About Us
Dan Blumenthal
is a resident fellow in Asian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously, he was senior
director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for international security affairs
during the first George W. Bush administration. In that capacity, he led a team that formulated and implemented defense
policies and programs toward, and for, these portfolio countries. Before his service at the Department of Defense, Mr.
Blumenthal practiced law in New York and was a research assistant at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Mr. Blumenthal is Vice Chairman of the Congressionally-mandated U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission in
February 2006. A Graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies' Strategic Studies Program,
Mr. Blumenthal has a decade's worth of experience leading and organizing staff rides.
Thomas Donnelly
is a senior fellow
in Defense and National Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of "The Military We Need:
The Defense Requirements of the Bush Doctrine" (AEI Press, 2005), "Operation Iraqi Freedom: A Strategic Assessment" (AEI Press,
2004). He previously served as the director of strategic communications and initiatives at Lockheed Martin, and as deputy
executive director of the Project for the New American Century. From 1995 to 1999, he was the policy group director, as
well as a professional staff member, for the Committee on National Security (now the Committee on Armed Services) in the
U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Donnelly has also been the executive director of The National Interest, editor of the
Army Times, and deputy editor of Defense News. Mr. Donnelly has led over 100 staff rides over the past decade.
Robert Killebrew
Robert Killebrew served over 30
years in the Army in both the infantry and special operations. He served two combat tours in Vietnam and commanded at all
levels through brigade. During his distinguished career he participated in some of the Army's most progressive initiatives
for determining the future role of landpower. He was a member of the Chief of Staff's special study group and an instructor
at the Army War College. At Training and Doctrine Command he was the principal deputy to the TRADOC Commander for the Army
After Next effort. This program set the course for all of the Army's major transformational programs to include the Future
Combat System and Modularity. After retirement he became a consultant for academic, defense and industrial institutions.
He worked for Toffler and Associates and was a member of the Hart – Rudman Commission on National Security. He also has
served as an advisor for DARPA and other defense intellectual bodies. He is a frequent media contributor to the Washington
Post, Fox News, NPR, and most major networks. Killebrew graduated from the Citadel in 1965 and holds a master's degrees in
both history and international relations. He is a noted lecturer and expert on future war and strategic leadership. He
resides in Newport News Virginia. Colonel Killibrew has conducted staff rides for the U.S. military as well for a number
of businesses.
Matt Christ
Matthew D. Christ is a Senior Associate with Strategic Education and Research International, LLC. He has developed and led staff rides to numerous Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields, to include Brandywine, Valley Forge, Quebec, Fort Ticonderoga, Saratoga, Yorktown, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Peninsula Campaign, and Manassas, among others. He has also developed and led numerous Crisis Simulation exercises and leadership seminars, as well as Staff Rides to WWI and WWII battlefields in Europe.
Mr. Christ has a B.S. in International Relations from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a M.A. in International Economics and Russian Area Studies from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of the Johns Hopkins University.
Mr. Christ served 11 years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army as an Armor and Russian Foreign Affairs Officer, with assignments with the 1st Infantry Division (Forward), the XVIII Airborne Corps, the 82d Airborne Division, and the United Nations Military Observer Mission in the Republic of Georgia (UNOMIG). Mr. Christ holds the rank of Major in the United States Army Reserve and served as a Russian and Spanish Linguist Team Leader with 383rd (Linguist) Military Intelligence Battalion. MAJ Christ is currently assigned to the Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle Barracks, PA, as the Assistant Director of Patron Services.