Former Vice Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright to Visit Holy Cross

General James Cartwright, the former vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, will visit the College of the Holy Cross and give a talk titled “Changes in The Future of the U.S. Military Presence and Activity” on Monday, April 8 at 4:30 p.m. in the Seelos Theater. The talk is free and open to the public.

A member of the United States Marine Corps for 40 years, General Cartwright has served as commander, U.S. strategic command, and most recently as the eighth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s second highest military position. Known for his creative vision, organization and innovation in areas of strategic deterrence, nuclear proliferation, missile defense and cyber security, General Cartwright currently serves as the inaugural holder of the Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies for the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

In his talk, General Cartwright will address how the United States’ national military presence and related worldwide activities will change within the next 10-20 years, while highlighting critical issues such as global reach and budget. While on campus, he will also spend time with several political science classes, including associate professor Stephen Kocs’ seminar on national security policy and associate professor Loren Cass’ “Introduction to International Relations” class. He will also speak with the school’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) midshipmen.

Born in Rockford, Ill., he attended the University of Iowa and went on to become a naval flight officer and naval aviator. He graduated with distinction from the Air Command and Staff College, received his M.A. in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, and completed a fellowship with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Amongst his many honors, he was named Outstanding Carrier Aviator of the Year by the Association of Naval Aviation and honored with a Naval War College Distinguished Graduate Leadership Award. 

He serves as a member of The Raytheon Company Board of Directors, a Harvard Belfer Center Senior Fellow, and as a defense consultant for ABC News.

General Cartwright’s visit is sponsored by the dean’s office, the U.S. Naval Institute, and the O’ Callahan Society at Holy Cross.