National Defense Fellowship

The United States faces a more contested and dangerous world — from great power competition to renewed Russian aggression, Middle East instability, and the proliferation of disruptive technologies — yet universities have not kept pace. The teaching of military history and defense policy has declined across American campuses, leaving students underprepared for the professional world of national defense. The Reagan Institute's Peace Through Strength Boot Camp is designed to fill that gap.

The institutions tasked with navigating these challenges depend on a pipeline of young professionals who arrive prepared to contribute. Too often, talented students enter the defense workforce — at think-tanks, on Capitol Hill, in the Executive Branch, and across industry — without fluency in the theory, vocabulary, and practice of American defense policy. Closing that gap is not just an investment in careers. It is an investment in American strength.

Peace Through Strength Bootcamp

Proudly sponsored by The Boeing Company

The first component of the fellowship is an intensive four-day boot camp at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington DC, which will be held on Thursday, September 24, through Sunday, September 27, 2026. The program is a unique opportunity to learn from the nation’s foremost defense policy thought-leaders and practitioners and hear from distinguished senior leaders in the national security and military communities. Students will emerge with a strong fundamental understanding in defense affairs, covering specific topics such as: budgeting, strategy, civil-military relations, force structure, readiness, the industrial base, and the future of warfare. Students will also learn about the key actors and institutions involved in making defense policy.

Each day consists of morning and afternoon seminars led by leading instructors complimented by guest speakers. Students are assigned readings ahead of time. Lodging, meals, a transportation stipend, and a course reader are provided.

Reagan Nation Defense Forum

The second component is attendance at the Reagan National Defense Forum (RNDF), the nation’s premier gathering of defense professionals, held between Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5, 2026 at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The conference is an unparalleled opportunity for students to not only hear from, but also interact with, defense policy leaders, such as Secretaries of Defense, Directors of CIA, Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Combatant Commanders, and industry executives, and understand the shaping forces of national security.

Please direct questions about the National Defense Fellowship to Rachel Lynch at rlynch@reaganfoundation.org.