The Washington Institute Announces New Military Fellows

(Washington D.C.) The Washington Institute is pleased to announce that Colonel Joseph D. Wawro, Lt. Col. Joshua C. Burgess, and Major Chandler P. Atwood have joined the organization as military fellows. “As the Middle East continues to command the attention of policymakers, the Institute is proud to work with the U.S. armed services to train rising military leaders to deal with the complexities of the region,” said Executive Director Robert Satloff. “We look forward to their contributions.”

Since 1995, the Institute has hosted mid-career personnel, giving them the opportunity to work with senior fellows, to meet with U.S. and regional leaders, and to immerse themselves in the study of Middle East issues. During their tenure with the Institute, these combat veterans go beyond operational and tactical planning to examine the big-picture issues that may confront them as top-rank military leaders. The Fellows will be at the Institute from August 2013 to May 2014, and work within the Institute’s Military & Security Studies Program.

Chandler Atwood is a major in the U.S. Air Force. He was previously director of Operations, Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) & Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT) Production Squadron, at the National Air & Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, which provides intelligence support to warfighters worldwide. His prior assignment was at the USAF Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and he has held a variety of leadership positions from chief of intelligence to flight commander. Atwood participated in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, Southern Watch, and Northern Watch. He is a graduate of The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina. He will be researching U.S. military options in Syria.

Joshua Burgess is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Prior to joining The Washington Institute, he served for one year in the Afghan Hands program, a language and cultural immersion initiative in Afghanistan developed by Adm. Mike Mullen, advising senior members of the Afghan government on anti-corruption strategies, policies, and programs. He is an Air Force political affairs strategist with extensive special operations and security cooperation experience in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Central Asia, and is a linguist in German, Spanish, French, and Dari. He is a senior pilot and evaluator with over 2000 total flight hours in the UH-1D/F/H/N, Bell 412, and MI-17 helicopters. He has flown combat support missions in Central Asia and Africa while assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command, as well as NATO peacekeeping missions in the Balkans while serving as a Personnel Exchange Program instructor pilot and operations officer with the German Air Force. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He will be writing about North African politics.

Joseph D. Wawro is a colonel in the U.S. Army. He recently relinquished command of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, which he commanded during a nine-month deployment to Regional Command-East in Afghanistan in 2012. He previously served as Chief of Staff of the National Training Center, commanded 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment at Camp Casey, Korea, served as the regimental executive officer for 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment during its deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom through July 2004, and headquarters troops commander of Troop B, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment during its deployment to Bosnia as part of IFOR in 1996. He holds a master’s degree in National Security and Policy Making from the Naval War College. Col. Wawro will be examining the importance of responsiveness and speed in past military contingencies in the Middle East and its implications for force building and planning for future contingencies there.

About the Washington Institute: The Washington Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research institution that advances a balanced and realistic understanding of U.S. interest in the broader Middle East. Drawing on the research of its fellows and the experience of its policy practitioners, the Institute promotes informed debate and scholarly research on U.S. policy in the region.