U.S. Air Force Veteran John Cappello Joins FDD as Senior Fellow for Military Affairs

Washington, DC – John Cappello, a 25-year veteran of the United States Air Force, has joined the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) as a senior fellow for military affairs. Cappello will contribute to Military Edge, FDD’s innovative web-based program that tracks the military acquisitions in the Middle East and analyzes their impact on Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME).

Cappello served as the U.S. Air Force Attaché to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he was responsible for all operational, logistical, and technical issues between the Israel Air Force and the U.S. Air Force. In that capacity, he advised the United States Ambassador to Israel on all air, space, and missile defense issues, as well as defense authorization and appropriations issues.

Most recently, he served as a senior analyst at the U.S. Missile Defense Agency annex office in Tel Aviv, where he worked closely with the Israel Missile Defense Organization, providing program support for the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow anti-missile programs.

“It’s a great pleasure to welcome John to FDD,” said FDD President Clifford D. May. “His extraordinary service to our country and his recent work on some of Israel’s most important military programs will make him a valuable addition to our team.”

“The balance of power in the Middle East is changing,” said Jonathan Schanzer, FDD’s vice president for research. “The influx of advanced weapons, coupled with new conflicts, portends extended instability. We will look to John to help us make sense of this challenging landscape.”

A former B-1 instructor pilot, Cappello also served as U.S. Air Force and Acting Defense Attaché in Belgrade, Serbia, and as a political military officer at Headquarters United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany.

About the Foundation for Defense of Democracies:

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)3 policy institute focusing on foreign policy and national security. Founded in 2001, FDD combines policy research, democracy and counterterrorism education, strategic communications and investigative journalism in support of its mission to promote pluralism, defend democratic values and fight the ideologies that drive terrorism. Visit our website at www.defenddemocracy.org and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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