BENS Board Member Mary Boies, Counsel to Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP was recognized for her work in helping bring Afghan Female Tactical Platoon (FTP) members to the United States after the Fall of Kabul. A presentation was made by US Army Captains Mary Kolar and Jackie Munn who served as US Cultural Support team members in Afghanistan and led an effort to bring over 40 of their Afghan counterparts to America. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and former Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy were present for the ceremony.
BENS Member Charles “Chip” Whitaker
Charles L. “Chip” Whitaker joins Barbaricum as Vice President of Strategy where he will design and drive Barbaricum’s pathway forward in remaining on the frontlines of the technological landscape.
Hernan Albamonte, Head of Illicit Trade Prevention U.S., Philip Morris International, Inc. was recognized by World Trademark Review as a 2022 Global Leader in their annual ranking of the world’s best trademark professionals.
UPCOMING EVENT
The Business of Freedom: How Markets Can Support Democracy and Counter Authoritarianism
On Saturday, November 12, Freedom House will host a live discussion between BENS President & CEO General Joseph Votel, USA (Ret.) and Michael Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, on the economic consequences of global democratic decline and how the business community can push back against authoritarianism, support human rights, and help build a more secure and prosperous world.
ICYMI: The Honorable Katrina McFarland, Former Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics & Technology
In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Katrina McFarland, Former Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology joins our own Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula to discuss supply chain security, maintaining the technological competitive edge, and cultivating talent in the national security workforce. Ms. McFarland explains how national security strategy has fallen behind innovation and technological advancements and how dependence on global supply chains poses a risk to security. She also highlights how the national security and defense ecosystem needs to modernize in order to keep up with the tech industry.
James W. Foley Legacy Foundation Report: Bringing Americans Home: A Non-Governmental Assessment of U.S. Hostage Policy and family Engagement
This report presents key findings about American hostages and those wrongfully detained; perception of US’s government’s hostage enterprise; and recommendations for the US government’s hostage enterprise. In November 2014, the Obama Administration ordered a “comprehensive review of the US Government policy on overseas terrorist-related hostage cases.” The review came amid a series of tragedies involving Americans held overseas by terrorist groups.
Contact Hannah Beitler, Policy Associate, to submit content for consideration in this newsletter: HBeitler@bens.org
BENS EVENTS
Multiple Dates, Locations BENS Texas luncheon discussions on China and the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party with Col Heino Klinck, USA (Ret.), Senior Associate, CSIS, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia.
October 17 | Virtual MEMBERS ONLY: Virtual Conversation with Lieutenant General Christopher T. Donahue, The Last American Soldier To Leave Afghanistan.
November 8 | Washington, DC A breakfast conversation with BENS President & CEO, retired Army General Joe Votel and Vice Admiral William Houston, Commander, Submarine Forces, Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic, Commander, Task Force 114, Commander, Allied Submarine Command.
November 30 | Dallas Luncheon Discussion of the Southern Border with Todd Bensman, Author, America’s Covert Border War: The Untold Story of the Nation’s Battle to Prevent Jihadist Infiltration.
Thursday, BENS Chairman Mark Gerencser moderated a distinguished panel of BENS board members: Sam Cole, Frank Finelli, and Ed Kania to discuss “Re-Imagining the Military Industrial Complex – Leveraging the Power of Networks.” The important conversation…
Ukraine to Launch Joint WeaponsProduction with US, Zelensky Says
October 1, 2023
Ukraine and the United States have agreed to launch joint weapons production in a step that will enable Kyiv to start producing air defence systems, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on…
America doesn’t have enough ships and building more takes far too long. A war with any level of attrition in the Pacific could quickly turn catastrophic without sufficient warships, combat…
