Events

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT WILL NOW BE VIRTUAL ONLY.

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The U.S. Army is facing pressing challenges with major implications for American national security. These include tackling political extremism, increasing the Army's diversity, and planning for the impact of new technologies. If these critical issues are not sufficiently addressed, they will impact the Army’s ability to protect U.S. interests at home and abroad.

At least 76 of the individuals charged for the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol are veterans, while another six are serving Guard, Reserve, or active duty service members. In addition, the U.S. military is addressing the need for greater diversity within its senior leadership: only three of 43 four-star generals and admirals are Black, and only four are female. Alongside tackling extremism and promoting diversity, the military has to evaluate the impact of technology on its service members’ skills.

Is our high-tech society starting to lose some of the low-tech skills the Army still needs? Can it become a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive institution? How does it take action on extremism within its ranks?

Join Perry World House, the Christopher H. Browne Center for International Politics, and speakers from the U.S. Army War College's Eisenhower Series College Program to discuss these issues and the future of U.S. national security.

The Eisenhower Series College Program was established in 1969 as a U.S. Army War College academic outreach program. It encourages dialogue and promotes mutual understanding on national security matters and other public policy issues between students at the Army's senior educational institution and the public at civic organizations and universities.

Speakers

Lt. Colonel Mike Burns is a native of Charleston, South Carolina, and has served more than 27 years in the U.S. Army. He has spent the last 12 years as a public affairs professional serving at multiple echelons across the globe. His previous experiences also include assignments as a human resource professional, an armor officer, and an aviation maintainer. He has multiple deployments to Iraq and Kuwait. Lt. Col. Burns holds a M.B.A from Webster University and a Ph.D. with a specialization in Organizational Management. He is married with two children and currently resides in Carlisle, Pennsylvania as a student at the U.S. Army War College.

Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Linn is an Army Officer with a 19 year career balanced between tactical leadership and academic endeavor. He has deployed to combat six times with Infantry and Ranger units, and most recently commanded an Artillery Battalion of 700 personnel in the 101st Airborne Division. He has also spent six years on the board of directors for the Veterans Service Organization “Team Red, White and Blue,” providing governance and oversight from startup to congressional recognition. Lt. Col. Linn holds a degree in Economics from West Point, an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and has served as both an Assistant Professor of Economics and Professor of Military Science.

Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Walsh is U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate and a former federal prosecutor. As a judge advocate, Lt. Col. Walsh has served as a legal advisor to a Military Police unit in Iraq, an associate professor of national security law and criminal law, a military prosecutor and a defense attorney. As a civilian, Mr. Walsh has prosecuted federal crimes including cyber intrusions and terrorism crimes with the United States Attorney’s Office. When he is not on military orders, he teaches law to federal agents at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Lt. Col. Walsh has a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law and an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law and is currently a student at the U.S. Army War College.

Moderator

Melissa Flagg is the founder of Flagg Consulting LLC, as well as a senior advisor to the Atlantic Council GeoTech Center, and a fellow at the Acquisition Innovation Reform Center at Stevens Institute of Technology. Prior to this, she was a Senior Fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown University. Previously she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research, responsible for policy and oversight of Defense Department science and technology programs. She has worked at the State Department, the Office of Naval Research, the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Army Research Laboratory. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a B.S. in Pharmacy.

COVID-19 Guidelines

Perry World House is following the University of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 guidelines. In-person access to our hybrid events is now open to the public as well as the Penn community.

All in-person attendees will be REQUIRED to wear a mask and MUST either show their Green PennOpen Pass (University of Pennsylvania faculty, students, postdocs, and staff or badged contractors) OR Green PennOpen Campus (all other visitors including event attendees) in order to take part in-person.

You must complete your PennOpen Campus screening on your cell phone or computer BEFORE arriving at Perry World House. Click here for more information about PennOpen Campus and how it works.

We will continue to provide virtual access to all of our hybrid programming. Zoom details will be found in your order confirmation email.