James Jay Carafano (born May 8, 1955) is the director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies and vice president of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation. Carafano is also an adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics.[1]
Carafano served 25 years in the Army in Europe, South Korea, and the U.S., and he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.[citation needed] During that time, he served as head speech writer for the Army Chief of Staff and was the executive director of Joint Force Quarterly, the Defense Department's military journal.[3]
Carafano co-authored the homeland security report, Homeland Security 3.0: Building a National Enterprise to Keep America Safe, Free, and Prosperous.[6] He also co-wrote A New Strategy For Real Immigration Reform.[7] Writing regarding defense, Carafano's 2008 study Providing for the Common Defense: What 10 Years of Progress Would Look Like, maps out a 10-year defense-strategy blueprint, including setting a floor on the defense budget as four percent of GDP.[8]
Congress and media appearances
Carafano has testified before the U.S. Congress as an expert of defense, intelligence, and homeland security issues.[9][10] He provided commentary for Fox News.[11]
In 2013, Carafano co-produced a short documentary, Veteran Nation, about the experiences of veterans of the United States Armed Forces. The film was created in partnership with ColdWater Media and Esprit de Corps and screened at The Heritage Foundation in February 2013.[12][13]
Carafano is a contributing editor to the online national security publication 1945.[14]
Trump transition team
Politico reported in 2016 that Carafano was the primary aide to the U.S. State Department for the Trump administration's transition team.[15] He organized meetings with European and Canadian diplomatic representatives "to hear out concerns about the incoming administration. Carafano insisted he was not hosting the event on behalf of the president-elect. But diplomats and congressional staffers said they understand he is likely to emerge as the Trump team's liaison for State Department matters."[16]
^ ab"James Carafano". Security Debrief. Homeland Security Policy Institute. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
^ ab"James J. Carafano, Ph.D."The Center For Global Understanding. Lubbock International Cultural Center, Inc. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2011.