Michael "Mick" Patrick Mulroy is the (former) United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Middle East. Serving from November 2017 to December 2019. As DASD for the Middle East, he was responsible for Department of Defense policy for Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. He is a retired Central Intelligence Agency Paramilitary Operations Officer and United States Marine. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Grassroots Reconciliation Group, a nonprofit to help rehabilitate child soldiers, an ABC News National Security Analyst and Contributor, and a Co-director of the Yemen Steering Initiative and Senior Fellow for National Security and Defense Policy for the Middle East Institute. MIck is also a leading proponent of the philosophy of stoicism and is on the board of advisors for Plato's Academy in Athens, Greece.

Eric “Olly” Oehlerich is a retired twenty plus year Navy SEAL Officer, ending his career while serving as the Commanding Officer (CO) of Naval Special Warfare Development Group- Squadron 2, from July of 2017-2019. At the pinnacle of a career, as CO of this elite unit he was responsible for the research and development of technology and tactics for SEALs to use against the nations hardest problems. The geographic scope of responsibility spanned the Pacific, Africa, and Middle East. By galvanizing over 1,100 personnel combined with collection technology, he provided a security blanket against extremism for the International Community. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Grassroots Reconciliation Group, a nonprofit to help rehabilitate child soldiers, an ABC News contributor, and a Senior Fellow for Technology and National Security for the Middle East Institute.

Contact via Wickr: LoboSF

Publications

National Security

The killing of Qassem Soleimani: Was there a better way? Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, January 13, 2020.

A tale of two partners: Comparing two approaches for partner force operations, Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, January 29, 2020.

Russia’s Middle East: You probe with bayonets. If you find mush, you proceed, Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, February 27, 2020.

ABC News: Protecting US troops will also safeguard national security, Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, ABC News, April 28, 2020.

Jannah or Jahannam: Options for Dealing with ISIS Detainees, MIck Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, October 13, 2020.

Child Soldiers

Begin with the children: Child soldier numbers doubled in the Middle East in 2019, Mick Mulroy, Eric Oehlerich and Zack Baddorf, Middle East Institute, April 14, 2020.

Podcast: Child soldiers in the Middle East, Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, April 17, 2020.

Froglogic Podcast Michael Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich Help Child Soldiers, Mick Mulroy and Eric Ohlerich, Froglogic, May 15, 2020.

Mark Sullivan is the acclaimed author of eighteen novels, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Private series, which he writes with James Patterson. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. He grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Hamilton College with a BA in English before working as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. Upon his return to the United States, he earned a graduate degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and began a career in investigative journalism. An avid skier and adventurer, he lives with his wife in Bozeman, Montana, where he remains grateful for the miracle of every moment.

Anthony was born in Rwot Obillo, Uganda. At the age of 15 he was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army and forced to be a child soldier. He was injured several times including by a rocket propelled grenade permanently damaging the use of his arm. He became the night navigator and eventually a code talker. He met and fell in love with Florence another child soldier and they started a family. Anthony became Joseph Kony's radio operator. They both eventually escaped and worked together to end the insurgency and help others that escaped.
Anthony retired from the Uganda People's Defense Force as a Captain where he worked to help bring LRA soldiers out of the conflict through messaging and influence instead of force.
Anthony is now an employee of Grassroots Reconciliation Group and manages projects that rehabilitate former child soldiers.

During her 25 years of experience in conflict zones, Dee became an expert on prevention of child recruitment by state and non-state actors. She worked for non-governmental organizations as well as for United Nations Peacekeeping missions in more than 10 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. She served as Senior Child Protection Advisor for the United Nations Missions in Burundi (2006-2007), Afghanistan (2009–2012) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (2012–2020).

Dee successfully negotiated with Governments and armed groups to stop using child soldiers. In the DRC her direct face-to-face negotiations with 30 war lords led to the release of almost three thousand girls and boys from the ranks of Congolese rebel groups in a 2-year period and a remarkable decrease in new recruitment by non-state actors.

Following her early retirement from the UN, Dee is focusing on writing and consultancies in order to share her knowledge on the issues affecting children living in armed conflict. Her passion is training and inspiring people to contribute to the global agenda to stop and prevent child recruitment. Her consultancies range from provision of online training for the UN, to missions in Ukraine and Sahel countries to conduct assessments for NGOs.
Before embarking on a humanitarian career,

Dee was a soap writer for Dutch TV. She earned a Master’s Degree in Writing for Film and Television.

Michael "Mick" Patrick Mulroy is the (former) United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Middle East. Serving from November 2017 to December 2019. As DASD for the Middle East, he was responsible for Department of Defense policy for Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. He is a retired Central Intelligence Agency Paramilitary Operations Officer and United States Marine. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Grassroots Reconciliation Group, a nonprofit to help rehabilitate child soldiers, an ABC News National Security Analyst and Contributor, and a Co-director of the Yemen Steering Initiative and Senior Fellow for National Security and Defense Policy for the Middle East Institute. MIck is also a leading proponent of the philosophy of stoicism and is on the board of advisors for Plato's Academy in Athens, Greece.

Eric “Olly” Oehlerich is a retired twenty plus year Navy SEAL Officer, ending his career while serving as the Commanding Officer (CO) of Naval Special Warfare Development Group- Squadron 2, from July of 2017-2019. At the pinnacle of a career, as CO of this elite unit he was responsible for the research and development of technology and tactics for SEALs to use against the nations hardest problems. The geographic scope of responsibility spanned the Pacific, Africa, and Middle East. By galvanizing over 1,100 personnel combined with collection technology, he provided a security blanket against extremism for the International Community. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Grassroots Reconciliation Group, a nonprofit to help rehabilitate child soldiers, an ABC News contributor, and a Senior Fellow for Technology and National Security for the Middle East Institute.

Contact via Wickr: LoboSF

Publications

National Security

The killing of Qassem Soleimani: Was there a better way? Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, January 13, 2020.

A tale of two partners: Comparing two approaches for partner force operations, Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, January 29, 2020.

Russia’s Middle East: You probe with bayonets. If you find mush, you proceed, Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, February 27, 2020.

ABC News: Protecting US troops will also safeguard national security, Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, ABC News, April 28, 2020.

Jannah or Jahannam: Options for Dealing with ISIS Detainees, MIck Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, October 13, 2020.

Child Soldiers

Begin with the children: Child soldier numbers doubled in the Middle East in 2019, Mick Mulroy, Eric Oehlerich and Zack Baddorf, Middle East Institute, April 14, 2020.

Podcast: Child soldiers in the Middle East, Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, Middle East Institute, April 17, 2020.

Froglogic Podcast Michael Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich Help Child Soldiers, Mick Mulroy and Eric Ohlerich, Froglogic, May 15, 2020.

Magdalen Amony has seven years of progressive experience with the Grassroots Reconciliation Group as a Country Director, facilitating the peaceful reconciliation and reintegration of former LRA Child Soldiers, other ex-combatants, and refugees with their war affected communities in Northern Uganda.

Magdalen is both intimately familiar with the challenges of post-conflict communities in Northern Uganda, as, also, a victim of the LRA violent conflict which ended the life of her beloved brother in 1995. This experience compelled her to work for an organization that promotes reconciliation, peaceful reintegration, and prevents conflict and its reoccurrence.

In 2013, she worked closely with the department of Anthropology at Miami University Hamilton Ohio, to provide entrepreneurship training to empower female ex-child soldiers to become economically independent and self-reliant. Magdalen became a member of the Afrika Youth Movement in 2014 in order to raise awareness on violent extremism and the need to end violence against women and girls in Africa. In 2019, she also became an Intercultural Leader, an initiative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group with key interest on migration and peace and security.

Her experiences and expertise include; Peace and conflict resolution, Project Planning and Management, Human Resource Management, Business Administration, Civic education, survivors’ crisis management, and environmental security and sustaining peace from reputable institutions like Uganda Management Institute, Gulu University, Miami University Hamilton, Ohio, and Sustainable Development Goal Academy.

Asaad Hanna is a strategic analyst, humanitarian and media advisor specializing in Syria, the Middle East and high conflict and crisis regions from Iran to Haiti.

Until February of 2020, Mr. Hanna served in the office of the Chairman of the White Helmets, officially known as the Syrian Civil Defense, supporting the chairman’s work in strategy, fundraising, messaging, internet and social media documentation and on-the-ground training and coordination of the White Helmets. The White Helmets are a humanitarian NGO that operates mainly in Syria, rescuing civilians from airstrikes with barrel bombs, and securing damaged buildings, reconnecting electrical and water services, clearing roads, teaching children about hazards from unexploded ordnance, as well as firefighting and storm relief. Sometimes described as the most dangerous job in the world, the White Helmets have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and have received awards from the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the McCain Institute and the Asia Society’s Global Game Changers Award. The White Helmets receive charitable funding from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Germany, Qatar Canada and Denmark. As well as many another foundations such as Asfari foundation, help refugees.

In 2019 Hanna started his own company in US called EmissaLLC, it works now with different companies and organization in advisory/consultant efforts to improve their work in the middle east and Syria. Prior to the White Helmets, Mr. Hanna worked with international media outlets and think tanks such as Chatham House and the Guardian in the UK, Al Jazeera English, Al-Monitor, and many of the Arabic media. After the destruction of his hometown of Homs, Syria, he worked as a political officer with the Syrian opposition and as a media advisor for the High Negotiations Committee in Geneva. He studied commerce in university in Syria prior to the war.

Bonnie brings 30 years of experience traversing 76 countries and on seven continents conceiving and executing global events and intimate experiences at the highest level for the most discerning clientele. An exceptionally resourceful diplomatic professional well versed in cross-cultural standards and practices in both public and private partnerships around the world, Bonnie's passion lies in bringing people together from different walks of life in order to mitigate the differences that divide us.

Ms. Jane Horton brings over ten years of experience as one of the most respected and influential leaders in the national security and veterans spaces in Washington D.C. and across the globe. She is known as a fearless and relentless advocate who has worked across the aisle with democrats, republicans, and independents alike to write multiple pieces of legislation, policies, and programs to better the lives of veterans, service members, and their families.
Jane currently serves as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon. In this capacity, Ms. Horton advises on matters ranging from civilian and military personnel policy to military and community family policy, as well as leading efforts to advance warfighter brain health and Gold Star family initiatives. Prior to this position, Ms. Horton served as the Congressional and Military Liaison for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington D.C. As a personal advisor, Ms. Horton provided guidance and oversight for national, regional, and international partner engagements to advance equities and manage interactions with visiting delegations worldwide. Additionally, Ms. Horton has served as a policy consultant to the Travis Manion Foundation, the Advisory Board to the Independence Fund, Freedom Hunters, Remember My Service, Medals of Honor, and the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. Last year, Jane served as a Presidential Delegate to the Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia, where she met with Prince Harry and was also appointed to the U.S. Afghan Women’s Council, co-chaired by Laura Bush and Hilary Clinton.
Ms. Horton’s diverse career includes extensive experience in political, security, and legislative relations serving as a contributing writer for publications such as Task and Purpose, Huffington Post, and The Drudge Report, and has been featured on ABC, USA Today, Fox, and Friends, CNN, The Jake Tapper Show, Special Report by Brett Baier, Kelly File, along with numerous other paper publications and public appearances. Furthermore, as a proud native of Cleveland, Ohio, Ms. Horton has extensive leadership in military and veteran advocacy and a passion for service, dedicating over 12,000 hours to Gold Star family and survivor populations. Some notable achievements include championing the extension of the Fry Scholarship to surviving spouses, The Sergeant First Class Sean Cooley and Specialist Christopher Horton Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program Act, the Department of Defense Comprehensive Strategy for Warfighter Brain Health, and several laws in multiple National Defense Authorizations Acts regarding service member brain health research, protections and initiatives, Gold Star, surviving family, and casualty policy. She has advised numerous senior military, congressional, and government leaders across the globe, earned multiple awards for her community and civilian service and traveled to combat zones to visit the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan on numerous occasions.
Ms. Horton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Rogers State University and a certificate in International Studies from Harvest Brisbane, Australia.