The United States Navy is the most powerful naval force on earth, able to project power in every corner of the globe, but this mighty forces has humble beginings.

Just in time for Independence Day, Steve Wills, joins the show to discuss the Continetial Navy's role in the American Revolution and how its legacy is reflected in the modern day US Navy.

Biographies

Steven Wills is an expert in U.S. Navy strategy and policy, and U.S. Navy surface warfare programs and platforms. As a Navy historian, his research interests include the history of U.S. Navy strategy development over the Cold War and immediate post-Cold War eras, and the post-World War II Navy surface fleet. He is also the Navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League.

In this special Pride Month episode of CNA Talks, three members of CNA’s LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, Pride @ CNA, join the show! They discuss their experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community at CNA and research that CNA is exploring on interactions between community members and law enforcement.

Biographies

Dr. L. Cait Kanewske (they/them) is a Research Scientist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. Cait research interests include mental health-related interventions in the criminal justice system, juvenile justice, evidence-based policing in small, rural, and tribal jurisdictions, and the experiences of LGBTQ individuals in the criminal justice system. Cait serves as a principal investigator, project manager, and analyst on several federally funded research and training and technical assistance (TTA) projects related to policing and corrections.

Allie Land (she/her) is a Research Analyst with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. Her research interests include police technology (including body-worn cameras), organizational reform, and the experiences of LGBTQ individuals in the criminal justice system. Allie serves as an analyst and deputy program manager on several federally funded research and training and technical assistance (TTA) projects related to policing and corrections.

Mel Royer (they/them) is a User Computing Administrator in the Cloud Solutions Division. They provide tier 3 technical support and are system administrators for three networks. Mel is also involved in modernizing CNA's cloud footprint, and they are certified in both Azure and Amazon Web Service environments. They have been with CNA for three years and have been the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group lead for two years.

Content Warning Markers

10:15-20:00: State Violence, Suicide, Self-Harm, Sexual Assault.

20:00-23:45: State/Legal Discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals

The Russian Federation is an example of a large authoritarian state whose military is subordinate to its civil government. But since the onset of the War in Ukraine, tensions have been growing between civilian and military leaders.

In this episode, Julian Waller joins John to discuss the current state of civil-military relations in Russia's government and how the Wagner Group rebellion fits into this puzzle.

Biography

Julian G. Waller is a Research Analyst with CNA's Russia Studies Program. He is an expert in the politics of authoritarian regimes in post-Soviet Eurasia and Europe, focusing on Russian and Ukrainian domestic political institutions and their relation to political-military issues.

Further Reading

CNA: Russian Military Logistics in the Ukraine War

Law Enforcement officers regularly confront traumatic circumstances that can adversely affect their mental and emotional health. In some cases, this can increase their risk of death by suicide.

In late 2023, the CNA partnered with First H.E.L.P. to undertake the first comprehensive analysis of its extensive dataset on law enforcement officer deaths by suicide. In this episode, CNA's Jessica Dockstader and First H.E.L.P's Karen Solomon join the show to discuss this report.

Guest Biographies

Jessica Dockstader is an Associate Research Analyst with CNA's Center for Justice Research and Innovation. She is an expert in officer wellness with experience in the areas of suicide prevention, emotional wellness support, and substance use. She also supports a Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance-funded research project focused on officer safety and wellness.

Karen Solomon is co-founder of First H.E.L.P. and author of Hearts Beneath the Badge and The Price They Pay. Her focus is the stories of the families who have lost an officer to suicide and the officers who suffer from the feeling that they have nowhere to turn. Karen was a member of the 2018 Officer Safety and Wellness Group Meeting, co-chairing the Data and Research Committee of the National Consortium on Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention, and is currently on the FBI task force to implement the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act.

Further Reading

CNA: Law Enforcement Deaths by Suicide

Over the past 20 years, the People's Republic of China has invested billions of dollars in African nations. But what impact have these investments had on the continent, and how have things changed in the wake of the dual global shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine?

Tim Ditter joins the show to answer these questions and discuss his research into China's presence in Africa.

Guest Biographies

Timothy Ditter is a research scientist in CNA's China Studies Program. His work covers PLA amphibious warfare, China's military modernization and expansion, China's growing nuclear weapons program, and China's nascent global military presence.

Further Reading

CNA: PRC Illicit and Malign Activities in Africa

CNA: PRC Lending in Africa

Climate change increases the frequency, severity, and cost of extreme weather events. However, these events are not felt by everyone equally. Existing inequalities in our society exasperate the risks for vulnerable populations.

In this episode, Leola Abrahams and Mark Roberts discuss how extreme weather events impact older adults and Native Americans and how protecting our most vulnerable populations protects everyone.

Biographies

Leola Abraham is the program manager of CNA's Center for Vulnerable Population Protection. She focuses on climate change, emergency management, public health, and justice reform. Leola is a senior communications practitioner with over 20 years of professional experience advising federal, state, and local government leaders, nonprofit organizations, and universities to deliver national and global programs and campaigns.

Mark Roberts is a Research Scientist with CNA's Center for Justice Research and Innovation and an expert in domestic safety and security. He is a certified GIS Professional specializing in geospatial and supply chain analyses. His past work for CNA includes developing and facilitating a hybrid workshop for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine on prioritizing infrastructure resilience along the Gulf of Mexico.

Further Reading

CNA: The Impacts of Extreme Weather on Older Adults

The Russia‑Ukraine war marks the first large‑scale deployment and use of conventional ballistic and cruise missile technology. Because of this, the theater has become a test bed for missile technology and strategy and has revealed the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary missile forces and doctrines.

In this episode, Fabien Hoffman and Gabriela Rosa Hernandez join the show to discuss how both sides have used conventional weapons during the Ukraine War and the war's impact on strategic stability.

Biographies

Fabian Hoffmann is a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Oslo Nuclear Project (ONP). His research focuses on missile technology, nuclear strategy, and defense policy. His Ph.D. project examines the implications of conventional long-range strike weapons on nuclear strategy.

Gabriela Iveliz Rosa Hernandez is an Associate Research Analyst at the CNA Russia Studies Program. Her research centers on security orders, deterrence issues, and Russia's security policy, supplemented by her significant in-country experience living in Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and other countries in the region. Her commentary has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and other media.

Further Reading

CNA: Strategic Stability and the Ukraine War Implications of Conventional Missile Technologies

Military operations in the physical domains all depend on the cyber domain. To ensure the success of traditional naval capabilities, the Navy and Marine Corps must project power in and through cyberspace while defending their systems and assets from adversary cyber capabilities. The side that most effectively sequences and synchronizes cyber effects will have a decisive advantage.

Department of the Navy (DON) Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor Joshua Reiter and CNA's Ariel Michelman-Ribeiro join the show to discuss the DON Cyber Strategy.

Guest Biographies

Ariel Michelman-Ribeiro is a Principal Research Scientist in the Cyber, IT Systems, and Networks Program and has been with CNA for 13 years. In addition to directing projects, she is also CNA's Cyber Research Coordinator.

Joshua Reiter is the Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor (PCA) for the Department of the Navy, In this role, he is responsible for supporting the PCA in advising the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and Commandant of the Marine Corps, and implementing the Department of Defense Cyber Strategy within the Department of the Navy.

Further Reading

Department of the Navy Cyber Strategy

In an age when the risks of cyberattacks are increasingly clear, the Zero Trust security model, built on the principle of "never trust, always verify," is the new standard for cyber security. Like many organizations, CNA is working to implement the model throughout our organization.

Rizwan Jan, CNA's Chief Information Officer, and cybersecurity expert Adam Monsalve join the show to discuss CNA's journey to implement Zero Trust, how we can use that experience, and how we have leveraged this experience to better serve our clients and sponsors.

Biographies

Rizwan Jan is CNA's Chief Information Officer. He leads our technology and security practices while strengthening information systems. As CIO, he ensures the delivery of all information and technology capabilities required to successfully achieve CNA's mission.

Adam Monsalve is a Systems Engineer at CNA's Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization. He is a cybersecurity expert who specializes in the intersection of uncrewed technologies and cybersecurity for multiple federal government clients.

Further Reading

NIST: Zero Trust Architecture

CISA: Zero Trust Maturity Model

The DOD Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP) represents a significant step forward for global efforts to reduce civilian harm. The plan recognizes that reducing civilian harm is not just a moral imperative but a strategic priority. It lays out concrete steps that the Department of Defense can take to mitigate civilian harm caused by its operations.

Larry Lewis, Marla Keenan, and Sabrina Verleysen join John Stimpson in this episode. They discuss the CHMR-AP and the decades of work on civilian harm mitigation that made it possible.

Biographies

Dr. Larry Lewis is a Principal Research Scientist in CNA's Operations Division. Dr. Lewis spearheaded the first data-based approach to protecting civilians in conflict by analyzing military operational data in conjunction with open-source data. He has worked extensively with militaries—including the U.S., NATO allies, and key U.S. partners—to help reduce civilian harm in their operations and strengthen their institutional capacity to mitigate such harm.

Marla Keenan is a Principal Advisor to CNA and an expert in human security, the protection of civilians, civilian harm mitigation and response, and civil-military relations in armed conflict. She has conducted high-level advocacy with international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, African Union, and NATO. She formerly led all international programs for the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), working directly with civilians caught in conflict and militaries to support improved protection outcomes.

Sabrina Verleysen is a Senior Specialist in Strategic Development and brings expertise in government relations and Indonesian civilian-military relations. She supports the CHM portfolio as an analyst, builds partnerships, and convenes interagency stakeholders to improve information sharing and collaboration on CHMR.

Further Reading

DOD: Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan

CNA: Civilian Harm Mitigation