Courtesy Photo | Lt. Col. Kevin Ryan stands with retired Maj. Gen. Juris Maklakovs while attending the...... read more read more
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kevin Ryan becomes the U.S. Army War College's first Fellow at the Baltic Defense College in Estonia. Ryan is originally from Randolph, MA, and received his commission as a Military Intelligence Officer at Norwich University in Vermont. His research focuses on the long-term sustainability of the Baltic Nations' defense strategies,
As a Fellow, Ryan is taking advantage of the numerous opportunities to attend conferences and meet with experts. He has also had the chance to lecture at the Civil Servant and Joint Command and General Staff Courses on various defense and leadership-related topics before attending the BALTDEFCOL's version of the Senior Service College, the Higher Command Studies Course, which began in early Jan. 2025
Ryan recently sat down with the USAWC fellow office for a short question and answer session.
As a fellow, what has stood out so far?
The immersive nature of this Fellowship is phenomenal. It has allowed me to experience the security challenges of the Baltic Region and NATO's eastern flank firsthand, thoroughly enriching my understanding of the region's strategic challenges.
How has your faculty instructor, Dr. Robert Hamilton, AWC Faculty Advisor, facilitated your connections for your research?
Dr. Hamilton is a regional expert and connected me with critical regional thinkers, but also helped connect me with stateside think tanks who focus on the region and helped me publish my strategy paper for broader consumption. His contacts and knowledge were incredibly valuable. You can find his article here: https://www.fpri.org/article/2024/12/the-new-baltic-way-assessing-the-baltic-defensive-line-concept/
What have you learned from being immersed in Estonia's culture?
Tartu is Estonia's oldest city, dating back to Teutonic knight conquests in 1030. It is best known as Estonia's academic and cultural heart, with the highly ranked University of Tartu attracting a diverse and international crowd. Tartu is a very fun, well-resourced, safe, and small college city that is walkable and has excellent public transportation. I like to tell people that if Tartu were a city in the U.S., it would be your favorite one!
Where have you traveled during this Fellowship?
I have traveled to Tallinn, Estonia, and Riga, Latvia, for Defense Conferences and while attending the BATLDEFCOL Senior Leader Course. For leisure, my family and I have traveled to Finland and Norway. We've also spent time in Germany and France and plan to take trips around Europe as our schedules allow the rest of the year.
You had the opportunity to lecture on Military Ethics at BDC. Have you studied military ethics or have a particular interest in it?
I do not have a background education in Military Ethics, but I have emphasized its importance in nearly every role I've had as a leader within my professional development programs. I am deeply interested in the topic and was fortunate enough to co-lecture with the Executive Director of The International Society for Military Ethics in Europe, Dr. Ted van Baarda. Ted offered a deep theoretical background, and I layered in the practical application of those theories as a Battalion Commander. It was the highlight of my first-semester lecturing experience.
What speaker has stood out to you at BDC?
It is hard to choose just one, but the BALTDEFCOL's Senior Leader Course in Riga brought in a diverse array of speakers who helped frame the strategic environment in this region and greatly assisted in my understanding of the issues impacting my research.
What are some unique or memorable experiences during your Fellowship?
Meeting the Prime Minister of Estonia and the Chiefs of Defense in each Baltic country stands out as a unique experience resulting from the Fellowship. Our family travel throughout Europe has also allowed us to make collective memories that we cherish.
What will your Strategy Paper focus on?
My research has focused on the sustainability of various defense initiatives within the Baltic Region, which I was unfamiliar with prior to this Fellowship. The Baltic Defence College has experts and connections to a community of experts on the subjects that impact this research, so I had a very supportive community here to enrich my research and understanding of regional security issues from a strategic standpoint.
How was your experience as a speaker at a foreign institution?
BALTDEFCOL is an entirely English-speaking institution, so if anything, I have an advantage over my colleagues, being a native English speaker. The challenge of lecturing in that environment has been to create content for field grade officers that enhances their understanding of operational and strategic level concepts while acknowledging that English is a second or third language for most of them. As a lecturer, you must put thought into every slide and approach most topics as a student instead of a lecturer with expertise.
What opportunities did the Fellowship allow you to do that are out of the ordinary?
Certainly, one does not often get to travel to the Baltic region and appreciate that. While the Baltics have a shared heritage of Soviet oppression and threat from a revanchist Russia, each nation has a unique culture and security concerns that give depth to the understanding of strategic defense in this region that I hope will help me continue my career.
BALTDEFCOL was established over 25 years ago and is the longest-lasting and most important symbol of defense cooperation between the so-called "Baltic Nations" of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The mission of the College is to educate military and civilians, from Senior Enlisted to field grade officers, through the senior executive service and flag officer ranks, on security issues affecting the greater Baltic Region and NATO's eastern flank.
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2025 10:04 |
| Story ID: | 495004 |
| Location: | CARLISLE BARRACKS, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 227 |
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