COL André Abadie
Colonel André (Dré) Abadie is a student at the U.S. Army War College exploring the intersection of national security strategy/policy and emerging technologies with a specific interest in potential applications for the INDO-PACOM theater of operations.
Dré is a career Army Signal Officer with over 22 years experience specializing in network service provision and Cybersecurity. His most recent assignments include G3 (COO), 311th Theater Signal Command; G6 (CIO), 1st Cavalry Division; and Senior Watch Officer, USCYBERCOM.
He holds multiple degrees, including a Doctorate in Information Technology Management, Security, and Assurance from George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering where he conducted doctoral and post-doctoral research in cyber security and emerging radio technologies.
Mr. Mark Baron
Mark Baron is a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State, currently assigned as a student in Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College. He has served overseas in a variety of assignments at U.S. embassies and consulates in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Rabat, Morocco; Baghdad, Iraq; Fukuoka, Japan; Ottawa, Canada; and Dakar, Senegal. Prior to joining the Foreign Service in 2000, Mark was a civilian intelligence research specialist at JIATF West, where he was assigned to long-term TDYs at the DEA office in Bangkok, Thailand. After graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in Political Science in 1987, Mark served as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy.
LTC Paul G. Beeman
Lieutenant Colonel Paul G. Beeman enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1989 and he served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm as well in Japan, Austria, and South Africa before he earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1998. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant and served as Platoon Sergeant with Company C, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, while also attending Illinois State University. He has served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as participating in numerous regional exercises and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts in the Western Pacific. LtCol Beeman is a graduate of Illinois State University.
LTC Matthew Bunch
Matthew “Mat” Bunch is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. Following graduation from the U.S. Army War College in 2019, he assumed duties as the J3 for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. His most recent prior asssignments include as Strategic Planner in DAMO-ZT on the Army Staff in Washington, D.C.; Battalion Commander of the 189th Infantry Brigade at Joint Base Lewis McCord in Washington State; and as Exercise Branch Chief in the office of the U.S. Army Pacific G-7. Bunch is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the United States Army War College.
COL Christopher W. Crary
Colonel Christopher W. Crary, a native of Alabama, received his commission in August 1997. He holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters of Science Degree in Engineering Management. His military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Advance Courses and United States Army Command and General Staff College. Prior to joining the United States Army War College, Colonel Crary served as the Engineer Division Chief and Chief of Engineering Operations, Plans, and Readiness for the J44 Engineer Division; J4 Logistics, Engineering and Security Cooperation Directorate; U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp Smith, Hawaii.
Following graduation from the USAWC, Colonel Crary will assume command of the Far East District from the Pacific Ocean Division of the United State Army Corps of Engineers where he will be responsible for the planning, engineering, design, and construction management services across the full spectrum of operations from armistice to contingency in support of the Department of Defense and U.S. Forces in the Republic of Korea.
Ms. Alison Goldsmith
Ms. Alison Goldsmith, Navy Civilian, is a Resident Student in the Army War College Class of 2020. Previously, she was a Program Security Manager for the Navy Engineering Logistics Office (NELO). In this position, she was responsible for all aspects of security for a research and development (R&D) office that has multiple projects across various classification levels, including Special Access Program (SAP), Compartmented Access Program (CAP) and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). Prior to this, Ms. Goldsmith was a Program Security Officer (PSO), supporting a pre-Milestone A project with a complex security structure. Ms. Goldsmith’s Navy career began in 2010 as an Assistant Program Security Officer (APSO) supporting an Acquisition Category (ACAT) 1D program. She is a graduate of Fordham University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and History. She holds a Master of Science in Global Affairs from New York University. Ms. Goldsmith has received the Security Fundamentals Professional Certification (SFPC), Security Asset Protection Professional Certification (SAPPC), Security Program Integration Professional Certification (SPIPC), Special Program Security Certification (SPSC), and Industrial Security Oversight Certification (ISOC) from the Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE).
COL Damien E. Mason
Colonel Damien E. Mason received his commission from the United States Military Academy in 1996. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course, USMC Amphibious Warfare School, and the Naval War College’s Command and Staff College. Prior to the Army War College he served as the Chief of Future Operations (G35) for USARPAC in Fort Shafter, HI. He has previously served as a Battalion Commander at Fort Jackson, SC; Deputy Director J7 for the Joint Special Operations Command; Director of the Commander’s Action Group for SOJTF-A / NSOCC-A; Deputy Chief of Operations for JSOC; Troop Commander and Squadron Operations Officer for a Special Mission Unit.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (5 OLC), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (4 OLC), the Army Achievement Medal (5 OLC), the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Air Assault Badge, Airborne Badge, Military Free Fall Badge and the Ranger Tab. COL Mason’s education includes Air Assault; Airborne; Military Free Fall; SERE; Ranger; Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle Commander’s Course; Jumpmaster; the Combined Arms Service Staff School. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the United States Military Academy and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
LTC Elvino Mendonca, Jr.
Lieutenant Colonel Elvino Mendonca Jr. hails from Lowell, Massachusetts and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1987. He served as an artilleryman before becoming a Marine Security Guard at the U.S. Embassies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Panama City, Panama. After completing this tour, LtCol Mendonca executed his End of Active Service date and left the Marine Corps.
LTC Mendonca then attended Clemson University where he attained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in July of 1997.
Designated as an infantry officer, he deployed in support of Operation NOBLE ANVIL (Kosovo) and then again to Okinawa, Japan. He has also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
LTC Mendonca’s recent assignments include serving as the Executive Officer for the II MEF Headquarters Group; the Battalion Commander of 2d Battalion, 2d Marines at Camp Lejeune; and, the Homeland Defense Branch Head in the Security Division of Plans, Policies, and Operations at Headquarters Marine Corps.
LTC Jason Rosenstrauch
Jason Rosenstrauch is an officer in the United States Army with over 20 years of experience. He has served in all battalion level leadership positions from platoon leader to squadron commander, primarily in Cavalry organizations conducting reconnaissance and security operations. He most recently served as an operational planner in Korea for US Forces Korea and the Combined Forces Command.
LTC Jason Rosenstrauch has a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana and a Masters Degree from the School of Advanced Military Studies in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
LTC Dana L. Tucker
Lieutenant Colonel Dana L. Tucker has served over 27 years in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard, currently branched Military Police, with deployments to the Balkans and Iraq, both in joint assignments. He has held a variety of staff (battalion and brigade) and command (company and battalion) positions and is currently in the Carlisle Scholars Program within the Army War College. He holds a Masters of Science and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Psychology and an M.B.A. with an emphasis in organizational behavior and human resources. He has four years of experience as visiting faculty at nationally and internationally recognized universities and 9 years of experience directing personnel evaluations, appraisals and assessment at a Fortune 50 company
CDR Henry Wicks
Commander Henry Wicks is a native of Livingston, Montana. Upon graduating with honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. in History, he commissioned into the Navy via the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in April 2004.
After completing nuclear power and submarine officer training in November of 2005, he reported aboard the USS OKLAHOMA CITY (SSN 723), located in Norfolk, VA, where he completed one deployment to CENTCOM and one deployment to SOUTHCOM, serving as Reactor Controls Assistant, Electrical Assistant, and Assistant Engineer.
In January 2009 he was assigned to Expeditionary Combat Readiness Command in San Diego, CA and deployed to Afghanistan as part of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM as an Embedded Training Team Mentor for Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, training and advising the Afghan army in and around Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Following his deployment he reported in March 2010 to COMPHIBRON FOUR in Norfolk, VA, qualifying as Battle Watch Captain and serving as the Staff ASW Officer during a CENTCOM deployment that included OPERATION ODYSSEY DAWN.
Completing the Submarine Officer Advanced Course in March 2012, he reported to the USS SCRANTON (SSN 756), located in Norfolk, VA, as the Combat Systems Officer and served from 2012 to 2015, completing a CENTCOM deployment and the first nine months of an Engineering Overhaul in Portsmouth, NH. CDR Wicks reported to Submarine Learning Facility Norfolk in April 2015 and served as both the Engineering and then Tactics Director until his transfer in March 2017. Following completion of the Submarine Executive Officer (XO) Pipeline he reported as XO to USS ALASKA (SSBN 732)(BLUE) in August 2018. As Executive Officer he completed two strategic deterrent patrols, detaching in June of 2019. CDR Wicks reported as a student to the US Army War College in July 2019.
CDR Wicks’ awards include the Bronze Star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (three awards), and other campaign and service awards.