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Whitney Grespin

Whitney Grespin

Visiting Research Fellow

Biography

Dr Whitney Grespin has worked in contingency contracting, professional military education, and stability operations on five continents. She received her PhD in 2021 from King’s College London’s Defence Studies Department, during which time she was appointed as an instructor at the UK Joint Services Command & Staff College and led the course revision for the Peace Operation Training Institutes Ethics in Peace Operations through her affiliation for the Centre for Military Ethics.  From 2020-21, she completed a Visiting Scholar engagement with George Washington Elliott School's Institute for African Studies and worked as a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Institute for Future Conflict for AY21-22. Dr. Grespin is a Term Member at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Non-Resident Fellow at the Joint Special Operations University, and an advisory member of the Security Sector Reform Unit for the United Nations. She is currently a Lecturer and Regional Program Lead for West Africa for the Defense Security Cooperation University’s Institute for Security Governance.

Research Interests

  • Security Sector Reform
  • Africa
  • Contingency Contracting
  • Civil-Military Relations
  • Professional Military Education

Dr. Grespin’s academic work focuses on the USG use of contractors to deliver foreign training to partner nation security sector actors.

Publications

Book Chapters

  • U.S. Contingency Contracting in the Total Defence Force: Framing the Industry.” in Eds. Joakim Berndtsson, Irina Goldenberg and Stéfanie von Hlatky. "Total Defence Forces in the 21st Century." McGill-Queen’s University Press.
  • Forthcoming “Gender Consideration Priorities Emanating from Programming of the IGAD ICEPCVE Centre of Excellence in Djibouti” in the volume Gender and Countering Violent Extremism: Perspectives, Approaches and, Lessons Learnt. Lexington Books, an imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
  • Enhancing Operational Effectiveness Through an Analysis of the Women, Peace, and Security Environment in Djibouti.” Sandhurst Trends in Conflict: Women, Peace and Security in Military Operations. Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Howgate Publishing. 2023.
  • The Easy Button: Foreign Military Training as an Exit Plan.” Sandhurst Trends in Conflict: War Amongst the People. Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Howgate Publishing. 2019.

Research Articles

Monographs

Policy Papers

  • “Regional Strategy to Prevent, Counter, and Respond to the Threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the IGAD region” for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). 2022.
  • “Capacity Assessment and Gap Analysis Report: Somali National Security Forces Improvised Explosive Device – Threat Mitigation Capabilities” for the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). 2021.
  • Ethics in Peace Operationscourse revision for the Peace Operations Training Institute (POTI). 2019.

Public Media

Whitney Grespin PURE Profile

Research

FSPR Thumb New
Forum for Private Security Research

The FSPR provides a hub for scholars interested in studying the private security sector.

News

New ethics course designed by King's College London for International Institute exceeds enrolment expectations

Defence Studies staff create new online course for the Peace Operations Training Institute

EthicsPeaceOps780

Events

09JunRegional Security and Development

Complicating Peacemaking: Order and Disorder of Non-State Actors in Post-Conflict Situations

PhDs students discuss their research and practice of post-conflict reconstruction

Please note: this event has passed.

Research

FSPR Thumb New
Forum for Private Security Research

The FSPR provides a hub for scholars interested in studying the private security sector.

News

New ethics course designed by King's College London for International Institute exceeds enrolment expectations

Defence Studies staff create new online course for the Peace Operations Training Institute

EthicsPeaceOps780

Events

09JunRegional Security and Development

Complicating Peacemaking: Order and Disorder of Non-State Actors in Post-Conflict Situations

PhDs students discuss their research and practice of post-conflict reconstruction

Please note: this event has passed.