Kevin Cronin

Next Generation National Security Fellow, 2016

United States Army

  • Press: comms@cnas.org

Major Kevin Cronin is currently serving as Special Assistant for Middle East, Africa, and Cyber Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. Prior to this, Kevin served as a policy advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy. He was commissioned as an Infantry officer in the United States Army upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 2003. He holds a Master in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Kevin has served in a variety of overseas assignments, ranging from the tactical to strategic levels, including three deployments to Afghanistan and two deployments to Iraq. He has also served in Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

Cronin’s previous command assignments include: Commander of a Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha, in Fort Campbell, Kentucky and in Iraq, Jordan, and Afghanistan; and Rifle Platoon Leader in the 3rd Infantry Division in Fort Benning, Georgia and in Iraq.

Select staff assignments include: Special Projects Officer at the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan; aide-de-camp to the Commanding General, Maneuver Center of Excellence; and Team Chief, Combined Joint Inter-Agency Task Force Shafafiyat (Transparency) in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Cronin’s military education and training includes the Airborne, Ranger, Jumpmaster and SERE Schools, Infantry Officer Basic Course, Maneuver Captains Career Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College common core course.

Originally from Rowayton, Connecticut, Kevin currently lives in Washington, DC.