NWC Issues in National Security, Lecture 15 "Operation Iraqi Freedom: A Planner's Perspective”

This lecture took place on May 16, 2023.

Captain Christopher Senenko, USN, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He holds master’s degrees in Astronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, and Joint Campaign Planning and Strategy from the National Defense University. At sea, CAPT Senenko served on USS Vicksburg (CG 69), USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98). He commanded PC Crew Charlie and USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) in Norfolk, Virginia. His staff assignments include duty as the Chief Staff Officer and Training Standards Department Head at the Afloat Training Group Atlantic, Director of Department Head Training and Maritime Warfare at the Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS), and Division Chief, Special Actions Division, J39 on the Joint Staff.

Professor Robert L. Gardner joined the Naval War College faculty in July 2011 following his assignment as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3 Operations Officer for the 1st Marine Division, where he deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. During his Marine Corps career he served in operational artillery units (with both self-propelled and towed artillery units), as a Naval Gunfire Instructor; a Marine Expeditionary Unit Fire Support Officer; an artillery and fire support instructor with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron – One (MAWTS-1); speechwriter for the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps and Senior Aide de Camp to the 32nd and 33rd Commandants of the Marine Corps; Commanding Officer, HQ Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve; Chief, Joint Planning Group (JPG), CJ-5, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM; Deputy Chief of Combined Policy, C5, for Combined Forces Command and the Chief of Policy, U5, for United Nations Command in the Republic of Korea; and Team Chief, Regional Border Team – North in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.

Commander Christopher Sullivan, USN, joined the Naval War College faculty in June 2017 following an assignment at U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. FOURTH Fleet as the Future Plans Director where he was responsible for all contingency and crisis action planning. Designated a Naval Flight Officer in 1998, he has flown over 2,000 hours in the EA-6B Prowler and deployed four times in support of OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. Additionally, he deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar and served as the Chief of Combat Operations in the 609th Air Operations Center. CDR Sullivan holds a B.S. in Political Science from Florida State University and a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College where he was a graduate of the MAWS Class of 2014.

Dr. Don Thieme joined the Maritime Advanced Warfighting School faculty in April 2021 following five years in the War Gaming Department focused on complex problems for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Service Chiefs, and Fleet Commanders. Prior to that he served as Interim Director of the Naval War College Writing Center and he served on the National Security Affairs faculty at the Naval War College. A Foreign Area Officer (Europe), he was a personal advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for NATO expansion, theater campaign plans chief for U.S. Marine Forces in U.S. Central Command, and served seven years as a senior attaché in Warsaw and London. He wrote his Dissertation on the Race to the Top and the technological temptations of biotechnē as a threat to individual liberties and liberal democratic governance. He is a graduate of Ranger School, Amphibious Reconnaissance Course (Honor Graduate), Defense Language Institute-Polish (Honor Graduate), School of Advanced Warfighting, Army War College and other specialized courses.

Colonel Craig R. Wonson, U.S. Marine Corps, currently serves as the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Senior Service Representative to the U.S. Naval War College and Military Professor at the Maritime Advanced Warfighting School. A career infantry officer, his assignments over the past 31 years include Branch Chief at U.S. Special Operations Command; Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment; Future Operations Officer for 1st Marine Division; Deputy, Amphibious Warfare Branch, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; and Commanding Officer of Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group. Colonel Wonson’s seven overseas deployments include service in Iraq (2003 and 2006) and Afghanistan (2012). He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut (B.A. Political Science and History), National University (M.P.A.), Marine Corps Command and Staff College (M.A. Military Studies, Distinguished Graduate), and Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting (M.A. Operational Studies).

The views presented by the faculty do not reflect official positions of the Naval War College, DON or DOD.