Current National Security Priorities

With a seemingly endless list of national security threats, how can the U.S. prioritize to best ensure safety for itself and its allies? How will NATO’s expanding membership (Montenegro is set to join this spring) send a signal to other nations in the region? How will military planners be asked to consider climate change in their threat assessments, and what role will cyberwarfare play going forward? How can the U.S. address challenges in the South China Sea, the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula, and Russia?

Join the World Affairs Council on May 10 in welcoming General Barry McCaffrey for a discussion on prioritizing national security interests in the current administration.

About the speaker:

General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.) served in the United States Army for 32 years.  When he retired in 1996, he was the most decorated General serving in the United States Army, having been awarded 3 Purple Heart Medals for wounds received in combat, 2 Distinguished Service Crosses (the nation’s second highest award for valor), and 2 Silver Stars for valor. He served overseas for more than 12 years ---and 4 combat tours with the 82nd Airborne Division, the Vietnamese Airborne Division, the 1st Cavalry Division, and the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division. For five years after leaving the military, General McCaffrey served as the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

Upon leaving government service, he served as the Bradley Distinguished Professor of International Security Studies from 2001-2005; and an Adjunct Professor of International Security Studies from 2006-2010 at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY.

General McCaffrey is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an Associate of the Inter-American Dialogue. He has served on the Board of Directors of several corporations in the engineering design, technology, healthcare and services sectors. He joined the Board of Directors of Excelitas Technologies Corp. and the Board of Directors of Beacon Health Options. He serves on the International Advisory Board of Fleishman Hillard.

In 2015 he was selected for the Doughboy award – the highest honor the Chief of Infantry can bestow upon an infantryman – for outstanding contribution to the United States Army Infantry. In 2007, General McCaffrey was inducted into the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame at the US Army Infantry Center, Ft. Benning, GA. In May 2010, he was honored as a Distinguished Graduate by the West Point Association of Graduates at the United States Military Academy. Currently, General McCaffrey is president of his own consulting firm based in Alexandria, Virginia. He also serves as a national security and terrorism analyst for NBC News.

About the moderator:

Karl Ege returned to private practice in March 2008 after serving for more than 15 years as Chief Legal Officer for Russell Investments Group. While in that role he had global responsibility for Russell's legal, compliance, internal audit and risk management functions and was instrumental in developing Russell's international business. Although retired from Russell, he remains a director of the 20-20 Investment Association.

At Perkins Coie, Karl advises senior executives and boards on matters involving corporate governance, internal controls and corporate investigations. Karl is also involved in advising the firm's investment and financial services clients and emerging companies, as well as assisting on the firm's efforts in Asia, Europe and Latin America.