About the series

The Commanders Series, generously supported by Saab, is the Atlantic Council’s flagship speakers’ forum for senior military and defense leaders. The series provides a platform to discuss current strategic issues with an impressive audience drawn from across Washington’s policy community, including think tanks, media, industry, embassies, and the US government.

In 2024, the Atlantic Council hosted the Commander of the United Kingdom Strategic Command General Sir Jim Hockenhull, the Commander of US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher G. Cavoli, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown, Jr., and the Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti.

Upcoming and past events

Register for upcoming events

Public Event Wed, October 29, 2025 • 4:00 pm ET

Supply chain resilience for aerospace and defense
Defense Industry Defense Policy Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

Watch past events

Public Event Wed, November 15, 2023 • 1:30 pm ET

A conversation with General Chance Saltzman on maintaining competitive endurance in space
Defense Policy Security & Defense Space Space Security
Online Event Tue, October 10, 2023 • 3:30 pm ET

A conversation with Secretary Frank Kendall on modernizing the US Air and Space Forces
Online Event Thu, January 19, 2023 • 12:30 pm ET

A conversation with General Laura J. Richardson on security across the Americas
China Defense Industry Defense Policy Defense Technologies
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Commanders Series Highlights

Toward integrated deterrence: A conversation with Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen John E. Hyten, USAF

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen John E. Hyten, USAF discusses the way forward for US defense and deterrence as part of Forward Defense’s Commanders Series.

Competition and deterrence in Europe: A conversation with USEUCOM Commander and SACEUR Gen Tod D. Wolters, USAF

Ahead of the NATO Summit, General Wolters, Commander of US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, discusses NATO’s new approach to everyday competition and how the United States can prevail in twenty-first century warfare with Forward Defense Deputy Director Clementine G. Starling.

The future Army in great-power competition: A conversation with Army Chief of Staff James McConville

In a renewed era of great-power competition, Army Chief of Staff James C. McConville joins the Atlantic Council’s Commanders Series to discusses how the Army is preparing itself for the future of geostrategic competition and military conflict.

The future of the Army in great-power competition: A conversation with SECARMY Mark Esper

In this installment of the Commanders Series, Secretary of the Army Mark Esper addresses the modernization priorities of the US Army. He discusses how the Army sees its role in a new era of great-power competition, reviewing how great-power rivals pose a challenge to the Army’s current posture in Europe and Asia.

US military strategy in the era of great-power competition: A conversation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Drawing on more than four decades of distinguished service in the US Marine Corps, General Joseph F. Dunford joins the Atlantic Council’s Commanders Series to discuss the US military priorities of today and into the 2020s. In this conversation moderated by CNN’s Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr, General Dunford focuses on challenges to US military superiority; US military approaches to combating long-term threats; and maintaining dominance and lethality in all domains (air, sea, land, space, and cyber).

Archive of Commanders series Alumnus

2024

2023

2022

2021

  • Former US Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Hyten
  • Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Charles Q. Brown Jr. (Before Gen Brown was confirmed as the 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)
  • Former Acting Secretary of the US Army John Whitley
  • Chief of Staff of the US Army General James C. McConville

2020

2019

2018

2017

  • Former Chief of Staff of the US Army General Mark Milley (Before General Milley was confirmed as the 20th Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff)
  • Former Commander of US Pacific Command (Now US Indo-Pacific Command) Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr.

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

  • Former French Chief of Defense General Jean-Louis Georgelin
  • Former Commander, US Pacific Command Admiral Timothy Keating
  • Former Chief of Staff of the US Army General George W. Casey, Jr.
  • Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO and former Commander, US European Command General John Craddock

2008

Subscribe for updates on the Commanders Series

Forward Defense leads the Atlantic Council’s US and global defense programming, developing actionable recommendations for the United States and its allies and partners to compete, innovate, and navigate the rapidly evolving character of warfare. Through its work on US defense policy and force design, the military applications of advanced technology, space security, strategic deterrence, and defense industrial revitalization, it informs the strategies, policies, and capabilities that the United States will need to deter, and, if necessary, prevail in major-power conflict.

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