
Dinner Conversation on the Evolution of Warfare with Retired Army General David Petraeus
July 31, 2025 @ 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT
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Join us for a members-only conversation over dinner with outstanding battlefield commander and strategist, retired Army General David Petraeus.
During this engagement, we will discuss the evolution of warfare, informed by General Petraeus and his new best-selling book Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine with Andrew Roberts, an acclaimed historian. In Conflict, the two authors collaborate on a landmark examination of war since 1945, both a sweeping history of the evolution of warfare up to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and a penetrating analysis of what we must learn from the past — and anticipate in the future in order to navigate an increasingly perilous world.
Speaker Background:
General Petraeus served over 37 years in the U. S. Military, culminating his career with six consecutive commands as a general officer — five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, command of U.S. Central Command, and command of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. Following retirement from the military, and after confirmation by the Senate in a vote of 94-0, he served as the Director of the CIA during the war on terror.
He is now a partner in the global investment firm KKR and chairman of the KKR Global Institute, which he established in mid-2013. He is also a member of the boards of Optiv and OneStream, a strategic advisor for Semperis, chairman of the International Advisory Board for Advanced Navigation, a personal venture investor, and engaged in various academic endeavors.
We hope you’ll join us for this special opportunity to hear from one of our nation’s most respected military leaders.
Cost: $135
Organizer:
MLeBretton@bens.org
Registration
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