Dr. Andrew Krepinevich and James Townsend Join CNAS as Adjunct Senior Fellows

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) announced today that Dr. Andrew Krepinevich, former President of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) and 21-year veteran of the U.S. Army, and James Townsend, Jr., the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy, have joined CNAS as Adjunct Senior Fellows. Krepinevich and Townsend will contribute to CNAS research, mentor junior staff, and provide expert advice on key policy matters. Krepinevich will primarily work with CNAS’ Defense Strategies and Assessments Program and Townsend with the newly established Transatlantic Security Program.

“We are excited to have Andrew and Jim join CNAS,” said CNAS Chief Executive Officer Michèle Flournoy. “They both have a wealth of experience, bold yet practical policy ideas, and a steadfast commitment to America’s national security. I look forward to seeing what they create in conjunction with the rest of the CNAS team.”

Krepinevich is President and CEO of Solarium LLC, a defense consulting firm. In addition to his roles at CSBA and in the U.S. Army, he has served in the Department of Defense’s Office of Net Assessment and on the professional staff of three secretaries of defense. He has also served as a member of the National Defense Panel, the Defense Science Board Task Force on Joint Experimentation, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ Defense Policy Board. He currently serves as Chairman of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel and on the Advisory Council of Business Executives for National Security.

Townsend served eight years as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for European and NATO Policy, ending his term January 20, 2017. Before his service as DASD, Townsend served as a Vice President of the Atlantic Council of the United States, where he was Director of the Council’s Program on International Security. Townsend previously served in a variety of positions at the U.S. Department of Defense and at NATO, including Principal Director of European and NATO Policy, the Director of NATO Policy, and the Director of the Defense Plans Division at the U.S. Mission to NATO in Brussels, Belgium. Townsend has been decorated by 11 European nations for his work. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserve.

For more information, please contact Neal Urwitz at nurwitz@cnas.org or 202-457-9409.