Speakers

Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere is Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command and Commander, Air Forces Strategic - Air, U.S. Strategic Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides strategic deterrence, global strike capability, and combat support to USSTRATCOM and other geographic combatant commands. The command is comprised of more than 33,700 professionals operating at two numbered air forces; 11 active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve wings; and the Joint Global Strike Operations Center. Weapons systems assigned to AFGSC include all U.S. Air Force intercontinental ballistic missiles and bomber aircraft, UH-1N helicopters, E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft, and the U.S. Air Force NC3 weapons system. Prior to his current position, Gen. Bussiere served as Deputy Commander, USSTRATCOM.

Maj. Gen. Jason R. Armagost is the Commander, Eighth Air Force, and Commander, Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. "The Mighty Eighth" is responsible for the service’s bomber force and airborne nuclear command and control assets, encompassing approximately 24,000 Airmen across six installations, and proudly operating more than 150 E-4, B-1, B-2, B-52 and T-38 aircraft. The J-GSOC serves as the central command and control node for all operations within Air Force Global Strike Command, orchestrating warfighting and readiness activities for the Commander, Air Forces Strategic.

Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe is US Navy Vice Admiral and serves as Director, Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) to which he assumed duties in 2018.  SSP provides safe and secure sea-based strategic deterrent solutions. At sea and on deployment, he served as the assistant weapons officer on USS Lewis and Clark (SSBN 644) from 1988 to 1992 and was part of a forward-based team that led the rebuilding of courthouses and prisons in Iraq in 2007. In 1994 he was assigned as the lead systems engineer on a Ballistic Missile Defense Office (BMDO) joint skunkworks project ran by the U.S. Air Force at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Prior to his current position, Wolfe was promoted to Rear Admiral October 1, 2014, and assigned as the program executive for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, Missile Defense Agency.

Maj Gen John J. Nichols is the Director of Global Operations, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. As Director, he serves as the principal advisor to the USSTRATCOM Commander on nuclear operations and is responsible for the day-to-day readiness of U.S. nuclear command and control and strategic deterrent forces. He is also responsible for synchronizing component, joint and coalition operations and directing assigned forces to achieve USSTRATCOM and national objectives.

Rear Adm. Scott W. Pappano serves as Program Executive Officer at Strategic Submarines.

At sea, Pappano served onboard USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705), USS Albuquerque (SSN 706), USS Michigan (SSBN 727 Gold), and USS Ohio (SSGN 726). He commanded USS Buffalo (SSN 715) while forward-deployed in Guam.

Assignments ashore include duty with Commander, Submarine Development Squadron 12 Tactical Action Group; onboard X-Daniel Webster (MTS 626) at Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit Charleston, South Carolina military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy; and executive assistant to the Director, Programming Division (N80) on the Navy Staff.

After selection as an acquisition professional, Pappano served in the Special Operations Forces Mobility Program Office (PMS 399); as executive assistant to Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command; and as major program manager for the Strategic and Attack Submarine Program Office (PMS 392). Pappano was assigned as program executive officer, strategic submarines in October 2021. His previous flag assignments include commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center and Director, Comprehensive Test Facility and program executive officer, Columbia.

Brigadier General Stacy Jo Huser is the Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Military Application, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. She assists the Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs to maintain the safety, security, and reliability of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. Prior to her current assignment, General Huser served as Director, Commander’s Action Group, USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, Nebraska. As the Director, she led an elite group of specially selected Joint warfighters directly supporting the USSTRATCOM Commander’s vision and strategy.

Senator John Hoeven was sworn in as North Dakota’s 22nd U.S. Senator, following ten years of service as the state’s governor. He is a member of the Defenser Subcommittee of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations which is tasked with writing the legislation that allocates federal funds to the numerous government agencies, departments, and organizations on an annual basis. He also serves on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; and Committee on Indian Affairs.

Congressman Kelly Armstrong is a lifelong, devoted North Dakotan and a tireless advocate for making North Dakota a better place to live and work. With his background in business, his love for the outdoors and his volunteer and public service experience, Kelly is fighting for our North Dakota values in Washington and working to advance positive changes to benefit our state and country. Kelly serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government for the 118th Congress. Kelly was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives representing the entire state of North Dakota in 2018.

Dr. Stephen Blank is an internationally recognized expert on Russian foreign and defense policies and international relations across the former Soviet Union. He is also a leading expert on European and Asian security, including energy issues. Since 2020 he has been a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. In 2020-21 he also was a Senior Expert for Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace  From 2013-2020 he was a Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, www.afpc.org From 1989-2013 he was a Professor of Russian National Security Studies at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. Dr. Blank has been Professor of National Security Affairs at the Strategic Studies Institute since 1989. In 1998-2001 he was Douglas MacArthur Professor of Research at the War College. Dr. Blank has consulted for the CIA, major think tanks and foundations, chaired major international conferences in the USA and abroad

Matthew Costlow is a Senior Analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy. His areas of expertise are in nuclear deterrence, missile defense policy, arms control, and Russian and Chinese nuclear doctrine. His work has been published by Comparative Strategy, Strategic Studies Quarterly, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. He has also published numerous opinion pieces in the Institutes Information Series as well as the Wall Street Journal, War on the Rocks, Defense News, and Defense One.

Previously, Matt served as a Special Assistant in the office of Nuclear and Missile Defense policy, Department of Defense.

Frank Miller is a Principal at The Scowcroft Group in Washington, D.C. He joined The Scowcroft Group in August 2010, after five years as a member of the Cohen Group, first as a Vice President and then as a Senior Counselor. He had joined the Cohen Group in March 2005 from the White House, where he had served since January 2001 as a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and as Senior Director for Defense Policy and Arms Control on the National Security Council staff. At the White House he was responsible for a wide range of Presidential policy in the fields of nuclear deterrence policy, strategic arms reductions, national space policy, defense trade reform, land-mines, transforming the American and NATO militaries, and coordinating interagency support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

Senior Fellow, for China Strategy, The Heritage Foundation. He is the author of a national best-selling book on China, “The Hundred Year Marathon” and is considered one of the top scholars on China in the United States. He was previously Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute specializing in China’s relationship with the United States.

Dr. Brooke Taylor is founder and CEO of Defending Our Country. In addition, Dr. Taylor is the creator and research lead for Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) National Nuclear Strategy and Global Security Workshop for Practitioners. Dr. Taylor was a U.S. Congressional Nuclear Security Fellow where she led appropriation portfolios for defense, energy and water, and military construction and veteran’s affairs; managed the Congressional Nuclear Security Working Group and was a Military Legislative Assistant to USSTRATCOM.

Mr. Troyano is a Vice President and Nuclear Modernization Fellow at Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA), where his responsibilities include leading and supporting business strategies and concepts across the nuclear enterprise, reviewing technical products in the nuclear modernization domain; promoting dialogue on nuclear modernization and arms control issues, and developing the next generation of nuclear enterprise experts.

Mark J. Jantzer is a resident of Minot, North Dakota, and the long-time Chair of Task Force 21, Minot’s base retention and future military missions organization. As a Chief of Staff of the Air Force and Air Force Global Strike Command Civic Leader, Jantzer advises the commanders, and advocates and educates on issues affecting airmen. Appointed by the Governor to Task Force Military Issues North Dakota, Jantzer works to make North Dakota a desirable location for the military. Jantzer is a founding board member of the Strategic Deterrent Coalition, a nonprofit organizations that seeks to insure a robust strategic deterrent. Elected to the Minot City Council in 2008, Jantzer has served continuously and is currently Council President. 

Brekka Kramer is the President | CEO of the Minot Area Chamber EDC and member of Task Force 21 (TF21). TF21 is an activity of the Minot Area Chamber EDC that educates the local community, ND officials, member of Congress, the public on national security issues, particularly ones that affect Minot Air Force Base, the U.S. Air Force and nuclear deterrence. Kramer serves on Governor Burgum’s Task Force for Military Issues in North Dakota executive committee and was appointed to the Air Force Global Strike Command Civic Leader group in 2015. Kramer has over twenty years of experience leading initiatives and moving public policy forward using vast networks of local, state, and national connections prior to joining the Minot Area Chamber EDC in May 2022.