Washington, DC – The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute today announced that former Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper and former Deputy Secretary of Defense John J. Hamre will both be honored with the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Awards at the 2022 Reagan National Defense Forum (RNDF) on December 3, 2022.
“Every year, the Reagan Foundation seeks to honor individuals who have spent their careers cultivating American strength at home to ensure peace abroad,” said Fred Ryan, Chairman of the Reagan Foundation Board of Trustees. “Mark Esper and John Hamre are emblematic of that kind of patriotic service and selfless dedication to their country. They have made our country safer and stronger through their efforts, and we are honored to present this award to them on behalf of the Reagan Foundation.”
Presented at each RNDF since 2013, the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award recognizes those who have applied, with constant purpose, a strategy to strengthen our armed forces, support our military men and women striving around the world, reinforce our nation’s defense systems, and safeguard the lives and interests of the American people.
About the Awardees:
The Honorable Mark T. Esper served as the 27th Secretary of Defense from July 23, 2019, until November 9, 2020. He previously served as Acting Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army. Dr. Esper, a West Point graduate, spent 10 years on active duty and 11 years in the National Guard and Army Reserve before serving in senior roles in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and at the Pentagon. Dr. Esper is a recipient of the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. Among his many military awards and decorations are the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal-Saudi Arabia, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
The Honorable John J. Hamre is the president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Before joining CSIS, Dr. Hamre served as the 26th U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense. Prior to his service as Deputy Secretary, he was the Department of Defense Comptroller from 1993-1997. Dr. Hamre worked for 10 years as a professional staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, overseeing the procurement, research, and development programs, defense budget issues, and relations with the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Dr. Esper and Dr. Hamre join a distinguished group of previous award recipients, including former Vice President Dick Cheney; former Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and George Shultz; former Secretaries of Defense James Mattis, Ashton Carter, Leon Panetta, and Robert Gates; former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson; former Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work; Senators Carl Levin (D-MI.), John McCain (R-AZ), Sam Nunn (D-GA), and Jack Reed (D-RI); Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA) and Mac Thornberry (R-TX); and General Jack Keane (Ret.).
RNDF is America’s premier gathering for defense and national security experts. Each year, the forum brings together leaders from across the political spectrum and key stakeholders in the defense community, including Members of Congress, current and former administration officials, senior military leadership, industry executives, technology innovators, and thought leaders. Their mission is to review and assess policies that strengthen America’s national defense in the context of the global threat environment and discuss how the United States can lead the world in an era of increasingly complex challenges and opportunities.
This year's event will be held in person on December 2 and 3 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. For more information, visit www.rndf.org. Media who want to attend should fill out the credential request form located at: https://reaganfoundation.tfaforms.net/385143
About the Reagan Foundation and Institute:
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is the nonprofit organization created by President Reagan himself and specifically charged by him with continuing his legacy and sharing his principles - individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride. The Foundation is a non-partisan organization that sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, CA, the Reagan Center for Public Affairs, the Presidential Learning Center, The Air Force One Pavilion, and the award-winning Discovery Center, as well as the Reagan Institute, which carries out the Foundation’s work in Washington, D.C. The Reagan Library houses over 55 million pages of gubernatorial, presidential, and personal papers and over 60,000 gifts and artifacts chronicling the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. It also serves as the final resting place of America’s 40th President and his First Lady. www.reaganfoundation.org
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