Terrorism Studies Visits Washington D.C.

West Point cadets minoring in Terrorism Studies with the Combating Terrorism Center traveled to Washington, D.C., for the yearly academic trip section. Cadets first visited the Pentagon, which included meetings with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, Dr. Joseph Felter; the Vice Director for Intelligence, BG Charles H. Cleveland; the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, COL(R) Mark Mitchell; and briefers for Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Next was the Defense Intelligence Agency where cadets met with the director, LTG Robert Ashley then traveled to the White House where they met with National Security Advisor LTG H.R. McMaster and members of his NSC staff. The following day cadets visited the Defense Intelligence Agency – Defense Combating Terrorism Center (DCTC) in Reston, Virginia, where they received a command brief, met with the deputy director of DCTC, toured the operations center, and had a discussion with analysts. In the afternoon, cadets visited FBI Headquarters to meet with Michael McPherson, Chief of the International Terrorism Operations Section, and agents involved in the FBI's counterterrorism mission.