The Admiral James W. Nance Foreign Policy Lecture Series
Featuring
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 | 12 noon
Maggiano's Little Italy
4400 Sharon Road
Charlotte, N.C. 28211
America’s Military Readiness:
National Security in a Trump Administration
featuring
Military experts Secretary Robert Wilkie and General James Amos
Robert L. Wilkie was the 10th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2018 to 2021 during the first Donald Trump Administration. Prior to leading the VA, Wilkie served as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the principal advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense for Total Force Management.
The son of an Army Artillery Commander, Willkie spent his youth at Fort Bragg. Today, he is a Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve assigned to the Office of the Chief of Staff.
Wilkie is Chairman of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. and appears as a frequent military expert on national TV. He is the Senior National Security Analyst for Newsmax Television.
The North Carolina native holds an Honors degree from Wake Forest University, a Juris Doctor from Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans, a Master of Laws in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University, and a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.
James F. “Jim” Amos is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star General who served as the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps. A native of the Pacific Northwest, General Amos joined the Marine Corps after college, entering pilot training in 1970.
Following his selection to Brigadier General in 1998, Amos’ varied assignments found him in the Balkans with NATO forces during the Serbian/Kosovo conflict, in Iraq twice in command of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Camp Lejeune, in command of all east coast Marine combat forces, finally culminating with his assignment in 2010 as Commandant of the Marine Corps.
General Amos completed 42 years of active service to our nation and its Marines in December 2014. Today he’s active in public and private business ventures and serves on the boards of numerous nonprofits.
Amos and his wife, Bonnie, have been married 55 years. They currently live in Charlotte and most importantly are “player-coaches” to their four active grandchildren.
This lecture series is made possible by a generous gift from the John William Pope Foundation.
The Admiral James W. Nance Foreign Policy Lecture Series is named in honor of Admiral James “Bud” Nance, a lifelong friend and professional associate of Senator Helms. Admiral Nance was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, whose commands in the Navy included the U.S.S. Forrestal aircraft carrier. The admiral also served as deputy national security advisor to President Reagan and as the chief of staff to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.