Robert Swope is a national security and defense acquisition professional who has spent over two decades working for the U.S. government, including extensive experience supporting senior leaders across the Department of Defense.
Before coming to American Global Strategies he served with the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office to rapidly prototype advanced capabilities for the Warfighter, working closely with Army stakeholders and industry partners.
Previously, Mr. Swope served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Strategy and Acquisition Reform and as part of an Army Science Board team, contributing to a major study on Army Futures Command and authoring report chapters on acquisition processes and reform initiatives.
From 2017 to 2019, he served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where his portfolio included leading the Department’s engagement with the International Committee of the Red Cross and policy work related to munitions, autonomous weapons, civilian harm, and international humanitarian law.
A former Army Infantry officer, Mr. Swope was commissioned through the ROTC program at Valley Forge Military College before earning a Bachelor’s in Government from Georgetown University. He later served with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and deployed twice to Iraq, holding roles as Infantry Platoon Leader, Battalion Civil-Military Operations Officer, and Assistant Brigade Civil-Military Operations Officer.
Following active duty, Mr. Swope served as an Iraqi Army advisor with Military Professional Resources, Inc., and later joined the U.S. Department of State as a Program Manager in Erbil, where he oversaw U.S. foreign assistance programs across three Iraqi provinces. He later worked in Africa for the Department of State’s Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Mr. Swope holds a Master’s in International Development Policy from Duke University, an International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance from Fordham University, and a Graduate Certificate in International Affairs from Texas A&M University.