# National Defense University (United States)

The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education in Fort Lesley McNair, Washington, D.C., United States. It is funded by the United States Department of Defense aimed at facilitating high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As a chairman's Controlled Activity, NDU operates under the guidance of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), with Vice Admiral Peter Garvin, USN, as president. It is located near the White House and the US Congress.

## Components

The National Defense University includes:
* Colleges and schools
** Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS)
** College of International Security Affairs
** Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (The Eisenhower School), formerly the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
** College of Information and Cyberspace (formerly Information Resources Management College or "iCollege")
** Joint Forces Staff College
** National War College
* Programs
** CAPSTONE
** KEYSTONE
** PINNACLE
* Research centers
** Institute for National Strategic Studies
*** Center for Strategic Research
*** Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs
*** Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction
*** NDU Press
** Center for Applied Strategic Learning
* NDU Libraries

### Acceptance rate and admissions

| Acceptance rate | 65% |
| Admissions requirements | Yes, based on entrance examinations and students past academic records and grades |
| Academic calendar | Semesters |
| Enrollment | 1,500 |
| Full-time employees | 75 |
| Student:staff ratio | 20:1 |
Read More Archived October 19, 2022, at the Wayback Machine

### Research institutes and centers

* Institute for National Strategic Studies;
* Center for Strategic Studies;
* Center for the Study of Military Affairs of China;
* Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction;
* National Defense University Press (the university publishes 1,300 periodicals)[5];
* Center for applied strategic training;
* Center for joint and strategic logistics.
* The university has a scientific and reference library, the resources of which are open to all students and teachers. Read More Archived October 19, 2022, at the Wayback Machine

### Associated organizations

* NDU Board of Visitors
* National Defense University Foundation
* United States Institute of Peace
* Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area

## Publications

The NDU Press supports education, research, and outreach as the university's cross-component, professional military, and academic publishing house. Publications include the journals Joint Force Quarterly (JFQ) and PRISM: The Journal of Complex Operations, books such as Strategic Assessment 2020, case studies, policy briefs, and strategic monographs.

## List of presidents

| No. | President | President | Term | Term | Term | Service branch |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch |
| 1 | | Vice Admiral Marmaduke G. Bayne (1920–2005) | 1976 | 1977 | ~1 year, 0 days | U.S. Navy |
| 2 | | Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard Jr. (born 1928) | 1977 | July 1981 | ~4 years, 181 days | U.S. Army |
| 3 | | Lieutenant General John S. Pustay (born 1931) | July 1981 | October 1983 | ~2 years, 92 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 4 | | Lieutenant General Richard D. Lawrence (1930–2016) | October 1983 | September 1986 | ~2 years, 335 days | U.S. Army |
| 5 | | Lieutenant General Bradley C. Hosmer (born 1937) | September 1986 | September 1989 | ~3 years, 0 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 6 | | Vice Admiral John A. Baldwin Jr. (born 1933) | September 1989 | August 14, 1992 | ~2 years, 348 days | U.S. Navy |
| 7 | | Lieutenant General Paul G. Cerjan (1938–2011) | August 14, 1992 | September 1994 | ~2 years, 18 days | U.S. Army |
| 8 | | Lieutenant General Ervin J. Rokke (born 1939) | September 1994 | 1997 | ~2 years, 122 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 9 | | Lieutenant General Richard A. Chilcoat (1938–2010) | 1997 | 2000 | ~3 years, 0 days | U.S. Army |
| 10 | | Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II (born 1946) | July 7, 2000 | July 2, 2003 | 2 years, 360 days | U.S. Navy |
| 11 | | Lieutenant General Michael M. Dunn (born 1950) | July 2, 2003 | July 14, 2006 | 3 years, 12 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 12 | | Lieutenant General Frances C. Wilson (born 1948) | July 14, 2006 | July 10, 2009 | 2 years, 361 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 13 | | Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau (born 1951) | July 10, 2009 | April 13, 2012 | 2 years, 278 days | U.S. Navy |
| - | | Nancy McEldowney (born 1958) Acting | April 13, 2012 | July 11, 2012 | 89 days | Senior Executive Service |
| 14 | | Major General Gregg F. Martin (born 1956) | July 11, 2012 | July 21, 2014 | 2 years, 10 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Wanda Nesbitt (born 1956) Acting | July 21, 2014 | November 18, 2014 | 120 days | Senior Executive Service |
| 15 | | Major General Frederick M. Padilla (born 1959) | November 18, 2014 | September 25, 2017 | 2 years, 311 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 16 | | Vice Admiral Fritz Roegge (born 1958) | September 25, 2017 | February 3, 2021 | 3 years, 131 days | U.S. Navy |
| 17 | | Lieutenant General Michael T. Plehn (born 1964) | February 3, 2021 | October 11, 2024 | 4 years, 44 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 18 | | Vice Admiral Peter Garvin (born c. 1967) | October 11, 2024 | Incumbent | 159 days | U.S. Navy |