FDD ANNOUNCES 2026 NATIONAL SECURITY FELLOWS PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

WASHINGTON, DC, January 19, 2026 — The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is pleased to welcome 34 mid-career national security practitioners into its 2026 National Security Fellows Program (NSFP). The new class of bipartisan national security professionals has a wide range of experience, including in government, the armed forces, the nonprofit space, and the private sector. 

FDD’s National Security Fellows Program (NSFP) is a 12-month program that seeks to train the next generation of U.S. national security leaders by providing them with mentorship from FDD experts; programming that includes off-the-record conversations with high-level government officials, policy experts, and ambassadors; and leadership development skill-building workshops and networking opportunities. Fellows are also given the opportunity to apply for FDD’s National Security Trip to Israel, a seven-day intensive national security-themed trip which includes high-level meetings with government officials; current and former Israeli and American national security practitioners; journalists; military officials; and professionals in the private sector. Participants in NSFP also join FDD’s National Security Network, comprising over 700 mid-career national security practitioners.

This year’s class includes congressional staffers, executive branch officials, legal practitioners, consultants, think tank experts, advocacy professionals, and members of the military.

“On behalf of FDD, I am pleased to announce our class of 2026 National Security Fellows,” said Clifford D. May, FDD’s founder and president. “We are honored to invest in America’s rising national security leaders through this program, and we are looking forward to facilitating another year of learning, networking, and growth for these remarkable individuals.”  

More information about FDD’s NSFP can be found at https://www.fdd.org/national-security-fellows-program/

FDD’s 2026 National Security Fellows:

• Sarah Abonyi, Dcode
• Austen Adcock, U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
• Ryan Berger, Strategic Advisory Firm
• Erin Brown, TPG Consulting (Former)
• Sean Calabria, American Global Strategies
• Adam Chan, Federal Communications Commission
• Alicia Chavy, Beacon Global Strategies
• Caleb Clemons, U.S. Department of Defense
• Gerard Connolly, Anduril
• Delvin Darien, U.S. Air Force
• Ted Delicath, Unite America
• Samantha Dwork, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• David Galluch, FON Advisors
• Aaron Gaskins, U.S. Department of Defense
• Charlene Goldfield, Troutman Pepper Locke
• Morgan Khoury, Metrea
• Alexandra Kilgore, U.S. Army
• Courtney Kum, U.S. Department of Defense (Former)
• Misha Lehrer, Holland & Knight
• Joseph Leonardelli, U.S. Marine Corps
• Milan Patel, U.S. Air Force
• Sam Paulson, Quantum Frontier Ventures
• Ryan Rosa, U.S. Department of Defense
• Daniel Sprouse, U.S. Army
• Josh Stiefel, Second Front Systems
• Bradley Tauber, Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH)
• Emily Trapani, Valinor
• Ashley Truluck, U.S. House Appropriations Committee
• Daniel Tuchler, U.S. Department of Defense
• Abby Turner, U.S. Government
• Karthik Venkatraman, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
• TaQuasha Wallace, U.S. Department of Defense
• Luke Walter, Strellum

To contact FDD media relations, please email [email protected].

## 

About the Foundation for Defense of Democracies:

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies is a Washington, DC-based non-partisan policy institute focusing on foreign policy and national security. For more information, please visit fdd.org. Follow FDD on X @FDD.