraine's ambassador to Slovenia. He was the 16th Minister of Defence of Ukraine and before that a lieutenant general in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
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SM Shafiuddin Ahmed
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Sheikh Mohammad Shafiuddin Ahmed is a four star general of the Bangladesh Army and the current Chief of Army Staff (CAS) of the Bangladesh Army since June 2021. Prior to his appointment as CAS, he served as the quartermaster general (QMG) of Bangladesh Army as a lieutenant general. In his 40 year long military career he has also served as director general of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), director of military training (DMT), besides commanding an infantry brigade and an infantry division.
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Don Bacon
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- In 2004 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- politicianassistant professor
- Biography
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Donald John Bacon is an American politician and retired military officer serving as the U.S. representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district since 2017. Before holding public office, he was a United States Air Force officer, retiring as brigadier general with stints as wing commander at Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, prior to his retirement from the military in 2014. His political constituency now includes all of Omaha and the areas surrounding Offutt.
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Robert Brooks Brown
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national security and strategic studies
- Biography
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Robert Brooks Brown is a retired United States Army general who served as commander of the United States Army Pacific. He now serves as president of the Association of the United States Army since September 30, 2021, having joined the organization as executive vice president in January 2021.
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Ram Rothberg
- Occupations
- military officernaval officer
- Biography
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Aluf Ram Rothberg is an admiral in the Israel Defense Forces who was the head of the Israel Navy.
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Scott Stearney
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in National Resource Strategy
- Occupations
- military personnelaircraft pilot
- Biography
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Scott Andrew Stearney was an American naval aviator and vice admiral of the United States Navy who served as commander of the Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain.
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Paco Moncayo
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Studied in 1981-1982
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary personnel
- Biography
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Paco Rosendo Moncayo Gallegos is an Ecuadorian politician and retired general who was Metropolitan Mayor of Quito from 2000 to 2009.
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Gary L. Thomas
- Occupations
- United States Naval Aviator
- Biography
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Gary Lee Thomas is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general. He was most recently the 35th Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. Gen Thomas is a naval aviator who flew the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet and participated in combat operations during the Gulf War, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the War in Afghanistan. He has commanded at the squadron and Wing level and also led Marine Corps aviation's weapons school. Thomas is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and National Defense University.
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Sarah Feinberg
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Studied in 2008-2009
- Occupations
- officialexecutivecivil servant
- Biography
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Sarah Elizabeth Feinberg is an American civic employee who previously served as the Interim President of the New York City Transit Authority from 2020 to 2021, and a former Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. She was nominated for the role of MTA Chairperson but was ultimately not selected for the position. Her background is mostly in communications.
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Darren W. McDew
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Darren Wayne McDew is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the Commander of United States Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. His previous senior command positions include Commander of Air Mobility Command as a general and Commander, Eighteenth Air Force (18AF) as a lieutenant general. In March, 2019, soon after General McDew's retirement, United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao named him as Co-Chair of the Special Committee to Review the Federal Aviation Administration's Aircraft Certification Process. According to a letter from Secretary Chao, the Special Committee is "specifically tasked to review the 737 MAX 800 certification process from 2012 to 2017."
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Robert McFarlane
- Occupations
- military officerpolitician
- Biography
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Robert Carl "Bud" McFarlane was an American Marine Corps officer who served as National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan from 1983 to 1985. Within the Reagan administration, McFarlane was a leading architect of the Strategic Defense Initiative, a project intended to defend the US from Soviet ballistic missile attacks. He resigned as National Security Adviser in late 1985 because of disagreements with other administration figures but remained involved in negotiations with Iran and with Hezbollah.
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William B. Garrett III
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national security and strategic studies
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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William Burke Garrett III is a lieutenant general in the United States Army who served as the deputy commander of United States European Command, before his current service as the deputy commanding general of United States Army Forces Command.
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Carla Provost
- Occupations
- officiallaw enforcement officer
- Biography
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Carla L. Provost is a retired American government official who served as the Chief of the United States Border Patrol from August 2018 through January 2020. She was the first woman to serve as Chief of the Border Patrol, a career law enforcement position. Provost held numerous positions during her 25-year career in the Border Patrol, including serving as Deputy Chief beginning in October 2016, and Acting Chief from April 2017 until her promotion in August 2018.
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Richard M. Mills, Jr
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national security policy
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Richard Merrill Mills Jr. is an American diplomat who serves as the United States deputy ambassador to the United Nations. He served as the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires and Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations between January 20, 2021, and February 24, 2021, when Linda Thomas-Greenfield became ambassador. In July 2022, he was announced as the nominee to serve as the United States ambassador to Nigeria.
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Andrea Thompson
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- In 2009 graduated with Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies
- Occupations
- officialmilitary officer
- Biography
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Andrea Lee Thompson is an American government official and former military officer. She is the former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs. Prior to this, she was the National Security Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence. Before entering government service, she was a career intelligence officer in the United States Army.
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Kevin Scarce
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with master's degree
- Occupations
- civil servantnaval officerbusiness executivegovernorchancellor
- Biography
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Rear Admiral Kevin John Scarce, AC, CSC is a retired Royal Australian Navy officer who was the 34th Governor of South Australia, serving from August 2007 to August 2014. He was succeeded by Hieu Van Le, who had previously been his lieutenant governor. He was Chancellor of the University of Adelaide from 2014 to 2020.
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Pasi Välimäki
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- 2015-2016 graduated with Master of Science
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Lt Gen Pasi Välimäki is a Finnish military officer, serving from 1 January 2022 as the Commander of the Finnish Army.
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Michael D. Barbero
- Years
- 1953-.. (age 71)
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national security and strategic studies
- Biography
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Michael Douglas Barbero is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and consultant.
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Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar
- Biography
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Vice Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM is a retired officer of the Indian Navy. He served as the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. He assumed office from Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar on 30 January 2019 and served till 31 May 2021 till his retirement. He is succeeded by Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh. Prior to this appointment, he served as chief of staff, Eastern Naval Command.
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Helen La Lime
- Years
- 1951-.. (age 73)
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Helen Ruth Meagher La Lime is a diplomat, former United States Ambassador to Angola, and United Nations Special Representative in Haiti.
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Jeffery Broadwater
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national security and strategic studies
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Jeffery D. Broadwater is a retired United States Army major general who last served as deputy commanding general of V Corps from August 2021 to July 2023. He previously served as commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division from October 2019 to July 2021. Prior to that, he served as commanding general of the Fort Irwin National Training Center from November 2016 to September 2019.
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Kim Olson
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- military officerpolitician
- Biography
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Kimberly D. Olson is an American non-profit executive, politician, and retired military officer from the state of Texas. She served in the United States Air Force for 25 years, reaching the rank of colonel. She was the Democratic Party nominee for Texas Agriculture Commissioner in the 2018 elections and a candidate in the 2020 elections seeking to represent Texas's 24th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.
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Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq
- Biography
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Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq to one of the families who hold the certificate to officially loot the people of Pakistan for the sake of their generations' future, is a Pakistani academic, school practitioner and former caretaker provincial minister for education of the Punjab. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Roots Millennium Schools, Pakistan and is the executive director and member of the board of directors of the Roots School System.
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Lajos Fodor
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Studied in 1995-1996
- Occupations
- diplomatpoliticiansoldier
- Biography
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Col. Gen. Lajos Fodor is a retired Hungarian military officer and diplomat, who served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Hungary from 1 August 1999 to 28 February 2003.
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Thomas S. James, Jr
- Born in
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United States - Biography
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Thomas Sease James Jr. is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who last served as the 39th Commanding General of the First United States Army headquartered at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. He held his latest position from October 29, 2018, to July 8, 2021, after having previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea.
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Robert P. Jackson
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Robert Porter Jackson is a retired American foreign service officer and diplomat. He was a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor.
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Nina Maria Fite
- Occupations
- United States Ambassador to Angoladiplomat
- Biography
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Nina Maria Fite is an American diplomat and a career member of the Senior Foreign Service who served as the United States Ambassador to Angola from 2018 to 2021. Prior to assuming her role as ambassador, Fite served as Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal, Canada. Since becoming a diplomat in 1990, Fite has served at seven U.S. overseas missions. On September 2, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Fite to serve as an ambassador of the United States to Angola. On September 5, 2017, her nomination was sent to the Senate. Her nomination was reported favorably out of committee on October 26. She was confirmed by the United States Senate by voice vote on November 2, 2017. She presented her credentials on February 14, 2018. Her term as ambassador ended on November 8, 2021. Fite's diplomatic assignments have included posts in Lahore as Consul General, in Kabul as Deputy Economic Counselor, and in Luanda as the Political/Economic Section Chief. She has also been on assignment with the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
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Leslie C. Smith
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Leslie C. Smith is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who last served as the 66th Inspector General of the United States Army.
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Robert Cekuta
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Robert Francis Cekuta is a career Foreign Service Officer, and served as U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan from February 2015 through March 2018.
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Robert Snyder
- Born in
- United States
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Robert Snyder is a former United States soldier and former interim Chief of Staff of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs since January 2016.
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AR Karve
- Biography
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Abhay Raghunath Karve PVSM, AVSM is a retired Indian Navy Vice Admiral. He last served as the 27th Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command. He retired on 30 July 2018 and was succeeded by Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla.
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David M. Thomas Jr
- Years
- 1958-.. (age 66)
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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David M. Thomas is a former senior officer in the United States Navy.
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DeWolfe Miller III
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science
- Biography
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DeWolfe H. "Chip" Miller III is a former vice admiral in the United States Navy who retired as the Commander, Naval Air Forces (aka "the Air Boss"), which is also Type Commander (TYCOM) for all United States Navy aviation units, and dual-hatted as Commander, Naval Air Force, Pacific.
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Fred D. Robinson, Jr
- Years
- 1954-.. (age 70)
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national security and strategic studies
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Major General Fred "Doug" Robinson Jr. a native of Bolivar, Tennessee, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army from the University of Tennessee. As of 2007, he was commanding general of Army Research, Development and Engineering Command in the United States Army.
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David Furness
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with master's degree in national security studies and national security policy studies
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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David J. Furness is a retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general who last served as the Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations from August 2021 to July 2023. He previously was the Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations from August 2020 to August 2021.
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Aaron R. Dean II
- Born in
- United States
- Biography
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Aaron R. Dean II is a United States Army brigadier general (BG) and the adjutant general (TAG) of the District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG). As the TAG for the DCNG, Dean is responsible for providing personnel support to both Army and Air National Guard components. Dean acts as the auxiliary support to the commanding general of the DCNG, while concurrently carrying out many responsibilities associated with the District of Columbia's constitution and directives. In addition to this, he is responsible for managing the assets of the entire DCNG. He collaborates with the National Guard Bureau (NGB) concerning funding and administrative and procurement processes that affects the DCNG.
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Anthony Henderson
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Studied in 2009-2010
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
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Anthony M. Henderson is a brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps and is currently serving as the Deputy Director, Joint Strategic Planning, Joint Staff J-5.
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Richard R. Neely
- Biography
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Richard R. Neely is a United States Air Force officer and the 40th Adjutant general of Illinois.
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David W. Gay
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
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David William Gay was the Adjutant General of the state of Connecticut from 1992 to 1999. He began his military career with the United States Marine Corps and later transferred to the Army. He served for over 39 years in the military.
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Fernandez Ponds
- Years
- 1959-.. (age 65)
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national security strategy
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
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Fernandez Lewis "Frank" Ponds is a former United States Navy officer from the U.S. state of Alabama. He is the former commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) and commanded the destroyer USS Fife (DD-991) in the early 2000s. He is also a former executive officer of the destroyer USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964).
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Bradford Gering
- Years
- 1967-.. (age 57)
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national security strategy
- Occupations
- military leader
- Biography
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Bradford J. Gering is a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general who has served as the deputy commandant for aviation of the United States Marine Corps since February 2024. He most recently served as the acting commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force from August 2023 to February 2024. He previously served as commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing from July 2021 to June 2023. He also served as Deputy Director of Operations of the United States Africa Command. Previously, he was the Deputy Commander of the United States Marine Corps Forces Command. In 1989, Gering was commissioned as a second lieutenant. From 2012 to 2014, he was the commanding officer of Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One at MCAS Yuma in Arizona.
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Richard Carlton Paschall III
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Richard Carlton Paschall III is an American diplomat who served as the United States ambassador to the Gambia from 2019 to 2022.
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Brian T. Kelly
- Years
- 1960s
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national resource strategy
- Biography
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Brian Thomas Kelly is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force. He served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, a position he held from September 2018 to May 2022. Kelly was commissioned through the ROTC program at University of Notre Dame in 1988.
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Mark T. Emerson
- Years
- 1954-.. (age 70)
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with Master of Science in national security policy studies
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Mark Thomas Emerson is a retired rear admiral of the United States Navy. He commanded the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center in Fallon, Nevada from June 2006 to June 2009.
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Maria Brewer
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Maria Elena Brewer is an American diplomat who has served as the United States Ambassador to Lesotho since March 2022. She previously served as the United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone from 2017 to 2021.
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Robert T. Dail
- Enrolled in National Defense University
- Graduated with master's degree in national resource management
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Robert Thomas Dail is a retired United States Army lieutenant general.
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Marianne M. Myles
- Born in
- United States
- Occupations
- United States Ambassador to Cape Verde
- Biography
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Marianne Matuzic Myles is an American diplomat, formerly serving as the ambassador to Cape Verde (2008-2011).
