- Unites States
Dr. Robert S. Spalding III’s Bio
Dr. Rob Spalding (Brig Gen, USAF Ret.) served in senior positions of strategy and diplomacy within the Defense and State Departments for more than 26 years.
He was the chief architect of the framework for national competition in the Trump Administration’s widely praised National Security Strategy (NSS), and the Senior Director for Strategy to the President.
Dr. Spalding is globally recognized for his knowledge of Chinese economic competition, cyber warfare and political influence, as well as for his ability to forecast global trends and develop innovative solutions.
Dr. Spalding is a skilled combat leader, promoter of technological advances to achieve improved unit performance, and a seasoned diplomat. Under Dr. Spalding’s leadership, the 509th Operations Group – the nation’s only B-2 Stealth Bomber unit – experienced unprecedented technological and operational advances.
Dr. Spalding’s acumen for solving complex technological issues to achieve operational success, was demonstrated when he led a low-cost rapid-integration project for a secure global communications capability in the B-2, achieving tremendous results at almost no cost to the government.
As commander, he led forces in the air and on the ground in Libya and Iraq. During the UUV Incident of 2016, Dr. Spalding averted a diplomatic crisis by negotiating with the Chinese PLA for the return of the UUV, without the aid of a translator.
Dr. Spalding is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute. He has lectured globally, including engagements at the Naval War College, National Defense University, Air War College, Columbia University, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and other Professional Military Educational institutions.
Education
Dr. Spalding received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Agricultural Business from California State University, Fresno, and holds a doctorate in economics and mathematics from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
He was a distinguished graduate of the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, and is fluent in Chinese Mandarin.
