The Institute for the Study of War advances an informed understanding of military affairs through reliable research, trusted analysis, and innovative education. We are committed to improving the nation’s ability to execute military operations and respond to emerging threats in order to achieve U.S. strategic objectives. ISW is a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy research organization.

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Our Board Members

General Jack Keane (US Army, Retired), Chairman, Institute for the Study of War; President, GSI, LLC

Dr. Kimberly Kagan, Founder & President, Institute for the Study of War

The Honorable Kelly Craft, Former US Ambassador to UN and Canada

Dr. William Kristol, Director, Defending Democracy Together

The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman, Senior Council, Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman, LLP

Kevin Mandia, Chief Executive Officer & Board Director, Mandiant

Jack D. McCarthy, Jr., Senior Managing Director & Founder, A&M Capital

Bruce Mosler, Chairman, Global Brokerage, Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.

General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Retired), Partner, KKR and Chairman, KKR Global Institute

Dr. Warren Phillips, Lead Director, CACI International

Colonel William Roberti (US Army, Retired), Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal

Hudson La Force, former Chief Executive Officer of W. R. Grace & Co

Our History

Dr. Kimberly Kagan founded ISW in May 2007, as U.S. forces undertook a daring new counterinsurgency strategy to reverse the grim security situation on the ground in Iraq . Frustrated with the prevailing lack of accurate information documenting developments on the ground in Iraq and the detrimental effect of biased reporting on policymakers, Dr. Kagan established ISW to provide real-time, independent, and open-source analysis of ongoing military operations and insurgent attacks in Iraq. General Jack Keane (U.S. Army, Ret.), the Chairman of ISW’s board, also played a central role in developing the intellectual foundation for this change of strategy in Iraq, and supported the formation of the Institute in 2007.

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Leadership

General Jack Keane
Dr. Kimberly Kagan
Jennifer Cafarella
Michael Nelson
Brian Babcock-Lumish
Alexander Mitchell
Stephen Gailliot
Iryna Verity
Madiha Abrar

Fellows

Lt. Gen. James Dubik (US Army, Retired)
Matthew McInnis
Nataliya Bugayova
Stephen Gordon

Analysts & Associates

Daniel Mealie
Nicole Wolkov
Sydney Fuqua
Cassidy Eissing
Christopher Solomon
Adam Grace
Ashka Jhaveri
Andie Parry
Thomas Bergeron
George Barros
Mason Clark
Kateryna Stepanenko
Peter Mills
Virginia Wang
Karolina Hird
Grace Mappes
Noel Mikkelsen
Nils Peterson
Layne Philipson
Kendrick Frankel
Isabella Sarmiento
Roy Eakin
Johanna Moore
Riley Bailey