Join the Office of Research and Innovation on Sept. 17, 2026, from 9-10:30 a.m. for a conversation with retired Gen. David H. Berger as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series on National Security, hosted by the Office of Research and Innovation. Drawing on more than four decades of military service and leadership, Berger will deliver a talk on issues related to national security and strategic leadership with a specific focus on the changing character of defense, the impact of new technologies, and the challenges of defense acquisition. The talk will be followed by a fireside chat moderated by John Manza. Attendees will be invited to submit questions for discussion. Additional event details and registration information will be announced soon.
ORI Distinguished Speaker Series on National Security: Gen. David H. Berger
ORI Distinguished Speaker Series on National Security: Gen. David H. Berger
Innovation, adaptation, and the changing nature of conflict
Retired General David Berger, 38th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, has served around the globe in times of peace and war. From Iraq to Haiti, and from Kosovo to Afghanistan, he has experienced the changing character of conflict. As Commandant, Berger spearheaded the reorganization and reequipping of the Corps to face emerging threats. This reorganization was hotly contested, both inside and outside the Beltway, by traditionalists who feared change. Since retiring from active military service in 2023, Berger has remained a proponent of adaptation and innovation in the defense of the United States.
About the Speaker: Gen. David H. Berger
David H. Berger is a retired four-star general who served as the 38th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps from 2019 to 2023. During his 42 years of military service, he commanded at every level and served multiple combat tours to include Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He also participated in numerous peacekeeping and humanitarian relief efforts. The Force Design effort he initiated as Commandant continues today as the essential framework for modernization and innovation within the Marine Corps.
About the Moderator: John Manza, Ph.D.
John Manza has wide ranging experience in international security affairs. Early in his career, he served as a marine infantry officer, with multiple deployments in the Pacific Rim, the Middle East and Central America. Later, as a civilian, he gained extensive experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, working on development and governance issues for the US Departments of State and Defense. Most recently, Manza served as the NATO assistant secretary general for operations, where he was responsible for the coordination and drafting of NATO’s lessons of Afghanistan report. He also was a nonresident senior fellow with the Transatlantic Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Currently, Manza is a professor of practice at the Joint Advanced Warfighting School, where he teaches strategy. Manza has a Ph.D. in international relations from Wayne State University in Detroit.