Center for a New American Security

On Wednesday, John Nagl stepped down as President of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Since joining CNAS, John has been an avid supporter of our natural security work, often remarking that while ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are the most pressing challenges America faces, the long-term challenges to U.S. security will come from natural resource competition and climate change.

John’s service to the nation as an Army officer and his ability to articulate the importance of non-traditional security challenges in shaping the global security environment has helped put this work on the map for many national security practitioners who may not have been convinced of its importance to U.S. national security policy. We’re indebted to John for his enduring support, from his work on Fueling the Future Force to his impressing the importance of climate change to a room full of flag officers. I could wax poetic, but I won’t (my colleague Andrew Exum has a nice post about John already). I’ll simply say this: thanks boss. We wouldn’t be where we are without you.