The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission Releases Report on U.S. Cyber Force Generation

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

On June 3, 2026, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released the Full Report from their Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation.

The Commission, organized in partnership with the Cyber Solarium Commission 2.0 (CSC 2.0) project at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), worked for nearly ten months to examine the shortcomings in our ability to man, train, and equip for military cyber operations, and the foundation needed to deliver a twenty-first-century cyber fighting force. Their report highlights the core details, role and responsibilities, and necessary authorities a future Cyber Force would need to overcome the barriers to institutional change.

Commissioners include With Honor Co-Founder & CEO Rye Barcott, Former Commanding General, U.S. Army Cyber Command LTG(R) Ed Cardon as Co-Chair, Former Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy, and Commander US. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. TENTH Fleet, ADM(R) Mike Gilday, USN, Former Deputy Director, National Security Agency, Mr. George Barnes, and Former Program Manager, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Ms. Perri Adams.

Read the full report.

Learn more about the Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation.

With Honor Action to Participate in Two Sessions at the 2026 AI+ Expo for National Competitiveness

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

For Immediate Release

Contact: Susan Forbes, forbes@withhonor.org

With Honor Action to Participate in Two Sessions at the 2026 AI+ Expo for National Competitiveness

Veteran Leaders to Spotlight Defense Industrial Base Reform, Veteran Leadership, and Tech Policy

Washington, D.C. – May 4, 2026 – With Honor Action will participate in two featured sessions, along with a fireside chat, at the AI+ Expo for National Competitiveness, organized by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), in Washington, D.C. The Expo convenes top leaders from government, industry, and academia to address how the United States can ensure that emerging technologies serve as engines of economic growth, global leadership, and national security.

Thursday, May 7 | 11:30 AM | South Stage
Fireside: Rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom

A conversation on restoring America’s defense industrial base to meet the demands of sustained great power competition. This session will examine how Congress is approaching procurement reform, production scaling, and supply chain resilience to ensure readiness at speed. It will also explore the role of public-private partnerships in rebuilding capacity across critical sectors.

Speakers:

  • Scott Cooper, SVP for Government Affairs, With Honor Action
  • Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), Founding Co-Chair, For Country Caucus
  • Moderator: Aaron Mehta, Editor-in-Chief, Breaking Defense

Key Themes:

  • The Proposed $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget
  • Defense Industrial Base Restoration
  • Procurement Reform and Production Scaling

Friday, May 8 | 9:30 AM | South Stage
Panel: How Technology is Unleashing Veteran Leadership Across America

A discussion on how technology is expanding the reach and impact of veteran leadership in communities, the workforce, and public service. This session will also examine how mission-driven networks are connecting veterans to opportunities in business, policy, and community leadership, with a focus on unlocking the full potential of veteran talent as a force multiplier for American renewal.

Speakers:

  • Rye Barcott, Co-Founder & CEO, With Honor
  • Mike Hutchings, CEO, Combined Arms
  • Moderator: LtGen Michael Groen (Ret.), Former Director, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center

Key Themes:

  • Technology as a Force Multiplier for Veteran Leadership
  • Mission-Driven Networks and Veteran Opportunity
  • Veteran Talent and American Renewal

Friday, May 8 | 11:00 AM | President’s Tech Brief | PTB Stage
With Honor Co-Founder & CEO Rye Barcott will join SCSP’s Ylli Bajraktari and Martijn Rasser for a live discussion on principled veteran leadership and how veteran leaders in Congress are driving tech policy.

Speakers:

  • Rye Barcott, Co-Founder & CEO, With Honor
  • Ylli Bajraktari, President & CEO, SCSP
  • Martijn Rasser, Vice President & Technology Leadership Directorate, SCSP

Key Themes:

  • Principled Veteran Leadership
  • Veteran-Led Tech Policy in Congress
  • Civic Trust and Democratic Accountability

More info and registration: https://expo.scsp.ai/

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About With Honor
With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund III. Learn more about our work at WithHonor.org.

With Honor Action Hosts Reception to Celebrate the Revitalization of America’s Maritime Industrial Base

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

Following the joint hearing “Revitalizing Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base” of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces and the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, With Honor Action hosted a reception to celebrate the revitalization of America’s maritime industrial base.

The U.S. shipbuilding industry has reached a critical turning point. Over the last decade, while China built over 6,700 commercial vessels, the United States produced just 37. It isn’t just a matter of trade; it is a national security priority. To maintain our defense capabilities and protect our economic interests, we must bridge the gap between education and the shipyard. Reinvigorating American shipbuilding is essential to ensuring our country remains competitive and secure on the global stage.

We’re grateful for the leadership of Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) and Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), along with For Country Caucus members Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) and Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), who have elevated the importance of shipbuilding and the maritime industrial base.

Read With Honor Action’s statement from the hearing here.

With Honor Action Joins Allied Leaders at the 2026 London Defence Conference

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

With Honor Action joined heads of government, senior military leaders, policymakers, industry executives, and media at the 2026 London Defence Conference (LDC). This annual gathering of allied nations focuses on elevating the importance of defense and security in an increasingly complex global landscape.

Held at the historic Old War Office in Whitehall from April 10-11, LDC convenes allied leadership to confront the defining questions in defense and security. Our participation reflects the strong relationships that With Honor Action has cultivated across government and allied defense communities to advance our shared, bipartisan priorities with the veterans in the For Country Caucus.

This year’s conference centered on a single, urgent theme: warfighting readiness. Senior officials delivered frank assessments, warning that current capabilities may be insufficient for sustained large-scale conflict. They called for accelerated rearmament across the U.K. and NATO, reinforced by major procurement announcements. LDC 2026 marked a clear shift from strategic dialogue to coordinated action, as allied nations respond to a more volatile global environment.

On day two of LDC, With Honor Action sponsored a roundtable with the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), placing American biotechnology policy at the center of an allied defense forum.

Conducted under the Chatham House Rule, the private session brought together senior representatives from allied governments, industry, and research institutions across three continents. Participants explored the growing role of biotechnology as a cornerstone of national security and economic strength.

This discussion builds on a landmark year for American biotechnology. In December 2025, Congress passed a significant package of biotechnology provisions informed by the NSCEB’s Final Report, including 17 With Honor Action-supported measures to strengthen biotechnology across the defense and intelligence communities. Those provisions addressed national security coordination, defense-focused development and manufacturing, supply chain resilience, and expanded allied collaboration.

The conference concluded with remarks from Al Carns, a Member of Parliament, Minister for the Armed Forces, Royal Marines veteran, and a partner within With Honor Action’s network. On the transatlantic alliance, he was unambiguous: the UK-US relationship “is not measured in commentary. It is measured in what we do and what we have done.”

Last October in Washington, Minister Carns joined us for the With Honor Action’s Strength in Democracy Forum and toasted the transatlantic alliance at our Gala, a relationship that reflects the kind of allied engagement LDC exists to deepen.

With Honor Action remains committed to advancing bipartisan veteran leadership and strengthening the alliances that underpin global security.

With Honor Action Sends Letter to Senate Detailing FY27 NDAA Priorities

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

On March 27, 2026, With Honor Action sent a letter to Senate Allies and Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee detailing our initial priorities for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. These priorities include the Warrior Right to Repair Act, co-led by For Country Caucus members Reps. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA), provisions of the SHIPS for America Act, co-led by With Honor Action allies Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and the expansion of youth service programs.

To With Honor Senate Allies and Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee,  

Each year, With Honor Action endorses several pieces of bipartisan national security legislation. For the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we ask that you consider including the following 20 provisions in your submissions. As we enter an election year that will undoubtedly raise the partisan temperature, this critical, consensus-driven legislation is more important than ever, and the principled leadership demonstrated by the veteran and public service leaders that make up With Honor’s Senate Allies is the path toward a more prosperous and secure nation. 

Modernizing the Department of Defense and Revitalizing the Defense Industrial Base:

  1. H.R. 5155 / S. 2209 – Warrior Right to Repair Act of 2025  
  2. Special consideration of key national security pieces of the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act (H.R.3151/S.1541):
    1. Sec. 403 – Assessment of Undersea Cable Repair Contingencies
    2. Sec. 512 – Plan of action for use of Defense Production Act of 1950 authorities
    3. Sec. 521 – United States Center for Maritime Innovation
    4. Sec. 616 – Military to maritime transition

Expanding Pathways and Opportunities to Service:

  1. Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the JROTC program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $353.9 million.
  2. United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the USNSCC program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $4.3 million.
  3. Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the CAP program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $50.3 million for aircraft and maintenance.
  4. National Guard STARBASE Program
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the DoD STARBASE program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $50 million.

Supporting Our Global Allies & Partners:

  1. The establishment of a preservation process for the service records of recognized “Afghan allies” in the Department of Defense.
  2. The establishment of a United States – Ukraine Working Group on Unmanned Systems. 
  3. Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative (TSCI) 
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for TSCI at or above the FY26 authorized level of $1 billion for FY27.

Addressing Military Quality & Ease of Life:

  1. H.R. 6383 – Brandon Act Training and Protocol Act 
  2. H.R. 7188 / S. 3654 – Military Occupancy Living Defense (MOLD) Act 
  3. H.R. 6976 – Duty Status Reform Act  
  4. The designation of a senior official responsible for the management and oversight of all programs and activities of the Department of Defense related to the transition of members of the Armed Forces to civilian status. 
  5. The expansion of resources to address childcare shortages on Department of Defense installations.

Countering Foreign Malign Influence:

  1.  H.R. 6469 – Feasibility Review of Emerging Equipment for Digital Open Media (FREEDOM) Act
  2. H.R. 7969 – Combatting Chinese Communist Party Influence Act 
  3. Authorization for the Secretaries of Defense and State to support the national security forces of partner countries and actors to counter Russian influence and destabilizing activities. 

Other National Security Matters:

  1. The establishment of an Advisory Council on Fiscal Capacity to Meet National Security Requirements.  
  2. The modification of the annual report on the military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China to include an assessment of progress toward artificial general intelligence. 
  3. Amending the responsibilities of the Chief Digital Artificial Intelligence Officer within the Department of Defense, to include addressing threats posed by artificial general intelligence.

Detailed descriptions of these measures can be found in Appendix I, and specific legislative text may be found in Appendix II attached to this letter.

Vice President of Government Affairs, Kaylan Swartz, is available to assist your staff with any follow-up information you may need (swartz@withhonor.org).

Rye Barcott

Co-Founder & CEO

With Honor

You can read the full text of the letter here.

You can read our letter to the 18 members of the For Country Caucus on the House Armed Services Committee on the FY27 NDAA that we sent earlier this year here.

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