Professor Adam Oler is a Professor of National Security Strategy and the Associate Dean of Academics at the National War College, National Defense University. As Associate Dean, he leads curriculum design and implementation across the College’s core program, with a focus on aligning senior professional military education to Department of War priorities. He has spearheaded efforts to integrate joint warfighting and multi-domain operations across the curriculum, strengthening the preparation of senior leaders to plan and execute strategy at the operational and strategic levels.
Professor Oler is an original author and lead co-editor of A National Security Strategy Primer, the College’s foundational text on strategic logic used across the curriculum and by interagency and partner institutions. He has played a central role in the development of the National War College’s regional studies and applied strategy programs, with particular emphasis on Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the broader strategic dynamics of the Middle East. His work includes designing core curriculum, leading field study programs, and delivering widely attended lectures on regional security, the roots of sectarianism, and the implications of Middle East conflicts for U.S. strategy. Before becoming Associate Dean, he served as Chair of the Department of Security Studies.
A retired Air Force Colonel and Joint Qualified Officer, Professor Oler spent nearly 24 years as a judge advocate in a range of operational and senior advisory roles, including service as a legal advisor to senior commanders during combat operations. He holds a J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, a bachelor’s degree in history from the New College of Florida, and is a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College.
- FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE: National Security Strategy, Strategic Design, Joint Warfighting, Law of War
- REGIONAL EXPERTISE: Middle East
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