Military + War Speakers

Our military speakers offer inspired perspectives from their experiences on and off the battlefield. Their topics include first-hand war stories, in-depth examinations of both current and historical conflicts, and lessons on leadership and resiliency.

James Hatch

Retired member of the Naval Special Warfare Development group, author of Touching the Dragon, and founder of Spike’s K9 Fund

Phil Klay

U.S. Marine Corps veteran and author of Redeployment, winner of 2014 National Book Award for Fiction

Amy McGrath

U.S. Marine Corps veteran and founder of Honor Bound, Inc.

More Military + War Speakers

Omar El Akkad

Award-winning journalist and author of the debut novel American War

Robert Baer

Portrayed by George Clooney in the Academy Award-winning film Syriana, expert on American intelligence and the War on Terror

Shane Bauer

Investigative reporter and author of American Prison

Rosa Brooks

American law professor and author of Tangled Up in Blue

Brian Castner

Decorated war veteran and author of The Long Walk and Disappointment River

Rajiv Chandrasekaran

Former Washington Post journalist and award-winning author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City (inspiration for the 2010 movie Green Zone), Little America, and For Love of Country

Richard A. Clarke

America’s first czar of cybersecurity and counter-terrorism, and author of The Fifth Domain.

Steve Coll

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, New Yorker staff writer, and author of Ghost Wars and Directorate S

Dexter Filkins

Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent and author of The Forever War

Shane Harris

Investigative journalist and author of The Watchers

Fredrik Logevall

Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Embers of War and Vietnam War historian

Travis Mills

Retired United States Army Staff Sergeant and Recalibrated Warrior

Ahmed Rashid

Journalist and author of Descent into Chaos and Pakistan on the Brink

Marjane Satrapi

Academy Award-nominated director, cartoonist, and author of Persepolis

Jeff Shaara

New York Times-bestselling author of historical and military fiction

D.J. Vanas

Member of the Ottawa Tribe, author of The Tiny Warrior and host of the PBS special Discovering Your Warrior Spirit

Dr. W. Lee Warren

Neurosurgeon, Iraq War veteran, and author of I've Seen the End of You