Press Release – Mitchell Institute Dean Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Delivers Keynote Address at the 28th Annual National Security Law Conference at Duke University

Arlington, Virginia | March 6, 2023

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies was honored to be part of the 28th Annual National Security Law Conference at Duke University’s Center for Law, Ethics, and National Security from February 23-25, 2023. The conference at Duke University hosted over 250 attendees representing schools from across the country, including students from each of the United States service academies.

Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.) delivered a keynote address on “Airpower, Law, and the Warfighter’s Perspective,” where he provided observations about the role of law and lawyers in air operations. Lt Gen Deptula remarked, “The Judge Advocate corps is incredibly valuable to military operations. Today’s global security environment has highlighted the importance of the JAG corps and revitalized discussion concerning the Law of Armed Conflict and how it is applied to modern warfare.”

Gen Deptula continued by describing the threats of today and how a potential war with China will likely include a level of technological innovation and lethality never before seen in warfare: “As technology advances between the United States and China, we will need our lawyers on the frontline of impending moral questions like artificial intelligence and the debate over autonomous weapons. JAGs are an essential link in closing the kill chain as quickly as possible while staying within moral, ethical, and legal bounds.”

Lt Gen Deptula’s full remarks are available below.

Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.) delivers the keynote address at the LENS Conference at Duke University

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