Thank You for Your Service (But What Does that Really Mean?) ft. General CQ Brown, Jr.

Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
79 John F. Kennedy St.
Cambridge
Fri., Apr. 3, 2026, 10 – 11 a.m.



Join the Institute of Politics for a breakfast conversation between Alex Wagner, the former "chief people officer" of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force and General CQ Brown Jr., who served as Chief of Staff of the Air Force and then as the 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, before being fired by Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth in early 2025. Brown will share his unique perspective on military leadership at the highest levels, from advising presidents on global threats to navigating complex relationships with civilian bosses. They'll discuss his historic career, leadership lessons along the way, and reveal what senior political appointees should know when working alongside military leadership. This is a rare opportunity to engage the former highest-ranked military officer in the nation and someone at the center of one of the most politically charged periods in modern civil-military relations.

*Free Breakfast

Please register with a valid Harvard email address to attend in-person.

Gazette Classification: Education, Special Events
Organization/Sponsor: Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School
Speaker(s): General CQ Brown, Jr., Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Alex Wagner, Former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Air Force
Cost: Free
Ticket Web Link: iop.harvard.edu…
Contact Info: [email protected]
Harvard Key Required: No
More info: iop.harvard.edu…