Dr. Kilcullen is the founder and chairman of Caerus Associates. Before founding Caerus, Dave Kilcullen served 24 years as a soldier, diplomat, and policy advisor for the Australian and United States governments. He was Special Advisor to the Secretary of State in 2007-2009 and Senior Advisor to General David Petraeus in Iraq in 2007. He has provided advice at the highest levels of the Bush and Obama administrations, and has worked in peace and stability operations, humanitarian relief and counterinsurgency environments in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. He is a well-known author, teacher, and consultant, advising the US and allied governments, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector. His bestselling books The Accidental Guerrilla and Counterinsurgency are used worldwide by civilian government officials, policymakers, military and development professionals working in unstable and insecure environments. He holds a PhD in political anthropology from the University of New South Wales. Dr. Kilcullen currently serves on Spirit of America’s Advisory Board.