A conversation with Gen. Lori Robinson, the first woman to command USNORTHCOM

As the first woman in U.S. history to lead a combatant command, retired General Lori Robinson, who has joined The Brookings Institution as a nonresident senior fellow, was at the forefront of NORAD and U.S. Northern, Central, and Indo-Pacific Command missions to defend and secure America and its interests. Now retired, she brings a wealth of experience to understanding how the United States ought to confront the pressing national security challenges it faces, from a rising China and a revanchist Russia, to Iran and North Korea, to extremist groups still metastasizing in unstable regions and failed states. To address them, the United States needs a wide range of tools and capabilities—but above all dedicated public servants with the perspective and skill to match the demands of an increasingly unpredictable and unstable world.

On December 18, Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon hosted Gen. Robinson at The Brookings Institution for a conversation on defense policy and the international security environment. Questions from the audience followed.