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Immediate Release

National Commission to Explore the Civil-Military Divide and Military Service Policy Options During Hearings

WASHINGTON, D.C. –The National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service hold two hearings on May 16 on military service policy options at the Partnership for Public Service.  

The first hearing will address the challenges to recruiting and retaining critical skills and talent under the military’s current personnel management system and discuss options to create new pathways to military service.  

The second hearing will explore how the nation can create more awareness of military service, particularly among young Americans, and how to lessen the divide between the military community and society.  

These hearings are timely as May is Military Appreciation Month. This weekend, on May 18, is Armed Forces Day, in which we come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country. The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the U.S. Armed Forces under the Department of Defense in 1949.

The commission will hold 14 hearings between February and June 2019.  Each hearing will provide an opportunity for the commission to learn from policy experts on key topics within the commission’s mandate. Members of the public will also have an opportunity to provide comments at each hearing following the conclusion of testimony. 
   
The National Commission on Military, National and Public Service is an 11-member bipartisan commission tasked for the first time in American history with comprehensively and holistically reviewing the Selective Service System, along with military, national and public service. The commission hopes to ignite a national conversation about ideas of service as it develops recommendations for Congress, the president and the American public by March 2020. The commission invites the public to share comments on its website and join the digital conversation on service on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   
 
Thursday, May 16, 2019 
  
WHO:  The National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service 
  
WHAT:  
 
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Military Service Hearing: Creating New Pipelines to Service and Fostering Critical Skills
 
Panelists:  
Nicole Camarillo, executive director, Talent Acquisition and Management Strategy, U.S. Army Cyber Command
Dr. Dave Chu, president, Institute for Defense Analyses 
Dr. Sharon Hamilton, director of Liaison and Military Operations, Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies, University of North Georgia 
Kate Kidder, political scientist, RAND Corporation
Raj Shah, co-founder, Arceo.ai
 
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.   Military Service Hearing: Increasing Awareness Among Young Americans and Lessening the Civil-Military Divide
Panelists:  
CJ Chivers, author and writer, The New York Times, former Marine
Dr. Lindsay Cohn, professor, U.S. Naval War College 
Ernie Gonzales, former director, Youth Outreach Programs, and senior policy and program analyst for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Department of Defense  
Dr. Kathleen Hicks, senior vice president, Henry A. Kissinger Chair, and director of the International Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Mr. Anthony Kurta, performing the duties of the deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness
  
WHERE: Partnership for Public Service | Conference Room 2ABC | 1100 New York Ave. NW | Washington, District of Columbia 20005
  
RSVP with name, position (reporter, camera, photographer, etc.), media outlet, email, and phone to cristina.flores@inspire2serve.gov
  
Throw: 22 feet
  
SAT Truck/Live feed: For interest, please send request as soon as possible.  
  
Note: There will be limited wi-fi available. Parking is available at the LAZ Parking garage in the basement of the building and at nearby parking garage.