Naval Department Unveils First-Ever Cohort of Strategic Studies Group

WASHINGTON – The Department of the Navy’s Office of Strategic Assessment has introduced the first cohort for the Naval Strategic Studies Group (NSSG). This initiative aims to forge advanced strategists ready to lead the Navy and Marine Corps amidst evolving challenges.

The inaugural group comprises Navy, Marine Corps, and Department of the Navy civilian personnel from diverse professional backgrounds. They will contribute their expertise to address the Department of the Navy’s (DON) pressing strategic issues.

According to Dr. Cara LaPointe, Director of the Office of Strategic Assessment, having leaders with varied professional experiences is crucial for tackling strategic naval domain challenges. “The cohort members bring a range of experiences and expertise to NSSG, applying these to their research on our most pressing strategic concerns,” she emphasized.

2025 NSSG Members

CAPTAIN TARA GOLDEN, a naval flight officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, also works as a veterinarian. Her extensive policy and strategic experience includes roles at U.S. European Command and NATO. In civilian life, she manages Golden Paws Veterinary Service in Virginia. Golden is a U.S. Naval Academy alumna and earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University.

COLONEL NATHAN FLEISCHAKER recently served as Inspector-Instructor for a reserve infantry battalion. His deployments span Iraq, Afghanistan, and Australia. He has held strategic advisory roles within U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. A 2003 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Fleischaker also holds degrees from Oxford and Stanford universities.

COMMANDER KATHLEEN CRAIG leads the Office of Naval Research Science and Technology Unit 206 in Atlanta. Since her 2004 commissioning as a surface warfare officer, she has supported naval research and development. Her education includes a political science degree from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.

MAJOR CHRISTOPHER HUFF, an MV-22 pilot, has also served as a strategic analyst. His Marine Corps journey began as an infantry officer with deployments to Afghanistan and Japan. Huff, whose articles have appeared in the Marine Corps Gazette, holds degrees from Texas Tech University and the Naval Postgraduate School.

HUNTER STIRES, a maritime strategist, directs the U.S. Naval Institute’s Maritime Counterinsurgency Project. An accomplished essayist and frequent contributor to The National Interest, he is affiliated with various maritime research centers. Stires graduated from Columbia University.

MICHAEL TEHRANI has been instrumental in Navy and Defense departments’ intelligence since 2019. A program analyst, he focuses on undersea warfare and serves as a senior strategic advisor. Tehrani’s academic credentials include degrees from the University of Florida and The Institute of World Politics.