Scott Kindsvater

Lieutenant General Scott Kindsvater (Ret.) is a United States Air Force officer whose career spans more than three decades of military service. Commissioned after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Kindsvater became an F-15E weapons school graduate and instructor, logging more than 3,600 hours of flight time, including over 600 combat hours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He completed 10 combat deployments and gained experience across Central and Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Europe.

Kindsvater served as the 22nd Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee, where he assisted the Chair as principal adviser to the NATO Secretary General and acted as senior military spokesman for the 30-nation alliance. In this capacity, he advised the Deputy Secretary General, led coordination of nuclear, biological, and chemical matters, and, in the Chair's absence, directed daily operations and the business of the Military Committee, NATO's highest military authority. He managed the alliance's Logistics and Interoperability Committees and served as lead negotiator for the Secretary General during the Greece and Turkey Eastern Mediterranean military confrontation. Prior to this role, Kindsvater was Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Intelligence at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

Kindsvater's operational record includes service as Commander of the 9th Expeditionary Task Force-Levant, where he led interservice coalition partners and intelligence planning in the campaign to defeat ISIL. He was responsible for missions supporting the 77-nation coalition of Operation Inherent Resolve, commanding approximately 5,000 Airmen who executed over 20,000 air missions during a 12-month period while maintaining 95 percent readiness. Earlier, he served as Deputy for Security Cooperation at the Office of Defense Representative at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, leading U.S. security cooperation efforts valued at $2.75 billion and supporting the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard of Pakistan.

After 32 years in uniform and 17 years in executive leadership positions, Kindsvater transitioned to a second career as a strategic advisor, policy analyst, and public speaker. He serves as a Non-resident Distinguished Fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at Center for European Policy Analysis and as President and Strategic Advisor at Kindsvater and Associates, providing expertise in crisis management, resiliency, campaign planning, safety, and workforce development. Kindsvater holds a master's degree in military arts and sciences from Touro University International and a master's degree in military strategic studies from United States Army War College. Drawing on his career—including service as a Task Force Commander in the Middle East, Director of Operations and Intelligence for NATO, and Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee—Kindsvater offers assessments of the security landscape, providing perspective on global conflict, NATO's role, the dynamics between China and Russia, and the origins of the war in Ukraine.