Dr. Robert E. Hamilton (Bob)

Research Professor at Strategic Studies Institute and USAWC Press

Areas of Expertise: Strategic Competition & Rivalry

Dr. Robert E. Hamilton is a professor in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, currently serving as a U.S. advisor to the Ministry of Defense of Georgia. He was commissioned in
Armor Branch upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1988. His company grade assignments were with the 2nd Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry; Regiment at Fort Stewart, Georgia; with the 5th Squadron, 15th U.S. Cavalry; Regiment and with the 2d Battalion, 33d Armor Regiment, 194th Armor Brigade, both at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

In 1996, Dr. Hamilton entered the Eurasian Foreign Area Officer training program, completing the Russian Language Course at the Defense Language Institute and graduating from the George C. Marshall Center for European  Security Studies.

In June 2002 Dr. Hamilton was assigned to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, where he served as a war planner for Operation Iraqi Freedom at CENTCOM’s Forward Headquarters in Qatar and later as the desk officer for Uzbekistan. From 2005-2006 Dr. Hamilton served as the Chief of Regional Engagement for Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, and from 2006-2008 he served as the Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation in Tbilisi, Georgia. From 2008-2009 he was the U.S. Army Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

He served as an instructor in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College from 2011-2013, and as the Deputy Chief of the Security Assistance Office at the Office of Defense Representative-Pakistan from 2013-2014, before returning to the U.S. Army War College to resume his teaching duties. While teaching at the Army War College, Dr. Hamilton has served as the DOD Russia Policy Advisor to the International Syria Support Group in Geneva (July-August 2016), as the Chief of Assessments for the NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan (February-May 2017), and as the Chief of the Russian De-confliction Cell at Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (August-October 2017).

Dr. Hamilton retired from the Army on 1 July 2018. His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Order of St. George, the German Armed Forces Leistungsabzeichen (Achievement Badge-Gold Award), the Parachute Badge and the Combat Action Badge. He is a graduate of the German Armed Forces Staff College (2002) and the U.S. Army War College (2009). His academic degrees include a B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy, an M.A. in Russian Studies and a Ph.D in International Relations, both from the University of Virginia.