For Immediate Release, August 12, 2013
Contact: David Early, 202-429-7817

(Washington) – The Unites States Institute of Peace (USIP) has been asked by the Department of Defense to facilitate the work of the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) National Defense Panel (NDP). The Institute also facilitated the work of the 2010 QDR Independent Review Panel.  
 
USIP’s coordination of the NDP will be directed by Paul Hughes, a retired U.S. Army colonel currently serving as the acting vice president of the Institute’s Center for Conflict Management. Hughes also directed the 2010 QDR Independent Review Panel.
 
Required by Congress, the QDR is a review of Department of Defense (DoD) strategy and priorities and sets a long-term course for DoD as it assesses the threats and challenges faced by the U.S.  In turn, Congress directed that members of the National Defense Panel review the QDR, assess the assumptions, strategy, findings, and risks in the report, conduct an independent assessment of a variety of possible force structures, review the resource requirements, and provide recommendations to Congress and the secretary of Defense.
 
USIP President Jim Marshall and board member Eric Edelman were appointed earlier to serve as members of the NDP.  
 
In total, the panel consists of ten members, eight of whom are selected by Congress. The Secretary of Defense selected the two co-chairs. The 2014 NDP members are:

• The Honorable William J. Perry, Co-Chair
• General John P. Abizaid, US Army (Ret.), Co-Chair
• The Honorable Eric S. Edelman
• The Honorable James M. Talent
• The Honorable Jim Marshall
• Lieutenant General Frank Kearney, US Army (Ret.)
• General James Cartwright, USMC (Ret.)
• The Honorable Michèle Flournoy
• General Gregory S. Martin, USAF (Ret.)
• Lieutenant General Michael D. Maples, USA (Ret.)

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The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan conflict management center created by Congress to prevent and mitigate international conflict through nonviolent means. USIP works to save lives, increase the government’s ability to deal with conflicts before they escalate, reduce government costs, and enhance national security. USIP is headquartered in Washington, DC. To learn more, visit www.usip.org.