On March 2, 2026, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies hosted a delegation from the Michigan National Guard, led by Adjutant General Major General Paul D. Rogers. The delegation included Joint Chiefs of Staff representative Colonel Hyo Jin Cho, Staff Judge Advocate Colonel Jason Evans, and members of the Command Management Team and cohort participants. Dr. William Godnick, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Perry Center professors welcomed the group.

Dr. Godnick delivered framing remarks and provided an organizational brief. Professor Celina Realuyo presented “The National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy: Opportunities in the Western Hemisphere,” and Dr. Arturo Sotomayor delivered a talk entitled “Trade, Security, and Homeland Defense in North America (United States, Mexico, Canada).”

The discussion addressed key strategic questions, including current threats in the Western Hemisphere that affect homeland defense, the implications of the new National Defense Strategy priority on homeland defense for the William J. Perry Center’s curriculum, and the most critical opportunities the United States must seize over the next five years to ensure success in the region. The session concluded with a robust question-and-answer exchange that allowed participants to explore these issues through a Washington policy lens.