General Mark A. Milley, formerly the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, will serve as a Distinguished Fellow in Residence in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) beginning this semester, according to a Feb. 13 press release. 

Milley is the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), a collective body of the highest-ranking military members in their respective branches whose chair is the highest active-duty military position in the United States. Milley will begin his role in the Security Studies Program (SSP) this semester alongside a concurrent position working at his alma mater, Princeton University, as a visiting lecturer and professor at the School of Public and International Affairs. 

Milley said he looks forward to contributing to the Georgetown University community during his retirement. 

“I am excited about the opportunity to make a contribution at Georgetown and help shape our National Security leaders of the future,” Milley said in the press release. “Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service is world class and joining such an accomplished group of faculty and staff is truly humbling.”

As chairman of the JCS, Milley was the principal military advisor to the president, secretary of defense and National Security Council from October 2019 until September 2023. Air Force General Charles Q. Brown Jr. succeeded Milley in October. 

Prior to becoming the chairman of the JCS, Milley was the U.S. Army’s chief of staff, its highest-ranking officer. He also served as commanding general of the U.S. Army Forces Command, the largest U.S. Army command that trains and prepares forces. 

SFS Dean Joel Hellman said the school looks forward to having Milley join the SSP. 

“We are excited to welcome General Milley to the School of Foreign Service,” Hellman said in the press release. “His lifetime commitment to service in the interest of our nation’s security will surely inspire our students and enrich our community.”

At the SSP, Milley will advise faculty on topics of national security and serve as a resource and mentor for students interested in military and security studies while supporting the broader Georgetown community. 

Daniel Byman, the director of the SSP, said Milley’s experience with understanding and creating policy for security issues will be valuable for the SSP. 

“General Milley’s first-hand experience grappling with the world’s toughest security issues will be invaluable for Security Studies Program (SSP) students seeking to understand the challenges of the world today,” Byman wrote to The Hoya. 

Ava Wasson (SFS ’24), a leader in the Georgetown Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) will begin commission for the Army in May as a military intelligence officer. Wasson said she believes that Milley will serve as an important opportunity for students to have exchanges between service members and civilians. 

“I think that he’s a great resource for students, for individuals or small group meetings because it’s really the best way to learn,” Wasson told The Hoya. “I’m sure that General Milley’s experience will be applicable to what they’re learning, and they can ask about his experience.”

“I think it’s a really great thing the SSP is doing,” Wasson added. 

Heidi Urben, a retired Army colonel and professor in the SSP who has previously worked with Milley, said the SSP anticipates Milley’s new role will engage students interested in national security. 

“We look forward to General Milley engaging with SSP students both in and out of the classroom where he can share insights from his more than four decades in uniform,” Urben wrote to The Hoya. 

Byman said students in the SSP will engage with Milley and learn from his military and security experience, which he said would be particularly valuable as they prepare for careers in security. 

“We expect General Milley to be part of SSP conferences and to mentor students, especially those who are in or are considering joining the U.S. Army,” Byman wrote. “In general, faculty and other SSP community members will draw on his knowledge as a way to enhance their own understanding of how the United States should respond to the world’s many crises.”