Russia, Ukraine and the State of National Security: Fmr. Sec. Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Gen. (Ret.) Carter Ham with Ana Cabrera / Fmr. Sec. Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Gen. (Ret.) Carter Ham with Ana Cabrera

Jeh Johnson

Jeh Johnson is a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP and the former Secretary of Homeland Security …

Jeh Johnson

Jeh Johnson is a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP and the former Secretary of Homeland Security (2013-2017), General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2009-2012), General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force (1998-2001), and an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York (1989-1991).

In private life, in addition to practicing law, Johnson is on the board of directors of Lockheed Martin, U.S. Steel, the Council on Foreign Relations, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, the Center for a New American Security, and is a trustee of Columbia University. Johnson is frequent commentator on national and homeland security matters on NBC’s Meet The Press, CBS’s Face The Nation, MSNBC, CNN, FOX, CNBC, NPR, Bloomberg TV and other news networks.

As Secretary of Homeland Security, Johnson was the head of the third largest cabinet department of the U.S. government, consisting of 230,000 personnel and 22 components, including TSA, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Services, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and FEMA. Johnson's responsibilities as Secretary included counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, border security, port security, maritime security, protection of our national leaders, the detection of chemical, biological and nuclear threats to the homeland, and response to natural disasters. In three years as Secretary of DHS, Johnson is credited with management reform of the Department, which brought about a more centralized approach to decision-making in the areas of budgets, acquisition and overall policy. Johnson also raised employee morale across the Department, reflected in the September 2016 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

As General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Johnson is credited with being the legal architect for the U.S. military’s counterterrorism efforts in the Obama Administration. In 2010, Johnson co-authored the report that paved the way for the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell by Congress later that year. In his book Duty, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote that Johnson "proved to be the finest lawyer I ever worked with in government - a straightforward, plain-speaking man of great integrity, with common sense to burn and a good sense of humor."

Johnson is a 2021 recipient of the American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as “an American statesman [who] has devoted his career to the public interest,” and a 2018 recipient of the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award, presented at the Reagan Presidential Library, for “contribut[ing] greatly to the defense of our nation,” and “guiding us through turbulent times with courage and wisdom.” In 2020 the Chief Judge of New York State asked Johnson to conduct a comprehensive review of equal justice in the New York State courts. On October 1, 2020 Johnson issued a public report with his findings and recommendations, all which of which the Chief Judge has committed to adopting.

Johnson has debated at both the Cambridge and Oxford Unions in England, and in November 2019 was conferred honorary life membership in the Cambridge Union. Johnson is a graduate of Morehouse College (1979) and Columbia Law School (1982) and the recipient of 11 honorary degrees.

General (Ret.) Carter Ham

General Ham retired from the United States Army in 2013 as the Commander, U.S. Africa Command …

General (Ret.) Carter Ham

General Ham retired from the United States Army in 2013 as the Commander, U.S. Africa Command where he traveled to 42 countries as part the Command's efforts to enhance America’s security by establishing and developing partnerships and building the military capacity of African nations. He directed all U.S. military operations in Africa, including leading coalition forces during the Libyan conflict in 2011, hostage rescue operations in Somalia and counter-terrorism operations in several countries.

Prior to leading AFRICOM, General Ham was the commander of all U.S. Army forces in Europe, where he oversaw troops deployed to the Balkans, to Iraq and as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization mission in Afghanistan. He spent nearly four decades in the Army and is one of a very small number of military leaders who rose from the rank of Private to four-star General. He is a 1976 Distinguished Military Graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. General Ham earned a Masters Degree from the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.

During his nearly 38 years as a soldier, General Ham served in various capacities both in the field and in the Pentagon. In January 2004, he assumed command of Multinational Brigade (Task Force Olympia) – North in Mosul, Iraq serving there until February 2005. He commanded the First Infantry Division (the Big Red One) and, later, served as the Director of Operations, J3, at the Joint Staff. In retirement, he chaired the Congressionally-mandated National Commission on the Future of the Army and, from 2016 until 2021, served as President and Chief Executive Officer for the Association of the United States Army, a Virginia-based, private non-profit organization with 121 chapters worldwide that acts primarily as an advocacy group for the Army and its soldiers.