Christopher Leins Email and Phone Number

PHD candidate focused on the preparation of US Army senior leaders prior to and during World War I.

My portfolio included the Maghreb Sahel, AFRICOM, counterterrorism and other African security issues.

Chris advised the Special Envoy on all matters related to the security sectors in Sudan and South Sudan, and represents the Special Envoy in security-related dialogs within the US interagency, with multinational partners, and with the governments of Sudan and South Sudan. He provided recommendations on US policies and programs for security sector reform, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programs, and with regard to UN peacekeeping operations in both Sudan and South Sudan.

Senior military officer responsible for development of strategy and policy recommendations for all military issues related to 53 countries in Africa. Led a high-quality team of professional mid-career Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines to develop policy recommendations for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior uniformed and civilian leaders.Provided expert military advise and policy recommendations on a wide range of African security challenges to the National… Show more Senior military officer responsible for development of strategy and policy recommendations for all military issues related to 53 countries in Africa. Led a high-quality team of professional mid-career Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines to develop policy recommendations for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior uniformed and civilian leaders.Provided expert military advise and policy recommendations on a wide range of African security challenges to the National Security Council (NSC); and creatively fostered dialog with the NSC staff and interagency on appropriate DOD operations in support of national security objectives. Shaped policy recommendations, in coordination with State Department and other agencies, to ensure the NSC provided executable policy guidance for: DOD responses to potential crises springing from the effort to ensure independence of South Sudan; DoD support of efforts to restore security and establish a stable government and governing institutions in Somalia; and DOD actions in response to the turmoil of multiple overlapping African crises, from operations in Cote d'Ivoire to seat the elected president, Tunisia's ‘Arab Spring’ revolution, Operation Unified Protector in Libya and relations with post-Qaddafhi Libya; and continued support to combined efforts to defeat the Lord’s Resistance Army in Central Africa.Worked cooperatively with State Department to develop support and resourcing for programs focused on Security Sector Reform, peacebuilding, and leadership, with emphasis on DoD roles.Championed an initiative leading to a multilateral strategic approach to resolve the challenges in the Sahel resulting from the emergence of al-Qaeda in Mali. Show less

Deployed to Djibouti as the deputy commander of a combined military organization of more than 3,000 U.S. and allied personnel with the mission to foster regional security cooperation with 13 nations of East Africa, strengthen their security capacity, and enable leadership development. As the senior U.S. Army officer, I used my knowledge of land force operations to improve the planning and execution of military-to-military training opportunities with our African partners, and to… Show more Deployed to Djibouti as the deputy commander of a combined military organization of more than 3,000 U.S. and allied personnel with the mission to foster regional security cooperation with 13 nations of East Africa, strengthen their security capacity, and enable leadership development. As the senior U.S. Army officer, I used my knowledge of land force operations to improve the planning and execution of military-to-military training opportunities with our African partners, and to significantly improve the conduct of civil-military operations throughout the Horn of Africa. Developed and nurtured relationships with key senior military leaders in African partner nations, and worked with US interagency partners, including the Department of State and USAID, to facilitate a 'whole of government' approach to achieving US objectives in Africa. Show less