Following his distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force, retired Brigadier General Chad T. Manske today continues to assist the national security community as a Senior Advisor to the CEO of the National Defense University (NDU) Foundation, an adjunct researcher with RAND Corporation and as a Strategy & Logistics consultant. Most recently, he was the BENS’ Senior Vice President for Policy and Projects where he led efforts to address our Nation’s pressing security challenges through direct project engagement with government partners and the development of thought leadership for policy makers and operators within the national security enterprise.

Prior to retiring from the Air Force, Chad served as the 30th Commandant of the National War College as part of the executive leadership of the National Defense University. There, he prepared future leaders of the Armed Forces, Department of State, foreign military officers, and other civilian agencies for command and senior staff responsibilities. He formulated academic policies, supervised curriculum planning, and ensured the War College was preparing the next generation of senior leaders to formulate and implement national security strategy and policy at the highest levels.

Chad commanded at the squadron, group and wing level during his military career. And was deployed in support of ongoing operations in Central and Southwest Asia as an Air Expeditionary Group Commander. He has served as Deputy Director and Director of the U.S. Central Command’s Deployment and Distribution Operations Center and as an Air Expeditionary Wing Commander for operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector. Before his appointment as Commandant, he served as Deputy Commander of Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Region and Deputy Combined/Joint Force Air Component Commander for 1 Canadian Air Division.

Manske was commissioned in 1989 following his graduation from Michigan State University, and holds Masters-level degrees in Aeronautical Science; Military Operational Art; Airpower Art and Science; and National Security Strategy from NDU. In 2008, he served as a National Defense Fellow at Harvard University.