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Arnold Punaro

Fellow

Headshot of Arnold Punaro

Major General Arnold L. Punaro, USMC (ret.) is a BPC fellow and member of its Task Force on Defense Personnel. He has decades of experience in defense, legislative affairs, federal budget, and acquisition strategy. As CEO of the Punaro Group, he consults for Fortune 100 companies on strategy related to the federal budget, government relations, business risk analysis, and compliance. Previously, Punaro served as chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association. He holds more than 20 military awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal, and has been recognized by Defense News as one of the 100 most influential individuals in defense policy.

From 1997 to 2010, Punaro served as an executive vice president at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), where he served as a sector manager, deputy vice president of the federal business segment, and led SAIC’s corporate business development organization.

From 1973 to 1997, Punaro staffed Sen. Sam Nunn on national security matters. He served as his director of national security affairs, as staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and as staff director for the minority.

Punaro holds a Master of Arts degree in national security studies from Georgetown University, a Master of Arts degree in communication and journalism from the University of Georgia, and a Bachelor of Science in English from Spring Hill College. He served on the faculty of the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University for ten years, where he taught an annual graduate level course entitled “National Security Decision Making.”