The cliché in Washington is that the world is a more dangerous place than it’s ever been before, with a wider spread of threats to prepare for. And while some of that is rhetoric, it’s not entirely wrong. National security is no longer defined simply by defense issues, but also by digital threats, by a global supply chain, and by domestic infrastructure.
And yet, it’s hard sometimes for those of us in the DC “bubble” to wrap our heads around everything and look for new perspectives, which is why I was very pleased when the Center for a New American Security reached out to ask if we’d be interested in partnering with them on a new project.
The CNAS Pathfinder contest was designed specifically to find and bring to the foreground new voices on defense issues. Applicants must have either been actively enrolled in graduate school or be an early-career professional, with just one to five years of experience under their belts.
Admittedly, these aren’t the veteran defense and security voices usually found in the pages of Breaking Defense — which, really, is the entire point of this exercise. At a time when the world is full of multifaceted threats, the entire national security apparatus benefits by helping the next generation of thinkers find their voice.
There were over 150 applicants, many of whom were worthy contenders. But ultimately, three finalists were selected. So who are they, and what did they write about?
- Elizabeth Tamte, who recently completed a master’s in international relations from the University of Oxford, brings warnings about the maritime supply chain, while calling for action at both the congressional and multi-lateral level.
- Juliana Fleming, a congressional staffer pursuing a master’s degree from George Washington University, focuses on the domestic security threat posed by large power transformers, which represent potential targets for nonstate and state actors alike looking to blind large sections of the United States.
- Kevin Chen, who spent several years working on AI for national security and is now pursuing a master’s degree at Yale University, looks at the options Washington has to invest in a wholly domestic rare earth supply chain.
We’re quite proud of the work these three put in and are happy to host them here in Breaking Defense. And if you fall into the qualifications for Pathfinder, you should keep an eye out for details about next year’s competition. Because in an ever-changing world, there is a need for ever-changing voices.