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. Shawn passed away on January 9, 2018 after a battle with cancer.

Shawn joined CNAS in late 2012 after serving at the White House as Director for Strategic Planning on the National Security Council staff. He also served as Special Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon from 2009 to 2011, where he focused on strategy development, force planning, and overseas basing and posture. He was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service.

Mr. Brimley was a founding member of CNAS in 2007 and was the inaugural recipient of the 1Lt. Andrew Bacevich Jr. Memorial Fellowship. He also worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Mr. Brimley is survived by his wife, Marjorie, and their three wonderful children: Claire, age 8; Austin, age 6; and Tommy, age 3. The Brimley Children Educational Fund has been established to ensure that the Brimley children have adequate funds for educational and other needs through college.

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Reports
- March 29, 2018
Building the Future Force
By Shawn Brimley, Jerry Hendrix, Lauren Fish, Adam Routh & Alexander Velez-Green
- Events
- March 16, 2018
Evolving the Future Force
By Jerry Hendrix, Shawn Brimley, Adam Routh, Alexander Velez-Green, Lauren Fish, Susanna V. Blume, Loren DeJonge Schulman & Victoria Nuland
In The News
- War on the Rocks
- January 31, 2018
How Shawn Brimley Did It
By Shawn Brimley & Richard Fontaine
Video
- January 30, 2018
The Extraordinary Life of Shawn Brimley
By Shawn Brimley
In The News
- Rachel Maddow
- January 30, 2018
Trump staffing failure leaves US vulnerable
By Shawn Brimley