Matthew Slusher

Matthew Slusher is a military fellow with the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Currently a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Matthew provides significant strategic and real-world expertise to the program. Most recently he was the NATO Director for Ballistic Missile Defense, where he directed command and control over the BMD mission, management of resources, conduct of operations, and joint planning efforts. Prior to that, Matthew was a dual-hatted Commander of 22 Wing (Royal Canadian Air Force) Operations Support Squadron, and Commander of all U.S. forces assigned to the Canadian Air Defense Sector, North Bay, Ontario, Canada. He has deployed and flown combat missions in support of Operation AFGHAN ASSIST and deployed and directed combat missions supporting Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR. Colonel Slusher is a Master Air Battle Manager with over 100 combat hours and more than 2,000 total hours flown in E-3A/B/C/G aircraft. He received graduate and undergraduate degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and completed the Joint and Combined Warfighting School in Norfolk, Virginia.