James Kwoun

Dissertation

Friends Against Friends: Theory of Issue Linkage and the Politics of Restraining Allies

Committee Members

Philip Potter (Chair), Dale Copeland, Todd Sechser, Will Hitchcock (History Department)

Biography

James Kwoun is a career intelligence officer in the U.S. Army who works at the intersection of intelligence analysis and national security scholarship. He currently serves as a Professor of Strategic Intelligence at the National Intelligence College (formerly National Intelligence University), a position awarded annually to one active-duty U.S. Army officer through a competitive selection process. The National Intelligence College is an accredited degree-granting institution that allows graduate students to take courses and conduct research at the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level.

Throughout his career, James has provided intelligence support at the highest levels of the U.S. government, leading teams that regularly produced assessments for the President, Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Combatant Commanders, and other senior leaders. James’ work has shaped national policy, military planning at the theater level, and combat operations in multiple countries. He was a member of a Pentagon-based team that led the Department of Defense’s initial response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. James contributed directly to the development of a campaign plan for a combatant command and designed exercise scenarios that triggered decisions for a four-star commander. James has also led defense delegations overseas and conducted seminars with foreign military counterparts, representing U.S. government interests in senior-level engagements abroad. His overseas experiences include Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, and three countries on the African continent.