Task Force 21

Peter Huessy

Peter Huessy is Director of Strategic Deterrent Studies at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and President and CEO of Geo-Strategic Analysis. Mr. Huessy teaches nuclear deterrent and missile defense policy at the U.S. Naval Academy as part of his work on a wide range of national security and defense issues, including nuclear deterrence, missile defense, terrorism and counterterrorism, proliferation, energy and immigration. He created a nuclear deterrent and missile defense seminar series in 1983 and since then has hosted 1,500 of these seminars on key defense and national security issues for the Mitchell Institute, and previously for the National Defense Industrial Association and the National Defense University Foundation. He created the Triad series of conferences in 2011.

Mark J. Jantzer

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. In business for over 40 years, Jantzer is General Manager of The Computer Store, Inc., in Minot.

General Anthony Cotton

Gen. Anthony Cotton is the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command and Commander, Air Forces Strategic-Air, U.S. Strategic Command. AFGSC provides strategic deterrence, global strike capability, and combat support to STRATCOM 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 and the Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Center. Weapons systems assigned to AFGSC include all Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and bomber aircraft, UH-1N helicopters, E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft, and the Air Force NC3 weapons system.

Gen Cotton has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels. He served as the Deputy Director of the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group, as the Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, and Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. He was also the Vice Commander and Commander of the 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, and the Commander of the 45th Space Wing and Director of the Eastern Range, Patrick AFB, Florida. Prior to his current assignment, Gen. Cotton served as the Commander and President, Air University, Air Education and Training Command.

The Honorable Franklin C. Miller

The Honorable Franklin C. Miller is Principal,The Scowcroft Group. He is an internationally recognized expert on nonproliferation, defense, nuclear energy and policy issues, and export control. He served for thirty-one years in the U.S. government, including twenty-two years in the Department of Defense—serving under seven Secretaries in a series of progressively senior positions—and four years 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.

Lt. Gen. James Dawkins

Lt. Gen. James Dawkins, Jr. is Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He is responsible to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for focus on Nuclear Deterrence Operations. He provides direction, guidance, integration and advocacy regarding the nuclear deterrence mission of the U.S. Air Force and engages with joint and interagency partners for nuclear enterprise solutions. Lt. Gen. Dawkins has held a variety of operational and staff assignments, including command of Eighth Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana; the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota; the 509th Operations Group at Whiteman AFB, Missouri; and the 338th Combat Training Squadron, an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance training squadron at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. His staff assignments include positions at the Joint Staff, U.S. Strategic Command, Headquarters International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, the Department of Energy and the National Security Council. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Director, Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, at the Pentagon. Lt. Gen. Dawkins is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours in fighter, reconnaissance and bomber aircraft.

Dr. Mark Schneider

Dr. Mark Schneider is a Senior Analyst with the National Institute for Public Policy. He specializes in missile defense policy, nuclear weapons, deterrence, strategic forces, arms control, and arms control verification and compliance issues. Dr. Schneider served in a number of senior positions within the Office of Secretary of Defense for Policy including Principal Director for Forces Policy, Principal Director for Strategic Defense, Space and Verification Policy, Director for Strategic Arms Control Policy and Representative of the Secretary of Defense to the Nuclear Arms Control Implementation Commissions. He also served in the senior Foreign Service as a Member of the State Department Policy Planning Staff, the Professional Staff of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Department of Energy, the Energy Research and Development Administration and the Atomic Energy Commission. Dr. Schneider served as a member of the DoD Compliance Review Group. He chaired several working groups of the START and INF Treaty Implementation Commissions (JCIC and SVC) in Geneva, negotiating many implementation agreements with the successor states of the former Soviet Union. He most recently served as Acting Chairman of the U.S.-Russia Working Group on Missile Defense.

Dr. Stephen J. Blank

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 Expert for Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. From 2013-2020 he was a Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council. 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. Dr. Blank has consulted for the CIA, major think tanks and foundations, and chaired major international conferences in the USA and abroad.

Dr. Brad Roberts

Dr. Brad Roberts is the director of the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. From 2009 to 2013, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy. In this role, he served as policy director of the Obama administration’s Nuclear Posture Review and Ballistic Missile Defense Review and led their implementation. Prior to entering government service, Dr. Roberts was a research fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, editor of The Washington Quarterly, and an adjunct professor at George Washington University. Between leaving the Office of the Secretary of Defense in 2013 and assuming his current responsibilities, Dr. Roberts was a consulting professor at Stanford University and William Perry Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. While there, he authored a book, The Case for US Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century, which won the the Choice Award for Outstanding Academic Title in 2016.

Matthew Kroenig

Matthew Kroenig is the Deputy Director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council and a tenured Professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He has served in several positions in the Department of Defense and the intelligence community in the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations, including as a Special Government Employee and Senior Policy Adviser to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capability/Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy from 2017 to 2021. He is the author or editor of seven books including The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy (Oxford University Press 2018).

Marshall S. Billingslea

Marshall S. Billingslea is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. Prior to joining Hudson Institute, Mr. Billingslea was the special presidential envoy for arms control at the U.S. Department of State, holding the rank of ambassador. In this capacity, he led arms control negotiations and worked with partners and allies in Europe and Asia on the development and deployment of defensive capabilities. Before that he served as the assistant secretary for terrorist financing at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Before rejoining the U.S. government in 2017, Mr. Billingslea spent more than eight years in the private sector. Between 2001 and 2009, he served in several senior roles within the Department of Defense and at NATO, including as deputy undersecretary of the Navy and assistant secretary general for defense investment at NATO. Earlier in his career, he served as the senior professional staff member for national security affairs on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Honorable Ronald F. Lehman II

The Honorable Ronald F. Lehman II is the Counselor to the Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. For the State Department, Lehman Chairs the Governing Board of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), an intergovernmental organization. For the Defense Department, Ron was one of the original members of the Defense Threat Reduction Advisory Committee (TRAC) and was its Chair from 2014 though 2019 having previously served as Vice Chair.

Lehman was Director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency from 1989 to 1993, when START I, START II, the Chemical Weapons Convention, Conventional Forces in Europe. Open Skies, and other historic agreements where concluded. Previously, he served in the U.S. Department of Defense as Assistant Secretary for International Security Policy, in the State Department as Ambassador and U.S. Chief Negotiator on Strategic Offensive Arms (START I), and in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. He has also served on the National Security Council staff as a Senior Director, in the Pentagon as Deputy Assistant Secretary, on the Senior Professional Staff of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, and in Vietnam commissioned in the United States Army. For many years, he was the Director of the Center for Global Security Research at LLNL.

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute specializing in US national defense policy with a focus on strategic deterrence. She publishes frequently in leading political magazines and academic journals, and regularly provides analysis on cable news and radio programs. Ms. Heinrichs serves as an adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics where she teaches nuclear deterrence theory, and is a staff member of the Defense and Strategic Studies Program at Missouri State University. She is also a contributing editor of Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy. Ms. Heinrichs served in the U.S. House of Representatives as an adviser to former Congressman Trent Franks, where she focused on matters related to the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee. She was instrumental in starting the Bipartisan Missile Defense Caucus.

Maj. Gen. Michael Lutton

Maj. Gen. Michael Lutton is Commander, Twentieth Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command. Maj. Gen. Lutton is responsible for over 12,000 Airmen providing nuclear global strike and nuclear weapons sustainment for the United States Air Force. Maj. Gen. Lutton is a career space and missile officer. He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Weapons School. He also served as weapons officer instructor, weapons squadron operations officer and weapons squadron commander. Maj. Gen. Lutton commanded the United States Air Force's only group providing initial training for the nation's space and intercontinental ballistic missile operations and air launched cruise missile maintenance forces. Maj. Gen. Lutton also served as a weapons officer in the 32nd Air Operations Group and served in Operation Allied Force. Prior to his current assignment, Maj. Gen. Lutton served as the Deputy Director for Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.

Major General (retired) Roger Burg

Major General (retired) Roger Burg is the President of O’Malley Burg Consulting, LLC, a San Antonio based company that specializes in connecting industry with opportunity in the defense and government sectors. He serves on the Strategic Command Advisory Group, which provides advice and analysis on the command’s broad strategic missions. General Burg retired from active duty in September 2010 after 32 years of service in the Air Force. He commanded ICBM and space units, including squadron, group, vice wing, wing and Numbered Air Force. He also served in significant national security and international affairs positions at the White House, the Joint Staff, the Air Staff, US Strategic Command, US Space Command, and Strategic Air Command. His final active duty position was commanding 20th Air Force, responsible for 10,000 airmen, three operational bases, and 500 deployed ICBMs.

Major General (retired) Don Alston

Major General (retired) Don Alston is the owner and President of Alston Strategic Consulting. When he retired from active duty he was the Commander of 20th Air Force, where he was responsible for the nation's intercontinental ballistic missile force. Prior to that he served as the Air Force's first Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration. General Alston was the Air Force representative to the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review as well as the New START Treaty. General Alston served as the Director of Air, Space and Information Operations at Air Force Space Command, and before that served at the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Communications and spokesperson for Multi-National Force - Iraq in Baghdad. General Alston has consulted for the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Department of State.

Matthew Costlow

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.

CAPT. Douglas Williams

CAPT Douglas Williams is Technical Director, Navy Strategic Systems Programs. He is responsible for the execution of all aspects of the TRIDENT Strategic Weapons System. This responsibility envelops the weapon system's life cycle and includes performing the detailed weapon system integration function and implementing a totally integrated material support program.

Mr. Matthew Sermon

Mr. Matthew Sermon is the Executive Director of Program Executive Office, COLUMBIA, which focuses on the design, construction, and delivery of the Columbia-class fleet ballistic missile submarine. Previously, Mr. Sermon served as the Executive Director, Amphibious, Auxiliary and Sealift Office, Program Executive Office, Ships where he oversaw one of the broadest acquisition portfolios in the Navy, including more than $40 billion in shipbuilding procurements. Earlier he was Deputy Program Manager for the Columbia Class Submarine program. During his tenure, he led the program through detail design, construction readiness, and significant sustainment planning activities. Prior to starting in Navy civilian service, Mr. Sermon was a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer (Nuclear).

U.S. Senator John Hoeven

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.

General Bob Kehler

General Bob Kehler retired from the United States Air Force in December 2013 after almost 39 years of distinguished service in progressively important operational, command, staff, and joint assignments. From January 2011 until November 2013, he served as the Commander, United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), where he was directly responsible to the Secretary of Defense and President for the plans and operations of all U. S. forces conducting strategic deterrence, nuclear alert, global strike, space, cyberspace, and associated operations. While in command, he crafted and implemented policies and plans to deter strategic attacks against the U.S. and its key allies and led a joint team of over 160,000 military and civilian members conducting global deterrence operations while supporting combat actions in the Middle East and North Africa.

Prior to commanding USSTRATCOM, he commanded United States Air Force Space Command (predecessor to the United States Space Force) and two operational space wings conducting space launch, missile warning, and space control missions. He also commanded an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) squadron and group. General Kehler continues to offer his expertise as a consultant and non-executive corporate director of three international aerospace companies. He is an Affiliate of Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation.

Mr. Richard D. Fisher, Jr.

Richard Fisher, Jr. is a Senior Fellow on Asian Military Affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center. He is a recognized authority on the PRC military and the Asian military balance and their implications for Asia and the United States. Fisher has worked on Asian security matters for over 20 years in a range of critical positions -- as Asian Studies Director at the Heritage Foundation, Senior Analyst for Chairman Chris Cox’s Policy Committee in support of the report of the Select Committee for US National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People’s Republic of China, and a consultant on PLA issues for the Congressionally chartered US China Security & Economic Review Commission. He is the author of nearly 200 studies on challenges to American security, economic and foreign policy in Asia. His most recent book is China’s Military Modernization: Building for Regional and Global Reach (Praeger Security International). He is currently President of Pacific Strategies, Inc.

Bradley A. Thayer

Bradley A. Thayer, Ph.D., is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas San Antonio. He has been a Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University and a Visiting Fellow, Magdalen College, University of Oxford. He is the coauthor of How China Sees the World: Han-Centrism and the Balance of Power in International Politics (2018).