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Speakers, Authors, and Guests 

The biographies of our distinguished featured speakers, authors, and guests.

Dmitri Beliakov was born in 1970 in the Vologda region of Russia. He began to take pictures professionally in 1997, freelancing for the AP, the Daily & Sunday Express U.K., The Telegraph U.K., The Times, and The Sunday Times of London.

From 2002 to 2008, Beliakov was a photographer on a freelance contract for Bloomberg News. His pictures illustrated business, political, economic and feature stories from throughout Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Beliakov took photos of the Second Chechen War and the subsequent dramatic events in the North Caucasus, including Beslan school hostage crises, from 1999 to 2010. He has traveled to the Caucasus more than 50 times and is one of two only Russian photographers to document the Second Chechen war from all sides, including the Chechen armed resistance, Russian regular troops, pro-Kremlin Chechen loyalists and civilians.

Period from March 2014 to November 2019 Beliakov covered the conflict in Ukraine, photographing the annexation of Crimea, the war in Donbas and the economic and humanitarian aftermath of the war from all sides – civilians, pro-Kremlin armed separatists and the Ukrainian army.

LTC Chris Cadigan, USA (Ret.), entered Rookdom shortly after returning from Operation Desert Storm. While at �ƹ���Ƶ, he served in the Army Reserve, participated in the Mountain Cold Weather Company, Ranger Platoon, Professional Officer Development Seminar, and served as aide de camp and driver to President Schneider.

He was elected by his peers as freshman class vice president, to the sophomore honor committee, junior ring committee, Criminal Justice Students Association executive committee, and Association of the United States Army chapter president.

He graduated from �ƹ���Ƶ in 1995 as a distinguished military graduate with a B.A. in criminal justice. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army and served as an infantry, signal, and, ultimately, special forces officer. Cadigan led his Special Forces Operational Detachment-A on hundreds of combat operations and more deployments than any other A Team in the U.S. Army Special Forces Regiment to Afghanistan, Colombia, and Iraq. He went on to serve in a variety of command and staff positions in special operations at the regional, operational, and strategic levels, and completed his 29-year career working in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Cadigan holds a Master of Military Art and Science from the School of Advanced Military Studies, Command and General Staff College. He has written, red-teamed, and innovated extensively, including on joint and international field manuals. He is the chief architect of Village Stability Operations and the Peace Reconciliation and Reintegration Plan and is a coauthor of the campaign plan for global special operations and the counter-Russian unconventional warfare strategy.

Cadigan currently works as a professor of practice in operational art, design, strategy, and campaign development and planning to organizations within the Department of Defense and throughout the U.S. government, as well as private clients. His comments here tonight do not represent the position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. government.

Dr. Deborah A. Deacon is an art historian and a retired U.S. Navy commander. During her Navy career, which began during America’s Bicentennial year, she served in numerous positions within the United States and abroad. She teaches courses on Asian art, Japanese anime and manga, and the history of comics and animation at Arizona State University and has published articles and books on women artists and war, depictions of military women in literature, comics, and film, and Japanese anime and manga. 

Michael Goodale is a former U.S. Army Ranger, combat veteran, Purple Heart recipient, military historian, and educator whose experience provides a rare firsthand perspective on the relationship between real combat experience and its portrayal on film.

Goodale enlisted in the Army in 1990 and served as a Forward Observer with B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. In 1993, his unit deployed to Somalia as part of Task Force Ranger. Michael was wounded during the Battle of Mogadishu, later portrayed in Black Hawk Down, and was awarded both the Bronze Star Medal with “V” Device and the Purple Heart.

After leaving the Army, Goodale pursued a career in education, earning a bachelor’s degree in history and later a master’s degree in military history from �ƹ���Ƶ. He later served as Public Programs Manager at the First Division Museum at Cantigny and as an advocate for wounded, ill, and injured Special Operations service members.

Today, Michael works in information security education and awareness, continuing his career-long commitment to service and turning knowledge into learning opportunities for others.

Lt. Colonel (Retired) Dan Hampton “Two Dogs” is a trailblazing figure at the intersection of technology and warfare — one of the most decorated contemporary American fighter pilots and a New York Times and international bestselling author whose books have reshaped how the world understands modern combat. With a career spanning four wars and 186 combat missions, Hampton’s expertise lies at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies that have revolutionized military tactics and strategies.

Throughout his distinguished career, Hampton flew 186 combat missions in the Middle East during both Gulf Wars and the Russo-Ukrainian War. During the first Gulf War, he made history as the first pilot to integrate space-based assets with jet fighters in combat — pioneering a new era of precision targeting and real-time intelligence gathering. His experiences over Baghdad, where enemy positions were targeted from space and fed directly into cockpits, showcase the seamless integration of technology into the art of warfare.

Hampton envisioned and designed a system improvement that transformed targeting capabilities by integrating radar emission detection equipment with onboard F-16 targeting pods — allowing for instantaneous targeting of mobile enemy positions using any weapon carried by the F-16, regardless of environmental conditions or time of day.

He has been at the forefront of technological advancements throughout his career — from flying combat missions accompanied by drones during the second Gulf War to working alongside CIA drones operated remotely from Langley to eliminate terror cells in the Middle East.

Historic Return to Combat — Ukraine 2025

In an extraordinary demonstration of enduring combat aviation skill, Hampton flew F-16 fighter jets in the Ukraine War (Jan. 2025 - March 2026) at the age of 61 — marking his fourth war. He has 21 confirmed kills from previous conflicts on surface-to-air missile sites and four air-to-air kills in Ukraine. This unprecedented achievement has led to his application for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records, further cementing his legacy as one of the most enduring and accomplished combat pilots of the modern era.

Lara Logan is an award-winning war correspondent and investigative journalist renowned for her fearless reporting from the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. With over two decades covering wars, revolutions, and global crises, Lara has become one of the most recognized and respected voices in international journalism. Her unflinching commitment to truth-telling and firsthand reporting has taken her to the frontlines of history’s defining moments — from Afghanistan and Iraq to Syria, Libya, Egypt, and beyond.

Actress and producer Jennifer Marshall is a fourth-generation veteran who proudly served in the United States Navy for five years. She was stationed aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and GWOT. During her service, Jennifer was awarded the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Sea Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Medal, and Meritorious Unit Commendation (among others).

After honorably separating from the Navy, she graduated magna cum laude from Virginia Wesleyan University with a double major in international politics and Spanish and a minor in history. Jennifer received her graduate degree from American Military University, graduating with a 3.994 GPA.

Perhaps what Jennifer is best known for is using her platform as an actress and speaker on behalf of the veteran community — advocating for inclusion of the veteran community in Hollywood as writers, directors, on-screen talent, and behind the scenes. She has argued for authentic and accurate media portrayals of life during and after service when depicting the military in movies and TV shows. During her time in Hollywood, Jennifer has produced 32 public service announcements featuring untold veteran stories and has guest-starred and co-starred on shows such as “Stranger Things,” “NCIS,” “Reacher,” “For All Mankind,” “Sugar,” “NCIS: LA,” and “Hawaii Five-0,” among others. She is also a stage three cancer survivor and a proud mother of four.

Misha Pemble-Belkin is a U.S. Army combat veteran, adaptive sports professional, and advocate for veteran wellness. After serving two combat deployments to Afghanistan, he found healing through adaptive recreation with Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports. Today, he leads year-round programs that connect veterans with outdoor recreation, community, and purpose. Misha shares his personal journey of resilience and recovery, highlighting the powerful role adaptive sports play in improving the lives of veterans and their families.

Mei-chün Sawyer is the cofounder and CFO of the Sawyer group of companies and is originally from Taiwan. In addition to her corporate responsibilities, she has participated in one form or another in all of the Sawyer books, whether as a researcher or translation adviser, and continues to be involved in their ongoing intelligence work, both historical and contemporary. An accomplished Chinese chef, she sometimes teaches “authentic Chinese cuisine” in university extension services.

Ralph Sawyer spent much of his life in the Far East in intelligence work and strategic consulting after study at MIT and Harvard and a short period of university teaching. Founder and CEO of the Sawyer group of companies, small consultancies with offices throughout Asia that specialized in strategic issues and interactive technical management, throughout his career he has followed the Chinese practice of overt activity coupled with private scholarship. Over the last three decades he’s written several highly regarded works on Chinese military history, such as Ancient Chinese Warfare and Conquest and Domination: Rise and Demise of the Western Zhou; translated most of the major Chinese military manuals, including the Seven Military Classics and a bestselling edition of Sun-tzu’s Art of War; authored numerous academic papers on Chinese strategic thought and intelligence history; produced some fifty short talks on aspects of Chinese military and intelligence history for Youtube; developed material for programs like Nova; and been a consultant for Asian oriented Hollywood movies, including Disney’s live action remake of Mulan, for which he served as the Chinese historical and military adviser. While he continues to lecture at command and military colleges and consult with defense and intelligence agencies, he’s also written a couple of novels and award-winning (but as yet unproduced) movie scripts, owned a Japanese restaurant, had a lifelong involvement with martial arts, and helped preserve the ancient game of court tennis.

David Lyle Williams is a military historian, former U.S. Army officer, and author of The Road to Cisterna: Darby's Rangers and Their Most Consequential Battle in World War II. A veteran of Army service from 1967 to 1969, Williams earned a Ph.D. in wood science and spent more than fifty years working in the forest products industry. Over the course of more than two decades, he collected and preserved the memories of over 160 World War II Rangers, producing one of the most comprehensive histories of Darby's Rangers and their service during the Italian campaign.

His extensive research and dedication to preserving firsthand accounts earned The Road to Cisterna the 2026 William E. Colby Military Writers' Award, recognizing its significant contribution to the understanding of military history.

Isaiah (Ike) Wilson III (Colonel, U.S. Army, Ret.; former DoD HQE/SES II – equivalent) is a versatile soldier-scholar and geostrategist whose career bridges combat command, policy, and the classroom.

A decorated veteran with tours in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Dr. Wilson has provided strategic planning and advisory support to six four-star commanders, five Secretaries of Defense, multiple chiefs of mission, and presidents of several partner nations.

He currently serves as a professor of practice in the School of Politics and Global Affairs at Arizona State University, is president emeritus of the Joint Special Operations University, and founder and chief executive officer of Wilson W.i.S.E. Consulting LLC, advising on strategy, technology teaming, and organizational transformation.

Dr. Wilson earned his Ph.D. in government (international relations/American politics) from Cornell University. His book, Thinking Beyond War: Civil-Military Relations and Why America Fails to Win the Peace (2007; 2013), and his service on the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom Study Group helped catalyze reforms in U.S. post-conflict planning.

His scholarship – published in International Organization, ��ǰ��𾱲��� A�ڴڲ�������, Parameters, ���������� W������ J�dzܰ��Բ���, and other venues – focuses on grand strategy, defense reform, and civil-military relations. He has taught and led programs at Yale University, Columbia University, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the National War College. Dr. Wilson is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior future security fellow with New America.