Past Events
I was able to meet, not just extremely intelligent and skilled senior leaders, but also network with others like me who shared an interest in the field.
"Awesome event! The information presented was not what you see or heard on national and local news. It's the other side of the coin."
The National Defense Briefing has single-handedly put me on the career path I am on today. Before attending, I was a cadet who had an unrefined but strong passion for the military and service. This program thrust a young me into a world of defense that I had never seen before.
"What an event! I had no idea about the impact the insurgency had upon the country."
The entire NDBS team did a great job yesterday.
That was an incredible program Sunday night with Admiral Foggo and Heather Penny.
From AI and the cyber domain to warfighting in the air & sea, I was educated on a vast variety of defense topics. I was so fascinated by the information given at these events that I am now pursuing a career in military intelligence so that I may have the opportunity to get involved myself.
The program was great. The process, recognition of supporting groups and publicity for them was exactly the right level.
There is truly no program like the NDBS. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to attend.
Great Power Competition – The People’s Republic of China
Speakers – Dr. Cynthia Watkins, Dr. Bud Cole (Captain, USN retired) Both Dr. Watkins and Dr. Cole are experts on the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The understand the country’s internal politics and the personalities who lead the PRC. The two will provide insight into how they believe the PRC’s foreign policy will evolve given…
Sam Johnson Defender of Freedom Award
LTGEN Mark Wise, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired) provides a unique perspective of the world gained during his Marine Corps Career and during his last billet which was the Commander of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command which has the mission of supporting the development of future operational concepts and the determination of how to best…
Great Power Competition – Intelligence
Speaker:The Honorable John E. McLaughlin, Former Acting Director and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence John E. McLaughlin is a preeminent figure in American intelligence, with a career spanning over six decades of service. He served as the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (DDCI) from 2000 to 2004 and as the Acting Director of Central Intelligence (ADCI)…
BONUS PROGRAM – Shootdown and Rescue of Basher 52
The story of Scott O’Grady’s 6 days on the Ground in Bosnia Speakers – Scott O’Grady and T.O. Hanford On June 2, 1995, Captain Scott O’Grady’s F-16 was shot down over Bosnia during NATO Operation Deny Flight, and for six days, he evaded Serbian forces in a masterclass of survival. On June 8, Captain T.O.…
Great Power Competition – Special Operations
RADM Gary Rosholt (USN retired) will cover the special forces of our potential adversaries and our allies. The audience will learn how what differentiates U.S. Special Operations from those of our allies and those of the People’s Republic of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Gary Rosholt is currently the President, L3 Technologies Saudi Arabia…
Great Power Competition – Sea Power Perspective
Since World War II, the U.S. Navy has been the dominant sea power and one of its primary missions is ensuring that every nation has freedom to ship goods on the world’s oceans. The on-going attempt by the Houthis to shut down merchant ship traffic through the Red Sea, Russia’s deployment of ships into the…
Great Power Competition – Russia, Iran, China and the Axis of Resistance
The relationship between Russia and Iran and the latter’s participation in the War in Ukraine has been the news. Not only has this war changed the way military leaders in the future will fight wars on land, but it has also challenged the rules-based order that has been in place since the end of World…
Great Power Competition
Lt General (ret) Dave Deptula Dean, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies General Deptula is the world’s foremost expert on military aerospace issues. While focusing on airpower, this program will take a broader view: what’s our national vision and strategy for a new era of great power competition and what are the implications for strategy, deterrence,…
2025 Sam Johnson Defender of Freedom Award
The 2025 Sam Johnson Defender of Freedom Awardee is Joe DePinto, CEO of 7Eleven. About the Award Awardee – Joe DePinto, CEO of 7Eleven Mr. Joe DePinto is the CEO of 7-Eleven, Inc. and leads the premier company in convenience retailing. Globally, there are more than 84,000 7-Eleven stores of which some 13,000 stores are…
Future of the All-Volunteer Force
The All-Volunteer Force (AVF) is now in its 51st year and by most measures has been successful, producing a high quality, combat-effective force that has performed superbly across the spectrum of conflict, from the waning days of the Cold War, to the short, high-intensity conflict of Desert Storm to the prolonged low-intensity wars in Afghanistan…