Jason Baker

About Jason Baker

After 20 years helping keep the world safer as a combat aviator and international security cooperation leader, I\'m stepping into the next chapter: AI governance, aerospace & defense policy, and the hard work of ensuring that emerging technologies make humanity safer rather than more vulnerable.I\'ve spent my career at the intersection of where technology meets strategy and where policy meets operational reality. Along the way I\'ve-Represented the United States at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, coordinating arms control and emerging technology governance with 57 nations-Managed a $45B Foreign Military Sales portfolio as the principal U.S. Air Force advisor to senior Saudi Ministry of Defense officials, navigating the full complexity of international defense trade-Led emerging and asymmetric threats research at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, designing wargaming scenarios, and producing policy analysis for senior DoD and State Department leadershipWhat I learned: policymakers and practitioners often don\'t speak the same language. The best governance frameworks fail when they ignore operational reality. The best operators struggle to influence policy when they can\'t navigate its institutions. I\'ve lived on both sides of that divide, and bridging it is what I want to do next.That practitioner-to-policy translation is where I add the most value:I\'m now pursuing roles in AI governance, defense and aerospace policy, and national security-focused research and advocacy in the Washington DC area, where I can apply this experience to help organizations and institutions think more clearly about the technology challenges that define this era.I hold an MA in International Affairs focusing on U.S. foreign policy and national security, an MBA, and an active TS/SCI clearance. I\'m a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former National Security Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.If you\'re working on AI governance, arms control, emerging technology policy, or defense and aerospace advocacy — or if you just think the gap between policymakers and practitioners is a problem worth solving — let\'s connect!

Experience

1. Senior Strategic Analyst - Strategic Trends & Wargaming

   Defense Threat Reduction Agency

   Apr 2025 — Present · Fort Belvoir, VA, US

   DTRA provides cross-cutting solutions to enable the Department of Defense, the United States Government, and international partners to deter strategic attack against the United States and its allies; prevent, reduce, and counter WMD and emerging threats; and prevail against WMD-armed adversaries in crisis and conflict.• Lead strategic foresight initiatives through wargaming and scenario research, providing planning and after-action analysis for exercises that test policy responses to WMD proliferation, technology disruption, and adversary courses of action, helping leaders anticipate and prevent crises before they escalate

Education

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science and Government

• American University School of International Service

  Master of International Service, U.S. National Security and Foreign Policy

• American Military University

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Homeland Security Resource Management

• USAF Air War College

  Air Force Executive Leadership School, National Security Strategy & Policy Studies

• Defense Security Cooperation University

  Security Cooperation Officer

• USAF Air Command and Staff College

  National Security and Joint Operations

Skills

• Leadership
• Intelligence
• Active Top Secret
• Combat Operations
• Public Speaking
• International Relations
• Veterans
• Instructional Systems Development
• Volunteering
• Oral Communication
• C4isr
• Joint Military Operations
• Presentation Skills
• National Security
• Military Liaison
• Program Management
• Air Force
• Isr
• Weapons
• Defense
• Management
• Military Training
• Deployment Experience
• Information Assurance
• Standards Development
• Aviation
• Counter-Narcotics
• Tactics
• Military Aviation
• Operational Planning
• Non-Profit Volunteering
• Disaster Response
• Military
• Military Operations
• U.s. Department of Defense
• Interagency Coordination
• Combat
• Joint Planning
• Stressful Situations
• Writing