The History and Future of America's Armed Forces. Featuring Speaker, David Kennedy.

The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century. Featuring speaker, Peter W. Singer.

Retired US Army General Stanley McChrystal and his wife, Annie McChrystal, discuss the burdens and advantages of life as a military family, including the challenges of housing and education, and the effect of long deployments on families.

Stanley McChrystal speaks with Bob Schieffer on leadership.

From Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus to FDR’s roundup of Japanese-Americans to Bush II’s secret prisons to Obama’s drone war, our presidents have always claimed military necessity as justification for war measures that others considered unethical or illegal. Can we develop sensible ethical or legal rules to govern the discretion of the commander in chief, or are we stuck having to trust whoever sits in the Oval Office? Speakers: Leigh Hafrey, Stephen L. Carter

The face of the US military is changing. Today, women make up more than 14 percent of the nation’s armed forces, and the Department of Defense recently announced its intent to open up over 14,000 combat-related positions to women. What new opportunities do women have in today’s military? How do women succeed in a still predominately male environment? And how have their lives, families, health, and the transition to being veterans been impacted? Speakers: Angela Messer, Mary A. Legere,...

How do we deal with arms races with China? How do we tackle missile defense with Russia? What kind of military do we build? Should our budget define our role or vice versa? Speakers: Jane Harman, Craig Nixon, Michael O'Hanlon, James Steinberg, Dina Temple-Raston

This year—and next—mark the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s assumption of extraordinary war powers, powers that presidents ever since have cited and replicated in response to threats to the national interest. Join author Stephen Carter for a timely discussion on his latest novel, which is a daring reimagining of one of the most tumultuous moments in our nation’s past. This vivid piece of historical fiction captures the emotional tenor of post-Civil War America and explores the always...

A Conversation with Mike Mullen. Speakers: Mike Mullen, Steve Inskeep.

Technology continues to transform military capabilities. Rather than a revolution of military affairs, the US military is evolving as technologies change. Has cyber warfare, remote sensing, drone attacks, unmanned combat vehicles, and the speed of information made the soldier obsolete in an increasingly “antiseptic” theater of war? What does the war of the future look like, and are we equipped to triumph? Speakers: James Steinberg, Mary A. Legere, Mike McConnell, Peter Singer, Steve Inskeep

Paula Broadwell and Michael O'Hanlon discuss her book, of which O'Hanlon wrote: “This is the best book yet on General David Petraeus, written by a remarkable former Army officer who spent months on the ground in Afghanistan herself. Paula Broadwell captures his basic tenets of counterinsurgency and basic approach to leadership—as well as Petraeus’s personal qualities and character—in a highly readable and pithy fashion. No one gives a truer picture of the war, or of the finest general of this...

Is Responsibility to Protect a driving force in American foreign policy? What are its roots? Should it drive military engagement today? This session will look at historical developments (the Holocaust, Rwanda, and others) as well as current situations (Libya, Syria, Sudan, and elsewhere) and talk about the United States’ moral obligations (and their strategic implications) and how this imperative relates to our identity. Speakers: Mike Abramowitz, Stephen L. Carter, Dele Olojede,Anne-Marie...

Not even one percent of the US population has served in the military, but the return of veterans from war has a ripple effect far greater than that one percent. This panel will examine how veterans survive and deal with wounds— physical, emotional, psychological—once they’re home. What is the impact on families? What support structures exist and are they helping vets find employment, health care, etc.? What is the tangible and intangible effect of multiple tours? Speakers: Dawn Halfaker, Joe...