Update: Gen. Joseph Dunford's talk has been cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances." There is no information regarding whether the event will be rescheduled.
Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation's highest-ranking and senior-most military officer, will speak April 4 in Geneen Auditorium at the Fuqua School of Business.
In his role as Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman—which he assumed in 2015—Dunford is the main military adviser to President Donald Trump, as well for the National Security Council, Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense. Prior to that, Dunford was commandant of the Marine Corps.
The event is the Spring 2018 Dave and Kay Phillips Family International Lecture and will focus on the United States military in a time of geopolitical strain. The lecture is hosted by the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy.
The lecture will also feature Martin Dempsey, a Rubenstein Fellow at Duke who was Dunford's predecessor. Dempsey, who will introduce Dunford, stepped down from the chairmanship in Sept. 2015 and now teaches at Duke.
Following Dempsey's introduction, Peter Feaver, professor of political science and public policy, will interview Dunford.
“As the senior-most military officer, Gen. Dunford is the principal military adviser to President Trump and Secretary of Defense Mattis and key member of the national security team,” noted Feaver in a statement. “He plays an absolutely critical role on issues of war and peace and is widely respected for his professional expertise, his judgment and his command of the extraordinarily complex set of strategic challenges confronting the United States today.”
The talk is co-sponsored by the Sanford School of Public Policy and the political science department.
“We are very fortunate that a leader with his day-to-day responsibilities is able to be with us in person,” Feaver noted. “Dunford’s visit is a high water mark for the program this year."
Editor's Note: This article was updated March 27 to reflect a change in venue of the event, from Page Auditorium to Geneen Auditorium.
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