Lieutenant General David W. Barno Joins CNAS as Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is pleased to announce that Lieutenant General David W. Barno, U.S. Army (retired), is joining CNAS as a Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow on May 1, 2010.  General Barno, currently Director of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University (NDU), will contribute to the Center’s work on U.S. defense policy, military strategy, veterans’ affairs and South and Central Asia, among other issues.

“Dave Barno is one of the finest public servants in the United States. He is widely respected for his extraordinary career, breadth of knowledge and keen ability to provide expert analysis on critical national security issues,” said CNAS CEO Nathaniel Fick. “I am honored to welcome him to our team.”

General Barno, a highly decorated military officer with over 30 years of service, has served in a variety of command and staff positions in the United States and around the world, to include command at every level. He served many of his early years in special operations forces with Army Ranger battalions, to include combat in both the Grenada and Panama invasions.  In 2003, he was selected to establish a new three-star operational headquarters in Afghanistan and take command of the 20,000 U.S. and Coalition Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom.  For 19 months in this position, he was responsible for the overall military leadership of this complex political-military mission, devising a highly innovative counterinsurgency strategy in close partnership with the U.S. embassy and coalition allies.  His responsibilities included regional military efforts with neighboring nations and involved close coordination with the Government of Afghanistan, the United Nations, NATO International Security Assistance Force, the U.S. Department of State and USAID, and the senior military leaders of many surrounding nations and numerous allies.
 
From 2007 to 2009, General Barno served as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans and Families. He frequently serves as an expert consultant on counterinsurgency and irregular warfare, professional military education and the changing character of conflict, supporting a wide-range of government and other organizations.  General Barno is widely published and has testified before Congress numerous times.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as part of its famed Class of 1976, General Barno also earned his master’s degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College. General Barno has received numerous awards for his military and public service.
 
 
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The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is an independent and nonpartisan research institution that develops strong, pragmatic and principled national security and defense policies that promote and protect American interests and values. CNAS leads efforts to help inform and prepare the national security leaders of today and tomorrow.