Dr. Liam Collins is the executive director of the Madison Policy Forum, a senior fellow with New America, and a permanent member with the Council on Foreign Relations. Colonel (retired) Collins served in the US Army for 27 years. As a career Special Forces officer, he conducted multiple operational and combat deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, South America, and the Horn of Africa. In Iraq, Liam conducted operations in Baghdad, Fallujah, Ramadi, and many other cities. Liam retired from the military in 2019 as the founding director of the Modern War Institute and the director of the Department of Military Instruction at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (Aerospace) from the United States Military Academy, and a Master's in Public Affairs and a PhD from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs.
John Spencer is an award-winning scholar, professor, author, combatveteran, and internationally recognized expert and advisor on urban warfareand other military related topics. Considered the world's leading expert onurban warfare, he served as an advisor to the top four-star general andother senior leaders in the U.S. Army as part of strategic research groupsfrom the Pentagon and the United States Military Academy. Spencer is theChair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point,co-director of the Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban WarfareProject podcast. He is also the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies with theMadison Policy Forum and a Colonel in the California State Guard withassignment to the 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guardas the Director of Urban Warfare Training. Serving over twenty-five years inthe active Army as an infantry soldier, Spencer has held ranks from privateto sergeant first class and second lieutenant to major. His assignments asan officer included combat deployments to Iraq as a platoon leader andcompany commander; an instructor in the U.S. Army's Ranger School; aJoint Chief of Staff and Army staff intern; fellow with the Chief of Staff of the Army's Strategic Studies Group; and co-founder, strategic planner,and deputy director of the Modern War Institute at West Point.
