James Carafano
Encyclopedia
James Jay Carafano is the director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies and the deputy director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation
. He is a historian and a recognized expert on national security
affairs. Carafano has authored a number of books, including Private Sector/Public Wars: Contracting in Combat-Iraq, Afghanistan and Future Conflicts, and he has appeared before congress as a national security expert.
and raised in East Meadow, New York
. He holds a B.S. in national security and public affairs from the United States Military Academy
in West Point
, an M.A. in British and early modern European history from Georgetown University
, an M.A. in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College
in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
and a Ph.D. in diplomatic history from Georgetown.
, South Korea
and the U.S., and he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel
. During that time he served as head speech writer for the Army Chief of Staff
and was the executive director of Joint Force Quarterly, the Defense Department's military journal.
Carafano has taught at Mount Saint Mary College
in New York and served as a fleet professor at the U.S. Naval War College. He has been an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and as of 2011 he serves as a visiting professor at the National Defense University
at Fort Lesley McNair in Washington
and at Georgetown. He is a member of the National Academies Board on Army Science and Technology, the Department of the Army Historical Advisory Committee
, and is a Senior Fellow at the George Washington University
Homeland Security Policy Institute.
, a Washington institute dedicated to defense issues, Carafano joined the Heritage Foundation
in 2003 as a senior research fellow. Carafano serves as director at the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies and assistant director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies. In 2005, Carafano was honored with the W. Glenn and Rita Ricardo Campbell Award, The Heritage Foundation's honor for outstanding contributions to policy analysis.
.
, The Boston Globe
, New York Post
, The Philadelphia Inquirer
, USA Today
, and The Washington Post
.
The Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
. He is a historian and a recognized expert on national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
affairs. Carafano has authored a number of books, including Private Sector/Public Wars: Contracting in Combat-Iraq, Afghanistan and Future Conflicts, and he has appeared before congress as a national security expert.
Early life and education
Carafano was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and raised in East Meadow, New York
East Meadow, New York
East Meadow is a hamlet in Nassau County , New York, United States. East Meadow is an unincorporated area in the Town of Hempstead....
. He holds a B.S. in national security and public affairs from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, an M.A. in British and early modern European history from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, an M.A. in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...
in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
and a Ph.D. in diplomatic history from Georgetown.
Military and academic
Carafano served 25 years in the Army in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and the U.S., and he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. During that time he served as head speech writer for the Army Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
and was the executive director of Joint Force Quarterly, the Defense Department's military journal.
Carafano has taught at Mount Saint Mary College
Mount Saint Mary College
Mount Saint Mary College is a private, co-educational, four-year liberal arts college, located in Newburgh in the mid-Hudson Valley region of New York State...
in New York and served as a fleet professor at the U.S. Naval War College. He has been an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and as of 2011 he serves as a visiting professor at the National Defense University
National Defense University
The National Defense University is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy. It is chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Navy Vice Admiral...
at Fort Lesley McNair in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and at Georgetown. He is a member of the National Academies Board on Army Science and Technology, the Department of the Army Historical Advisory Committee
Department of the Army Historical Advisory Committee
The Department of the Army Historical Advisory Committee was established in January 1947 within the United States Army. In 1996, it was made a subcommittee of the Department of Defense Historical Advisory Committee.-History:...
, and is a Senior Fellow at the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
Homeland Security Policy Institute.
Heritage Foundation
After serving as a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary AssessmentsCenter for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments
The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments is an independent, non-profit, Washington, D.C.-based think tank specializing in US defense policy, force planning, and budgets. It is headed by Andrew Krepinevich, a West Point graduate...
, a Washington institute dedicated to defense issues, Carafano joined the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
in 2003 as a senior research fellow. Carafano serves as director at the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies and assistant director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies. In 2005, Carafano was honored with the W. Glenn and Rita Ricardo Campbell Award, The Heritage Foundation's honor for outstanding contributions to policy analysis.
Policy Papers
Carafano co-authored the homeland security report, Homeland Security 3.0: Building a National Enterprise to Keep America Safe, Free, and Prosperous, promoting the treatment of domestic and international security concerns in a more holistic manner within the National Security Council. He also co-wrote A New Strategy For Real Immigration Reform advocating the recapturing control of the border while restructuring and accentuating the legal immigration process and establishing legal prospects for temporary workers in the United States. Writing regarding defense, Carafano's 2008 study Providing for the Common Defense: What 10 Years of Progress Would Look Like, maps out a 10-year defense-strategy blueprint, including setting a floor on the defense budget as four percent of GDPGross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
.
Congress and media appearances
Carafano has testified before the U.S. Congress as an expert of defense, intelligence, and homeland security issues. He is a weekly columnist for The Washington Examiner, and he has also provided commentary for numerous news and public affairs television and radio programs, including Fox News, CNN and MSNBC. His editorials have appeared in newspapers nationwide including The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
, The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
.
Works
Carafano is the author of several military history books and studies, which examine how emerging political, social, economic, and cultural trends will affect the nature of conflict. His published works include:- Private Sector, Public Wars: Contractors in Combat—Afghanistan, Iraq, and Future Conflicts (2008)
- Mismanaging Mayhem: How Washington Responds to Crisis (2008)
- GI Ingenuity: Improvisation, Technology and Winning World War II (2006)
- Winning the Long War: Lessons from the Cold War for Defeating Terrorism and Preserving Freedom (2005)
- Homeland Security (2005)
- Independent Task Force Report, Emergency Responders: Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared (2003)
- Waltzing in to the Cold War (2002)
- After D-Day (2000)