senior national security leadership, NDU leaders, and NDUF’s McNair Partners all joined together to honor the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with our American Patriot Award.
American Patriot Award

Presented by the National Defense University Foundation with the National Defense University, The American Patriot Award (APA) recognizes men and women of extraordinary excellence whose leadership and character have strengthened our nation’s strategic interests. It honors exceptional Americans whose inspirational leadership and selfless dedication embody the United States’ ideals and principles of democracy in pursuit of enhancing national security and global stability

 

Previous Honorees

  • The Honorable Colin Powell (1997)
  • The Honorable Caspar Weinberger (1999)
  • President George H.W. Bush (2002)
  • The Men and Women of our Nation’s Defense Team - Accepted by Paul Wolfowitz Deputy Secretary of Defense (2003)
  • Senator Robert J. Dole (2004)
  • The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye and the Honorable Ted Stevens (2005)
  • Senator John H. Glenn, Jr. (2006)
  • Senator John W. Warner and the Honorable Ike Skelton (2007)
  • The Honorable Dr. Henry A. Kissinger (2008)
  • General David H. Petraeus, USA, and the extraordinary Men and Women of Central Command (2009)
  • The Honorable Robert M. Gates (2010)
  • Senator John McCain and the Honorable Joseph Lieberman (2011)
  • Men and Women of United States Special Operations Command - Accepted by Admiral William McRaven, USN (2012)
  • The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton (2013)
  • The Men and Women of the National Guard - Accepted by General Frank J. Grass, USA Chief NGB (2014)
  • The Men and Women of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - Accepted by John O. Brennan, Director of the CIA (2015)
  • The Men and Women of the US Department of Defense - Accepted by the Honorable Ashton Carter, Secretary of Defense and the Men and Women of the Defense and Intelligence Industry - Accepted by Mr. Norm Augustine, former OSD DR&E Executive, Acting Secretary of the Army and former Chairman, Lockheed Martin Corporation (2016)
  • The Honorable James Baker III and the Honorable Leon E. Panetta (2018)
  • The Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2021)