Education
- Ph.D., International Relations, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
- M.A.L.D., Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
- M.P.P, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
- B.A., Political Science and History, University of Florida
Biography
Before he joined the faculty of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Dr. Benitez served as a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, where he regularly briefed senior US and foreign officials on national security issues. He is currently a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. Earlier in his career, he served as assistant for Alliance issues to the Director of NATO Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He also served as a specialist in international security for the Department of State and the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis. You can follow his coverage of security issues on Twitter @NATOSource.
Dr. Benitez has been published and cited by a broad range of media such as The New York Times, CNN, NPR, the BBC, C-SPAN, the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, Foreign Policy, POLITICO, U.S. News and World Report, Defense News, the National Interest, Stars and Stripes, Xinhua, the Global Times, Russia Today, Kommersant, Moscow Times, Hurriyet, Handelsblatt, Al Arabiya, Al Hurra, Al Jazeera, and the Congressional Research Service.
Selected Publications
- With Thomas J. Gordon IV and James Joyner, “May Madness: Competitive Wargaming in a Pandemic,” War on the Rocks, June 1, 2020.
- “U.S. NATO Policy in the Age of Trump: Controversy and Consistency,” The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, 43:1 Winter 2019.
- “Russia’s Escalation of Hostile Actions Against Sweden and Finland,” Libera, December 19, 2017.
- “Two Ways NATO Can Meet Donald Trump’s Security Demands,” with Frank Kramer, U.S. News and World Report, April 14, 2017.
- “How to Navigate Trump's Tectonic Change in Transatlantic Relations,” CNN, February 16, 2017.
- “The Threat From Kaliningrad Is Real,” Real Clear World, January 19, 2017.
- “Europe's Misguided Plan for a New Joint Military Headquarters,” The National Interest, September 26, 2016.
- Alliance at Risk (rapporteur), Atlantic Council, 2016.
Service
- Faculty Council, Marine Corps University
- Editorial Board, MCU Journal of Advanced Military Studies (JAMS)
- Foreign Affairs Officer’s Association Award Committee, Marine Corps Command and Staff College
- Krulak Center Liaison, The Landing, Marine Corps Command and Staff College