JOINT TOWN HALL
STARRS, the MacArthur Society and the Calvert Task Group
invite you to attend a Joint Town Hall via Zoom
on Monday, September 30, 2024 at Noon Eastern.
Fill the form out below to attend this free event.
We’ll have a update from STARRS Chairman Lt. General Rod Bishop, USAF ret, USAFA ’74, who will then introduce our guest speaker, Amber Smith, former Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Outreach in Public Affairs (biography below the form). Amber is a a former U.S. Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot and air mission commander in the 101st Airborne Division, and flew two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is also the author of the recent book, Unfit to Fight: How Woke Policies Are Destroying Our Military, a topic of great concern to all three organizations.
We will also hear from MacArthur Society President Col. Bill Prince, USA ret, USMA ’70, who will give an update regarding their delegation to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to brief on the joint Duty, Honor, Country Commission that all three organizations are working on.
Calvert Task Group President Capt. Tom Burbage, USN ret, USNA ’69, will give an update on the release of CTG’s new book, Don’t Give Up the Ship: Woke Politics Are Endangering Our Military and Our Nation, made up of essays written by CTG, but also STARRS and MacArthur Society members.
We look forward to you joining us via Zoom on:
Monday, September 30, 2024
Noon Eastern
11:00 am Central
10:00 am Mountain
9:00 am Pacific
Register for free here:
Amber Smith’s DOD Biography:
Amber Smith was formerly the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Outreach in Public Affairs. She was the senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense for matters related to strategic outreach; community relations; corporate, business, and stakeholder engagement; outreach policy; entertainment, film, scripted and non-scripted documentaries and series; national sports league partnerships; special outreach events; digital and social media.
In this role, Ms. Smith executed the DoD’s outreach mission, while engaging American citizens and key defense-related organizations on critical national security matters, the roles of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the DoD’s community relations initiatives. She served as the Secretary of Defense’s principal liaison to the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, national veterans and military service organizations, and national defense-related organizations.
Prior to her appointment as Deputy Assistant to the Secretary Defense, Ms. Smith was a Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. She was the press secretary of caucus operations at the 2016 Republican National Convention and was a Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs Advisor to the Presidential Transition Team.
She is the author of the book Danger Close: My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ms. Smith is a former U.S. Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot and air mission commander in the 101st Airborne Division, and flew two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
She has a master of science in safety, security, and emergency management from Eastern Kentucky University and a bachelor of science in professional aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
Amber Smith has over 15 years of experience in leadership, communications, public speaking and branding. As one of the few women to fly the United States Army Kiowa Warrior helicopter into enemy fire in some of the world’s most dangerous combat zones, she has mastered performance under pressure. As a communications executive, Pentagon official, TV analyst, press secretary, pilot in command, and combat leader, she is used to overcoming obstacles, working in lightning-fast and rapidly evolving environments where the stakes are high, and errors come with disastrous consequences. Amber’s winning attitude and proven ability to perform flawlessly in demanding environments has led her to thrive in a high-stress world and persevere through even the toughest challenges while mastering work-life balance. Amber is the bestselling author of Danger Close and Unfit to Fight.