James Jay Carafano

The Heritage Foundation

Dr. James Jay Carafano is a leading expert in national security and foreign policy challenges, an accomplished historian and teacher, as well as a prolific writer and researcher. He currently serves as The Heritage Foundation’s Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, assuming responsibility for Heritage’s entire defense and foreign policy team. Carafano is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point and served 25 years in the US Army, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. He holds a master's degree and a doctorate from Georgetown University as well as a master's degree in strategy from the U.S. Army War College. His recent research has focused on developing the national security required to secure the long-term interests of the United States — protecting the public, providing for economic growth, and preserving civil liberties.