Why Serve? What Drives Americans to Military Service in a Changing World
Join the Quincy Institute’s Veterans in Foreign Policy Initiative for an in-person panel that examines the evolving motivations behind military service. As concerns mount about a recruitment “crisis,” the panel asks what is actually changing and what may be misunderstood about who serves and why.
Our panel will explore whether today’s young Americans are motivated by the same mix of duty, adventure, economic opportunity, and camaraderie as previous generations; whether Gen Z presents new challenges for recruitment; and how cultural portrayals of war and military service shape enlistment. The discussion will also consider retention and whether the U.S. military should adapt further to sustain the all-volunteer force in a changing society.
Panelists include Bishop Garrison, former senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Human Capital during the Biden Administration, Yvette Bourcicot, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs from 2022-25, & Jeremy Thompson, former All Source intelligence analyst with the 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Adam Weinstein, director of QI’s Veterans in Foreign Policy Initiative, will moderate the conversation.
The event will take place on Tuesday, February 10th from 6:00-8:00 PM ET at the National Press Club’s Holeman Lounge, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045. Small refreshments and drinks will be available throughout.
Program
Entities
Panelists
Bishop Garrison
Bishop Garrison is former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Human Capital during the Biden Administration. Previously, he served as the Vice President for Policy with the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, INSA. Bishop graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and is the recipient of two Bronze Stars. His civilian accolades and awards include multiple medals from the Office of the Secretary of Defense as well as several citations from the Department of Homeland Security and the Executive Office of the President.
Yvette Bourcicot
Yvette Bourcicot served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs from 2022-25 where she advised the Secretary of the Army on all matters related to the Army People Strategy. Previously she worked for several technology and social media companies, including Match Group as a Policy Communications Director, AirBnB as a Policy Manager, and Facebook as a Policy Communications Manager. Prior to that she was the Associate Deputy General Counsel in the Department of Defense’s Office of Legal Counsel and a Senior Advisor on International Humanitarian Policy in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy. She is a United States Air Force veteran where she commissioned through the ROTC program at Princeton University. She later earned her JD from Georgetown University and became an Air Force Judge Advocate.
Jeremy Thompson
SFC(R) Jeremy Thompson is a national security professional with 22 years of distinguished service, beginning as an All Source Intelligence Analyst with the 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), where he supported Special Forces operations across strategic and tactical levels. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School, SERE, and other elite courses, and has combat experience in Central Asia. In 2014, he was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for Heroism and Valor for a non-combat situation. Following his retirement in July 2022, he transitioned into the Department of Defense contracting sector. A longtime advocate for service members, Jeremy has held senior leadership roles within the Enlisted National Guard Association of Alabama and currently serves as Executive Director of the Special Operations Association of America.
Adam Weinstein
Adam Weinstein is deputy director of the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute and director of QI's Veterans in Foreign Policy Initiative. His current research focuses on security and rule of law in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. He is also a non-resident fellow at Tadblab, a think tank and advisory firm based in Islamabad, and regularly travels throughout Pakistan. Adam’s analysis has been featured in the Washington Post, Guardian, Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, Lawfare, and The National Interest. He served as a US Marine and deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 as part of a detachment to the 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company where he served in Uruzgan Province in support of Australia’s 2nd Commando Regiment.