Ukraine War lessons learned topic of Des Moines National Security Forum

The CGSC Foundation and its Simons Center hosted a gathering of the Des Moines National Security Forum (DMNSF) at the Des Moines Embassy Club West in West Des Moines, Iowa on April 3, 2025. In this presentation of the forum, Paul Schwennesen, Ph.D., a military analyst with Geopolitical Intelligence Services and a facilitator at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, provided a presentation entitled “Ukraine’s Fight — and What We Can Learn.”

Simons Center Director John Nelson provided welcome remarks, recognized the sponsors and after lunch, introduced Schwennesen.

In his presentation, Schwennesen discussed Ukraine’s defensive war against Russian aggression which has made world headlines for the past three years. He described how a striking evolution in the nature of the fight has been obscured by daily updates and political rhetoric. Schwennesen said Ukraine has gone from a net importer of military equipment and tactical training to positioning itself as a net exporter of the world’s most innovative and cutting edge battlefield know-how. Particularly in the realm of drone warfare, Ukraine possesses the most advanced doctrine on the planet and the U.S. security establishment would be wise to embrace it.

After the presentation, Schwennesen led a question and answer session with the attendees. At the conclusion of the evening Nelson and CGSC Foundation President/CEO Lora Morgan presented Schwennesen with a small gift in appreciation for his time with the Forum.

This was the first DMNSF event in 2025. Three more DMNSF events are planned for 2025: May 22, Sept. 17 and Nov. 5. More details will be published closer to the dates of each event.

Paul Schwennesen, Ph.D., is a military affairs analyst. He earned his doctorate from the University of Kansas, a master’s in government from Harvard University, and degrees in history and science from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Schwennesen served ten years in the U.S. military in weapons-systems acquisition, foreign area intelligence, and flightline operations which included deployments to Central America and Afghanistan. In 2022, he volunteered in Ukraine to provide civilian aid and combat training on the frontlines against the Russian invasion. He was presented with the Verhkhovna Rada medal by the Ukrainian Parliament for “Merit to the Ukrainian People.” His writing has appeared in Law & Liberty, the New York Times, American Spectator, Claremont Review, and in textbooks on environmental ethics (Oxford University Press and McGraw-Hill).

The CGSC Foundation’s Simons Center designed the Des Moines National Security Forum in the mold of its Arter-Rowland National Security Forum in Kansas City, wherein members of the forum meet periodically at guest speaker events to learn about issues related to national security. To help facilitate the new program in Des Moines, Brownells in Grinnell, Iowa, is the Simons Center’s local partner. Brownells Chairman Pete Brownell is also the Vice Chair for the Central Region of the U.S. for the CGSC Foundation’s board of trustees. The plan is to present at least four programs each year by subject matter experts on national security issues of interest to the business community.

~ Thank you to our 2025 DMNSF Sponsors ~

~Platinum~
Pritzker Military Foundation

~Gold~
Brownells
Terry and Joyce Lillis
Nymaster
Wellabe