David S. Maxwell served as the Associate Director of the Center for Security Studies and the Security Studies Program in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is a 30 year veteran of the US Army retiring in 2011 as a Special Forces Colonel with his final assignment serving on the military faculty teaching national security strategy at the National War College. He is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and holds Masters of Military Arts and Science degrees from the US Army Command and General Staff College and the School of Advanced Military Studies and a Master of Science degree in National Security Studies from the National War College of the National Defense University. He has served in various command and staff assignments in the Infantry in Germany and Korea as well as in Special Forces at Ft. Lewis, Washington, Seoul, Korea, Okinawa, Japan, and the Philippines with total service in Asia of more than 20 years. He served on the United Nations Command / Combined Forces Command / United States Forces Korea CJ3 staff where he was a planner for UNC/CFC OPLAN 5027-98 and ROK JCS – UNC/CFC CONPLAN 5029-99 (North Korean Instability and Collapse) and later served as the Director of Plans, Policy, and Strategy (J5) for Special Operations Command Korea (SOCKOR). From 2000 to 2002 he commanded 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Okinawa, Japan during which his operational detachments participated in numerous operations throughout Asia and the Pacific in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, including deployment to Mindanao and Basilan Island for the initial execution of Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines. He has also served as Chief, Special Forces Branch, US Total Army Personnel Command in Alexandria, Virginia. He has been the G3 and Chief of Staff of USASOC and Chief of Staff, SOCKOR. He commanded the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines in 2006-2007. He is a fellow at the Institute of Corean-American Studies (ICAS) and on the Board of Advisors of Spirit of America. He is a Life Member of the Special Forces Association and the National War College Alumni Association. He is on the Board of Directors of the International Council of Korean Studies (ICKS), Small Wars Journal, and the Committee For Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK). He teaches SEST 604: Unconventional Warfare and Special Operations for Policy Makers and Strategists. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Liberal Studies (ABD). His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal (1 OLC), the Legion of Merit, (1 OLC) the Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (4 OLC), the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (2 OLC), The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Korean Defense Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon (numeral 5), the Joint Meritorious Unit Citation, the Army Meritorious Unit Citation, the Philippine Legion of Honor, the Philippine Humanitarian Service Medal, the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Korean, Philippines, and Australian Parachute Badges and the Special Forces and Ranger Tabs. He and his wife, Kim, and their daughter, Elizabeth, reside in northern Virginia. Colonel Maxwell currently serves on Spirit of America’s Advisory Board.