Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr. (USA, ret.)
CHAIRMAN
202-546-0795 ext. 110
rgard AT armscontrolcenter DOT org
Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr. is Chairman of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation where his policy work focuses on nuclear nonproliferation, missile defense, Iraq, Iran, military policy, nuclear terrorism, and other national security issues.
During his military career, Gard saw combat in both the Korea and Vietnam wars, and served a three year tour in Germany. He also served as Executive Assistant to two secretaries of defense; the first Director of Human Resources Development for the U.S. Army; Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; and President of National Defense University (NDU).
After retiring from the U.S. Army in 1981, after 31 years of distinguished service, Gard served for five years as director of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Center in Bologna, Italy, and then as President of the Monterey Institute of International Studies from 1987 to 1998. Since 1998, he has been an active consultant in Washington, D.C., on national security issues, including the international campaign to ban anti-personnel land mines.
Gard has written for well-known journals and periodicals that focus on military and international affairs and lectured widely at U.S. and international universities and academic conferences. He serves on the board of eight non-profit organizations and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Gard holds a B.A. from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and both an M.P.A. and Ph.D in Political Economy & Government from Harvard University.
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RECENT ARTICLES BY GARD
May 12, 2008 Nuclear Terrorism is a Likely Event
In this opinion editorial published in the Knoxville News Sentinel, Senior Military Fellow Lt. Gen. Robert Gard argues that our government is not taking the necessary steps to prevent nuclear terrorism, even though it is one of the gravest threats to U.S. security. "It is incredible that our government is failing to accord the highest priority to taking the actions necessary to prevent terrorists from carrying out their threat to detonate a nuclear weapon on the territory of the United States, which would forever change our way of life," writes Gard.
Apr 2, 2008 Lieutenant General Robert Gard Sets the Record Straight on the Surge
In a conference call with national reporters on April 1, Lieutenant General Robert Gard set the record straight on the surge. "Iraq is more bitterly divided along ethnic, sectarian, and factional lines than it was before the surge began," concluded Gard, who serves as the Senior Military Fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Read the full transcript of Gard's remarks here.
Mar 26, 2008 Star Wars Turns 25 Years Old, but Effective and Capable Missile Defense Still Elusive
In this new analysis, Lt. Gen. Robert Gard (USA, ret.) and John Isaacs explain how 25 years and $120 billion dollars after President Ronald Reagan unveiled "Star Wars," U.S. national missile defense is still not effective or capable. Given the fact that delivery of a nuclear weapon against the United States is far more likely by means other than an ICBM, which leaves a return address, the opportunity costs of pursuing missile defense are very high in military terms alone, not to mention other higher priority national security and domestic programs. Gard and Isaacs conclude that further deployment of elements of the ground-based mid-course system should be suspended until research and development can demonstrate that the problem of discrimination can be solved successfully.
Nov 30, 2007 When the Deterrent Becomes a Threat
The University of California manages Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a facility leading the development of the so-called Reliable Replacement Warhead. Students and faculty at the University of California have a unique role to play in actively questioning this misguided U.S. nuclear weapons policy.
Aug 8, 2007 Excessive Claims for Missile Defense
In his article "Missile Defense Hits the Mark: Increasing Success Undermines Critics" (Defense News, July 23, 2007), Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), carries the traditional and laudable "can-do" attitude of the military too far.
Jul 16, 2007 National Missile Defense in Europe: Premature and Unwise
The Bush Administration has announced its intention to build a national missile defense complex in Europe to supplement current deployments of the system's components.
Jul 9, 2007 Iraq: Where Do De Go From Here?
The 9/11 attack signaled the most serious threat to the security of this nation since World War II. There was an urgent need to clearly define the nature of the threat and take appropriate action; we did neither.
Jun 22, 2007 Euro-BMD Bad for U.S.
The Bush administration has announced its intention to build a national missile defense complex in Europe to supplement current deployments of the system's components, including interceptor sites in Alaska and California.
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