Neiberg is a renowned historian who specializes in 20^th century military history. He has written multiple books including 鈥淢aking Citizen-Soldiers: ROTC and the Ideology of American Military Service;鈥� 鈥淔ighting the Great War: A Global History;鈥� 鈥淭he Second Battle of the Marne;鈥� 鈥淭he Blood of Free Men: The Liberation of Paris, 1944,鈥� winner of the Madigan Award; and 鈥淒ance of the Furies: Europe and the Outbreak of World War I,鈥� which was named one of the five best books on WWI by the Wall Street Journal.  

The event is sponsored by the John A. Adams 鈥�71 Center for Military History and Strategic Analysis and the John Biggs 鈥�30 Cincinnati Endowment in Military History.

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McKnight is a specialist in contested and coerced loyalties and is the author of 鈥淐ontested Borderland: The Civil War in Appalachian Kentucky and Virginia,鈥� which won the Dr. James I. Robertson Literary Prize for Confederate History; and 鈥淐onfederate Outlaw: Champ Ferguson and the Civil War in Appalachia,鈥� which won the Tennessee History Book Award for best book in Tennessee history. Additionally, he wrote, 鈥淲e Fight For Peace: Twenty-Three American Soldiers, Prisoners of War, and Turncoats in the Korean War鈥� and coedited 鈥淭he Guerrilla Hunters: Irregular Conflicts During the Civil War鈥� with Barton Myers, Ph.D., professor of history at Washington and Lee University. McKnight鈥檚 other writings have been featured in The New York Times, and his work on Korean War prisoners of war was profiled in The New Yorker.

The event is sponsored by the 麻豆传媒入口Department of History and the John Biggs 鈥�30 Cincinnati Chair in Military History Fund.

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The debate explored the resolution: The U.S. should use its diplomatic and military power around the globe to ensure America鈥檚 national security. Bolton argued the affirmative, while Ramaswamy argued the negative. It was moderated by Tom Rogan, a foreign policy/national security writer for the Washington Examiner, and a Tony Blankley Senior Fellow at Steamboat Institute.

Each speaker gave an opening statement. In his, Bolton said that he is a very strong proponent of the resolution, and until recent years, it would have been considered common sense, and a reflection of American history. 鈥淔or a number of reasons, I think we鈥檝e lost a real understanding of American national security. The underlying cause for that was the victory in the Cold War won by the American-led alliance. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, many people in the U.S., Europe, and around the world, thought there would be no more global geopolitical confrontation. Economics would take care of everything. We had a peace dividend. Because there would be no more international conflict, we could cut defense budgets, and increase domestic welfare programs. The U.S. and Europe did exactly that, and we have lived to regret it.鈥�

Bolton continued by stating that the lack of understanding of national security has led to the reemergence within the last five to 10 years of the concept of isolationism, which he believes is a problem that is growing worse. 鈥淚t rests on mythology about American history that there was a time when we were happily separate from the rest of the world, free from any involvement in their conflicts, happy to do our own thing. Some people believe this idea has its historical roots in George Washington鈥檚 Farewell Address, where he talked about avoiding entangling alliances. I would make the argument that the U.S. has never been isolationist. We have always been part of the wider world. We have had interests around the world from our beginning, and George Washington himself knew that better than anybody else. It is a fact that the U.S. would never have been independent were it not for French aid and military force, and then later, from Spain and the Netherlands. Washington鈥檚 Farewell Address was a very carefully thought out legacy that Washington wanted to leave to tell this new and perilously weak nation to avoid getting involved in European conflicts where we didn鈥檛 have a real interest because he had a longer range vision, which we have now achieved.鈥�

Ramaswamy used his opening remarks to state he thinks the path to truth runs through free speech and open debate, and the resolution is hard to disagree with as drafted. 鈥淏ut I think the essence of what鈥檚 at stake is whether or not the U.S. has a role to play as global police, and the answer to that question for me is an absolute no.鈥� He continued that he has no doubt that he and Bolton share the same goal for the U.S. foreign policy, to make it a stronger nation. Where they disagree is in how that goal is achieved. 鈥淚 appreciate Bolton鈥檚 reference to American history, but I鈥檇 like to refer to the history of the last 25 years, and the results of the interventionist foreign policy. Let鈥檚 start with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There鈥檚 the financial cost of $8 trillion on those two wars alone, and that doesn鈥檛 include other engagements in other parts of the world, including the recent Ukraine costs or other parts of the Middle East. That鈥檚 at a moment where our national debt is $34 trillion, well on our way to interest payments on our national debt being the largest line on our federal budget. But it鈥檚 not just the financial cost of those wars, of course, it鈥檚 the human cost. Nearly 7,000 to 8,000 American lives were lost, 53,000 were wounded, and 30,000 more deaths if you count the suicides after the wars. And if the financial and human costs weren鈥檛 persuasive enough, I would further add that the mass migration crisis in Europe today is actually, in part, a direct function of our veiled intervention in the Middle East. We cannot, in good conscience, send America鈥檚 sons and daughters to go die in war if we haven鈥檛 identified what the objective of that war really is. The reason I鈥檓 against the resolution, as I see it, which is whether or not the U.S. should be the world鈥檚 global police, is the evidence suggests that we have failed miserably.鈥�

The moderator asked questions, and allowed audience members鈥攂oth in person and watching the livestream鈥攖o ask questions to the speakers on varying topics including the growing relationship between China and Russia, the Russo-Ukrainian war, the Israel-Hamas war, the current White House administration, and the upcoming election. The two orators answered the questions intelligently, thoughtfully, sometimes heated, but mostly respectfully and civilly. They each gave brief closing statements

The audience had the opportunity to record their stance on the debate topic in the pre- and post-debate polls. Prior to the debate, 65% agreed with the resolution, 19% disagreed, and 16% were undecided. After the debate, 41% agreed, 55% disagreed, and only 4% remained undecided. 

Following the debate, the audience was invited to a brief reception in the Hall of Valor to meet Bolton and Ramaswamy.

The debate in its entirety may be viewed . Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour continues through November with debates at the University of Texas at Austin, Oct. 9; Harvard University, Oct. 17; University of Maryland, Oct. 22; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Oct. 30; and New College of Florida, Nov.14. All debates will be livestreamed. Additional information and how to register is available on Steamboat Institute鈥檚 .

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE

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Since 2018, Steamboat Institute has brought compelling debates on controversial topics of the day to college campuses, engaging conservatives, liberals and centrists.

鈥淥ur focus is on teaching students鈥攁nd all who attend鈥攈ow to think, not what to think,鈥� said Daniel Wagner, Campus Liberty Tour coordinator for The Steamboat Institute.  

The debate resolution is: Be it resolved, the U.S. should use its diplomatic and military power around the globe to ensure America鈥檚 national security. Arguing the affirmative will be John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former U.S. National Security Advisor. Arguing the negative will be Vivek Ramaswamy, former 2024 Republican U.S. Presidential candidate and New York Times best-selling author. Guests will have the opportunity to record their stance on the debate topic in the pre- and post-debate polls. The moderator will be Tom Rogan, a Foreign Policy/National Security writer for the Washington Examiner, and a Tony Blankley Senior Fellow at Steamboat Institute.

Col. David R. Gray, executive director of the CLE, stated, 鈥淭he CLE is proud to host this debate as part of our 2024-25 programming where we are, in part, examining paradigm shifts in the global world order.鈥�

Lt. Col. Kim Connolly, assistant director for conferences and programs, added, 鈥淪ince 2017, we鈥檝e incorporated a civil discourse/debate emphasis into CLE programming.鈥�

The debate is free and open to the public with an informal reception following. Registration is required to attend. For more information or to register, visit the event website. Attendees should follow signs for parking on post for this event. No backpacks allowed.

About The Steamboat Institute 

The Steamboat Institute is dedicated to defending freedom and advocating for liberty. The Institute admires the bravery and rugged individualism that has made this country great, as well as the greatness and wisdom that reside in every individual. It understands that the greatness of this nation stems from its people, not from its government. In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, The Steamboat Institute believes it is better to be 鈥渆xposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.鈥� As an educational organization recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, The Steamboat Institute is committed to education. The Institute provides tools, information, and inspiration to those who hold the Founding Principles of the nation dear. 

About VMI 

Founded in 1839, 麻豆传媒入口is the oldest state-supported military college in the U.S. 麻豆传媒入口believes that the measure of a college lies in the quality and performance of its graduates and their contributions to society. Therefore, it is the mission of 麻豆传媒入口to produce educated, honorable men and women, prepared for the varied work of civil life, imbued with a love of learning, confident in the functions and attitudes of leadership, possessing a high sense of public service, advocates of the American Democracy and free enterprise system, and ready as citizen-soldiers to defend their country in time of national peril. 

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This year, 29 students from eight states, and the District of Columbia, participated in the four-week program that offers education, leadership and character building, and physical training at no cost to them. 

The program included intense physical training as well as classes in mathematics and English. They also learned CPR, public speaking, financial literacy, career exploration, and learning skills. The students engaged in choral music, improved their swimming skills at the Aquatic Center, faced their fears crossing the high ropes course in the Corps Physical Training Facility, performed team-building exercises, engaged in community service activities, and learned firefighting and lifesaving skills with the city of Lexington Fire and Rescue Team. They also enjoyed fun activities such as kayaking down the Maury River, canoeing on the James River, camping, going on field trips to farms and museums, and picnicking.  

The students heard from several guest speakers, including Leon Ford, who is an author, activist, and mental health ambassador. In 2012, at the age of 19, Ford was shot five times by a Pittsburgh police officer as he was racially profiled during a case of mistaken identity. Waking up in a hospital bed in intense pain, hooked up to tubes and under arrest, he was stunned to his core when the doctor entered the room and told him, 鈥淚 have good news, and bad news. The good news is you鈥檙e going to survive. The bad news is you鈥檙e never going to walk again.鈥�  

Initially, Ford was extremely angry, questioned God, and did not know how to cope with his radically altered life. He sought out known national activists to assist him in fighting what he believed to be a gross injustice, but because Ford had a juvenile record, they did not respond to his requests. Instead, he started his own social media platform in which he disparagingly criticized the police and politicians of Pittsburgh. For a time, he had over 60,000 followers on Instagram. It was his grandfather who challenged Ford鈥檚 negative attitude.

鈥淢y grandfather called and said to me, 鈥楲eon, I love to see you on social media, but I have one question for you. Do you want to make a point, or do you want to make a difference? How is arguing and cussing the mayor and police chief on Twitter improving the life of your son?鈥欌�� 

Hearing his grandfather鈥檚 voice of reason inspired Ford to rethink his approach, and enrolled in a college course that addressed police and society. Through the course, he gleaned a better understanding of the challenges police officers face, and was able to look at crime and law enforcement from their perspective. He established a positive and productive relationship with law enforcement, and dedicated himself to bridging the gap between the police and the communities they serve. In collaboration with the Pittsburgh police chief, Ford established the Hear Foundation, a nonprofit that funds and implements initiatives that builds relationships between police and citizens and strengthens neighborhoods. 

Ford now travels the world sharing his story of resilience and forgiveness. More about Ford can be found on his website, .     

COW was founded by Eugene Williams 鈥�74, who also serves as the executive director. Early in his 麻豆传媒入口experience, he realized that many high school aged males could benefit from the 麻豆传媒入口style of training, even if they could not meet the requirements to become 麻豆传媒入口cadets.  

Over the life of the program, approximately 75% of participants go on to attend college. The other 25% have attended trade schools, entered the military, or worked in other civilian pursuits.     

Interested students submit an application for the program that includes an essay and an agreement to 鈥減ay it forward,鈥� meaning they will do acts of service in the future to repay the generosity shown to them through the program.

There is no charge to the students selected to the program, since in most cases, neither the participant nor his family have the resources to cover the costs. It is a fundamental tenet of the COW program, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, that lack of economic resources should not prevent a deserving student from participating.

All funds to cover the costs of the program are raised by private donations, small foundation gifts, or through the annual signature fundraising event, the COW Golf Classic, at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond. For more information, or to donate, visit the website .  

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE 

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Snyder recently shared his journey from the battlefield in Afghanistan to the winner鈥檚 podium as the final speaker of the Courageous Leadership Speaker Series, presented by The Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE) at 麻豆传媒入口. Col. David Gray, director of the CLE, introduced Snyder, noting that he epitomizes this year鈥檚 theme of 鈥淎dapting to Complex Situations.鈥� Snyder鈥檚 engaging narrative captivated his audience of cadets, staff, faculty, and members of the community, including school-aged swimmers and their parents.

Snyder grew up in suburban Florida and was recruited as a high school senior to swim for the United States Naval Academy (USNA) swim team. He was a member of the first group of midshipmen to arrive in Annapolis after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Snyder graduated in 2006 with a degree in naval architecture, and commissioned into the Navy as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer.

He originally wanted to become a Navy SEAL, but changed his mind during his junior year when he met an officer in the EOD community. 鈥淚 had given a lot of thought considering my unique strength, and realized it was aquatic competence. I was exceptionally good in water. So, I looked for a career that would allow me to exploit that strength. The EOD community is remarkable, with an incredible skill set and excellent training. We embed with everyone, including Navy SEALs and Army Rangers. We’re prideful that we鈥檙e the priority brand as far as explosive mitigation is concerned. I also liked that my mission wasn鈥檛 to kill anyone, but to protect people by removing these explosive hazards,鈥� he explained.

He deployed to Iraq in the fall of 2008. 鈥淏y the time I got there, it seemed like all the fighting was done, so instead of doing a lot of EOD response, we worked with Iraqi army bomb disposal and the municipal police on how to respond to IEDs.

After six months in Iraq, Snyder returned to the United States. To his delight, his second deployment was with a SEAL team in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It was his job to advise the ground force commander on how to avoid any potential explosive hazard, or to mitigate that hazard. As the summer progressed and the weather warmed up, fighting increased. The Taliban knew they were at a disadvantage, so they started using IEDs everywhere. 鈥淭here were IEDs on rooftops, there were IEDs built into the walls of houses, there were IEDs in dead cows, there were IEDs on pathways. If you landed a helicopter somewhere, you could bet there would be an IED there the next time. I conferred with my partner, Adam, on the safest way to get our assault team from point A to point B, given the IED threat. We decided the safest way was for us to walk in front of the patrol with a metal detector,鈥� said Snyder. He and Adam cleared miles and miles of terrain, mission after mission throughout that summer and into that fall, trying to keep their assault team safe.

On Sept. 7, 2011, Snyder鈥檚 platoon started a routine mission in the Panjwai Valley. He led them into their target village, and quickly observed that no one was there. From a radio transmission, they learned there were 12 Taliban fighters in the area who knew that an American force had landed, and they were intent on mounting an attack on them by pushing them into an area they had previously booby-trapped with IEDs. 鈥淣ot wanting to see our adversary get the advantage, we thought we鈥檇 beat them to the punch. We took out our maps and triangulated the radio transmissions to where we thought they were, and planned to 鈥榤ove to contact.鈥� Getting around the terrain in that area was very difficult, and people like me make it even more difficult because we live by the adage, 鈥楾he path of least resistance is almost always booby-trapped.鈥� So, we鈥檙e very unpopular with Navy SEALs and special forces, because we choose the most arduous way to patrol: Over mounds, over fences, never on the paths, never over bridges, always the hardest possible way because that鈥檚 actually the safest possible way,鈥� he explained.  Snyder watched from halfway back in their patrol as Adam delicately led their platoon with a metal detector. They soon encountered a 鈥榗hoke point,鈥� an area where that terrain dictates where they must go, and a great place to be booby-trapped. 鈥淭here was a 10-foot wall surrounding a giant field on the other side, and there was one area of the wall that had been previously blown out by another attack. It was the only way we could safely get around the wall. So, I watched Adam clear up to the rubble, dexterously shimmy to his left, and disappear behind the wall. I watched three SEALs precisely follow Adam鈥檚 tracks and disappear behind the wall.  I watched a few other people do the same thing. I got distracted for a moment when all of a sudden, BOOM! A giant black flume shot up into the air,鈥� recalled Snyder. He feared that Adam had stepped on an IED, was badly hurt, and needed assistance. Snyder wanted to rush to his friend to help him, but being well-trained, he knew that running up, trying to be a hero, and possibly stumbling upon another IED was the worst thing he could do, so he waited to make an assessment. He decided to clear a pathway for medics to get to any casualties. He reached the other side of the wall, and the dust from the blast settled. He was elated to see Adam standing and shrugging his shoulders, signaling his confusion to Snyder. Neither one understood what happened, but soon discovered that the first Afghan in the patrol did not precisely follow the SEALs鈥� footsteps, instead he decided to take a short-cut across a footbridge. 鈥淩emember what I said, the path of least resistance is almost always booby-trapped, and there was a 40-pound IED buried in that improvised footbridge. That Afghan got kicked forward 15 feet, and the Afghan behind him lost both legs. We needed to get them out as quickly as possible, as the 12 Taliban fighters now knew exactly where we were, and we were sitting ducks for a counterattack,鈥� Snyder declared.

It took Snyder and two SEALs 10 minutes to pick up the first casualty and bring him to where a medevac helicopter could land. Snyder quickly ran to the back of the patrol to get a stretcher to carry the second casualty. He grabbed the stretcher, ran to the front of the patrol, jumped over the ravine and鈥ilence. Snyder had stepped on a secondary IED a meter away from the first.

鈥淚 woke up and could barely see out of my left eye. I could see my hands, and behind my hands I could see my boots. What I didn鈥檛 see was any blood or any damage. Nothing appeared to be wrong, which didn鈥檛 make any sense to me. I knew I had just been blown up. How could I be okay? I must be dead. Time was suspended, and I was alone with my thoughts. I thought about my life. At 27 years old, I was proud of the life I had lived. I was proud to have died as part of this rare, amazing brotherhood of warriors. I was proud of offering my life and sacrifice for our liberty. I was sad that I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to my mom or my family, but I thought they鈥檇 be proud of how I lived. I felt my grandfather, my hero and World War II veteran. I thought he was coming to take me across, but then something else happened. All of a sudden my right ear started to ring very badly, and behind the ringing I heard Adam calling to me. I wasn’t dead. 

When Adam found me I grabbed him by his armor and asked, 鈥楬ow bad is it?鈥�

He said, 鈥楤rad, I’m not gonna lie to you. Your face looks pretty messed up, but the rest of you looks fine.鈥欌��

Adam and a medic picked Snyder up and helped him walk to the helicopter, which flew him to a hospital in Kandahar, where he spent 12 hours in surgery. Once he was medically stable, he was rushed to an Air Force base in Germany where he spent another nine hours in surgery, then on to Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. On the fifth day at Walter Reed, the surgeons talked to him about a final surgery and told him, 鈥淚f this surgery is a success, you鈥檒l get back some of your vision,鈥� which didn鈥檛 make sense to Snyder because he hadn鈥檛 realized he was blind. 鈥淯p to that moment, I didn鈥檛 understand that I wasn鈥檛 seeing with my eyes. I had been seeing with my mind. Spoiler alert鈥攖hat last surgery was not a success. I have no light perception on either side,鈥� he revealed.

Snyder shared with his audience that at that moment, he had two choices. 鈥淚 could dwell on all the things I鈥檇 never be able to do as a blind person, or I could realize how lucky I was to still be alive. I was given a second chance in a way that many others were not. When I came back to the U.S., I wasn鈥檛 in a coffin. I came back on a gurney with two arms and two legs that worked, and an endless set of opportunities. I made a commitment in that hospital room that blindness wasn鈥檛 going to be anything that confined me or redefined me. I was going to make the most of my life.鈥�

Snyder soon received a call from the military outreach coordinator for the United States Association of Blind Athletes, who told him that he gets wounded veterans into sports as a function of their rehab. He went on to say that it was a Paralympic year, and he could get Snyder entered into a swim meet in Colorado Springs to qualify for the Paralympic Games.

Snyder qualified at the meet, and began training with Brian Loeffler, head coach of the swimming program at Loyola University in Maryland. Within a matter of months, Snyder improved his swimming time and became a member of Team U.S.A. for the Paralympic Games in London, where he competed in seven events, including the 400-meter freestyle on the first anniversary of the IED blast. As Snyder finished that race, he heard the cheers of the crowd, but being blind, he couldn鈥檛 see the results on the jumbotron, so he waited patiently in the water. 鈥淔inally, all the competitors finished, and a whistle was blown. At that point my coach could legally talk to me. He said two words I’ll never forget, 鈥榊ou won!鈥欌��

Kate Taylor 鈥�24, member of the at VMI, said, 鈥淟ieutenant Snyder鈥檚 words painted a picture in my head. He has found a life of abundance in his new normal, along with limitless opportunities. I felt called to action by the way he fervently equips himself with a sense of gratitude, vowing to treat each day like a gift. He urged us to recognize the duty we have in selfless service to one another, and how we must harness the opportunities we have, out of respect for those who never can.鈥�

Scott Thacker, VMI鈥檚 head swimming coach, shared that Snyder met with both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 swim teams at the Aquatic Center earlier in the day. 鈥淚t was an awesome experience for our team, and his talk was fantastic. Brad鈥檚 energy is contagious, his love for country is profound, and his journey as a Paralympic athlete is inspiring,鈥� he said.  

At USNA, Snyder currently serves as a fellow for the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. He is a leadership instructor for future naval officers, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy. He also serves as an athlete representative on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee鈥檚 board of directors, and is the advisory board chair for the Navy Special Operations Foundation. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Sarah, and daughter, Rooney.   

Snyder鈥檚 book, 鈥淔ire in My Eyes: An American Warrior鈥檚 Journey from Being Blinded on the Battlefield to Gold Medal Victory,鈥� can be purchased on . His victorious race in London may be viewed on .

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The purpose of his stop to 麻豆传媒入口was threefold: to speak to the Corps of Cadets about the security situation in Europe, and Sweden becoming a member of NATO; to research new and creative ways to recruit and commission more officers for Sweden鈥檚 expanding military; and to visit the Institute about which he has heard good things from American officers he has interacted with throughout his career. 鈥淚 always thought if I got the chance, I want to visit VMI,鈥� said Claesson. 

While on post, Claesson visited with Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins 鈥�85, superintendent, in his office; shared lunch with members of the faculty and staff, and a select group of cadets majoring in international studies (IS); then addressed a large group in a full Gillis Theater.

Claesson opened his speech in Gillis by stating that Sweden and the United States share a unique familial relationship. 鈥淟et me apologize for all the Johanssons, the Andersons, and the Karlssons in this country,鈥� he teased. Explaining the levity he added, 鈥淒uring a period of 50 to 60 years in the nineteenth century, approximately one-quarter of the Swedish population immigrated to the United States. Every family in Sweden has relatives in the United States, so obviously this ties us together.鈥� He further noted that commercial trade and working together militarily in bilateral activities are other ways the two countries are interlinked.

Displaying a world map, he indicated the many shipping routes passing by Sweden, the other Nordic countries, Europe, through the Baltic Sea, and across the Atlantic Ocean, highlighting the importance of Sweden鈥檚 location both commercially and militarily. He also pointed on the map the close proximity of Russia. 鈥淩ussia is to us today, a very clear and present danger. The war with Ukraine has reached a systemic level, which means that it’s long term. The Russians are not only technically, tactically, and physically involved with war in Ukraine, they are at war with thought. Thought is exactly what you and I stand for in the free, democratic world. The Russians can’t stand that. That’s why when that idea got a hold on large parts of the Ukrainian population, it was too much for the Russians, and they had to act. They have no physical need of the territory, but they are at war with thought, and they are at war with the collective West in that regard. It might sound harsh, but I stand by every word,鈥� he stated solemnly. 

Claesson pointed out that Russia is a nuclear power, second only to the United States. Indicating the map he stated, 鈥淥n top of the Scandinavian Peninsula, you will find the Kola Peninsula and there you will find the base system for the Russian second-strike capability, so they’re clinging to that place. That is of course, important to Sweden for obvious reasons. It is also important to the United States, in terms of security challenges that need to be handled, managed, and dealt with in some way or another.鈥�

He discussed the technology development of modern warfare, hypersonic system development, pre-strike warnings, and their importance for security of the world. He added that Russia, China, and Iran are involved in illegal intelligence activities in Sweden, and warned that the free world should not just focus on Russia, but also on China. 鈥淔rom my perspective it鈥檚 not either/or, it’s both,鈥� he said.

Claesson hopes that Sweden will gain full membership of NATO no later than July of this year. He stated that NATO membership is important not just for Sweden鈥檚 own security interests, but for their allies as well. 鈥淚 want to make very clear that Sweden is not a country that comes just to ask for help. We are not the consumer, we are a contributor to your goals with our geography and with our military capabilities,鈥� he said.  Sweden submitted its application to NATO in 2022. According to Claesson, the application was triggered by a letter sent to both the governments of Sweden and Finland from Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister in December 2021. 鈥淭he letter read, 鈥榃e want you by treaty, to say no to ever joining NATO.鈥� They wanted to pin us down in that regard. That was the trigger for us to submit our application.鈥� 

Claesson concluded his talk by stating how impressed he was by the opportunities and training offered to cadets at VMI, and wished them well in their future military careers. 

Antonio Ahanj 鈥�24, an IS major who attended Claesson鈥檚 talk said, 鈥淲ith the majority of IS majors commissioning into the military or going into government service of some capacity, General Claesson’s speech was of incredible relevancy, not just to our studies but also to our future careers. His unique perspective gave us the chance to learn about many of the shared challenges faced Sweden and the U.S, as well as the strategic nature of their military, national defense, their contributions to NATO, and the U.S. Especially now, the opportunity to learn from those directly involved in political and military issues across the world is something we are all grateful for, and even though the general only spoke for an hour, he imparted a great deal of knowledge onto all of us.鈥�

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