"The Navy and the National Security Establishment: A Critical Assessment"

July 24, 2025 (Thursday, 1900 EST)

John T. Hanley, Jr. PhD (Captain USNR-Ret.)

The role of the USN has been to influence world events since its founding, as its emphasis on forward operations has remained constant. Led by Navy reformer Admiral Stephen B. Luce, the Navy emerged as a learning society that prepared it for victory in WWII. Following the war, military-industrial-congressional ecosystem practices emerged from a punctuated evolution in the National Security Establishment leading to rivalries between services and within the Navy, resulting in sclerosis in force development, particularly following the Cold War. New paradigms and a return to the Navy's campaign of learning promise a better future. Please join us for an in-depth critique of the current state of the US Navy and the National Security Establishment.

Dr. Hanley’s Navy career began at Dartmouth NROTC, followed by 5 years of active duty and 23 years in the Navy Reserve as a nuclear submarine officer, including 3 commands. From 1982-1998 he served with the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group, principally as Deputy Director, after which ADM Dennis Blair as CINCPAC asked him to serve as his special assistant. Subsequent opportunities included working with VADM (Ret.) Cebrowski at the Office of Force Transformation, Joint Advanced Warfighting Program Deputy Director at IDA, Deputy for Acquisition Concepts at OSD AT&L, OSD Strategy, and ODNI Director for Strategy.