Scott Bates has been on the ground in every conflict zone where American troops have served in this generation. He led the US democracy support mission in war torn Kosovo, where he worked in partnership with the United Nations and other international partners to hold elections and launch Kosovo’s parliament. After the attacks of September 11th, Bates went to Afghanistan to support the establishment of the first national assembly after the fall of the Taliban.
Bates went on to become the first Senior Policy Advisor for the US House Homeland Security Committee where he helped lead a team that produced a dozen reports on homeland security ranging from bioterrorism to securing the border. He was the principal author of “Winning the War on Terror” which helped inform the 9/11 Commission in developing its final report.
As President of the Truman Center for National Policy, Bates developed numerous reports such as “A New Way Forward for NATO” and “Agility Across the Spectrum: A Future Force Blueprint” and led dozens of panels featuring leading foreign policy and defense officials and strategists. He has taught as an Instructor at the National Defense University in Washington, DC and been a featured speaker on defense issues and international affairs at numerous international conferences. He has also provided commentary for media outlets on five continents including The New York Times, Washington Post, The Gulf Times, The Australian, the Taipei Times, the BBC, France 24 and Al Jazeera.