PAUL S. GIARRA
GLOBAL STRATEGIES & TRANSFORMATION
psgiarragsandt@aol.com
703.615.4114
Paul Giarra leads Global Strategies & Transformation, a national defense and strategic planning consultancy. He is a thought leader, a proven strategic planner, and a creative concept developer who combines substance with process. His in-depth analysis and national level strategic policy formulation; broad historical knowledge of global regions and current security politics; extensive international expertise and reputation; and technical knowledge of change mechanisms, security futures, and defense transformation underpin his extensive wargaming, writing for publication, creative development of plausible future scenarios, and concept development and experimentation. A natural collaborator and team leader, he maintains especially broad contacts throughout the security thought leadership community, in the Regional Combatant Commands, in Asia, and in NATO. He also is a qualified and experienced program manager of significant projects and staffs.
A recent client testimonial:Due to the highly creative nature of the project and the long-standing professional relationship between Mr. Giarra and the client, vignette development will be conducted in close coordination with the Client . . . This RFP is a sole source solicitation, based on past performance and Mr. Giarra’s near-exclusive expertise in Future Worlds scenarios in a defense transformation context.
EDUCATION
- South Kent School, Cum Laude; Senior Prefect; 1967
- B.A. in History; Harvard College 1972
- M.A. in International Relations; Salve Regina College 1984 (In conjunction with the U.S. Naval War College)
- U.S. Naval War College (Command and Staff), Highest Distinction; 1983
- National Institute of Defense Studies (National War College equivalent); Tokyo, Japan 1988
WORK SUMMARY
Paul Giarra leads Global Strategies & Transformation, a professional services firm and consultancy providing national security strategic analysis, defense concept development, military transformation expertise, and applied history as a planning tool. Previously he was a Senior Program Manager and Director of the Global Strategies and Transformation Program at Hicks and Associates, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation where, among other important responsibilities, he led analyst and data collection teams at U.S. Northern Command and NATO Allied /command Transformation. He is a strategic planner and security analyst for Japan, China, East Asian, and NATO futures. His is an interagency community expert and Navy Senior Subject Matter Expert, and a U.S. Naval War College Maritime Strategy “Greybeard”. As a military transformation expert, he has supported transformation and experimentation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, at U.S. Joint Forces Command, at NATO Headquarters, and at NATO Allied Command Transformation. Mr. Giarra has moderated, designed, and led seminars, workshops, and war games for a variety of U.S. government clients. Mr. Giarra is a frequent panelist and commentator on Asia security and regional political, economic, technology, energy, and security futures, and the parallel transformation of the U.S. military. During his Naval career, Mr. Giarra was a Naval aviator; a naval strategic planner; and a political-military strategic planner for Far East, South Asia and Pacific issues; and managed the U.S.-Japan alliance in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
PREVIOUS CUSTOMERS
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Office of Net Assessment, Department of Defense
- Office of Force Transformation
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- The Joint Staff
- U.S. Joint Forces Command
- U.S. Northern Command
- Headquarters, U.S. Air Force
- Air Force Research Laboratory
- Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe
- U.S. Naval War College
- Naval Postgraduate School Center for Civil-Military Relations
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Federal Aviation Administration
- NATO Allied Command Transformation
- NATO Headquarters
- Bath Iron Works
- Northrop Grumman Corporation
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1998 to 2008 Mr. Giarra was a Senior Program Manager and Deputy Operations Manager and Director of the Global Strategies and Transformation Program in the Strategic Assessment Center, part of Hicks and Associates, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation. Asia strategic planner with a superb reputation for highly valued analysis and insights throughout the Asia-Pacific policy community. Leading analyst of East Asian security developments and futures. A data collection and analysis expert. An interagency community expert and Navy Senior Subject Matter Expert. Maritime Strategy “Greybeard”. Responsible for long-range planning, wargaming, and strategic operational and technical capability assessments for U.S. government clients. Managed teams in support of transformation and experimentation at U.S. Northern Command, and at NATO Allied Command Transformation, and is the lead on support for NATO ACT concept development and experimentation. He designs and executes seminars, workshops, and war games for a variety of U.S. and allied government clients. He concentrates on regional political, economic, technology, energy, and security futures, and the parallel transformation of the U.S. military, employing wargaming extensively as an analytical tool. Mr. Giarra also conducts weapons system analysis and explores technology futures for U.S. government clients.
1996 to 1998 Mr. Giarra established a private consulting firm focusing on Japan issues, providing analytical support for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; the Institute for Defense Analyses; the Center for Naval Analyses; the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization; and Science Applications International Corporation. He was a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies of the U.S. National Defense University.
U.S. Navy, 1972-1995 During his Naval career, Mr. Giarra was a Naval aviator, naval strategic planner, and a political-military strategic planner for Far East, South Asia and Pacific issues.
From 1991 to 1995, Paul Giarra was the Senior Country Director for Japan in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. He led the interagency in the DoD effort to restructure U.S. national security policy toward Japan during a period of profound transition. Bringing together the interagency policy and intelligence communities, he instigated a policy program of intensified dialogue with Japan, rejuvenating flagging Japanese confidence in the American security commitment and restoring U.S. influence. His efforts led to significantly enhanced cooperation between the CIA and the Department of Defense, and established the baseline for intelligence estimates and collection plans. He established the U.S.-Japan Theater Missile Defense Working Group, and led the U.S.-Japan Initiative for Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Nye, culminating in the 1996 Tokyo Security Summit. When he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, his achievements were described as "of historic significance" by Secretary of Defense William Perry.
From 1988 to 1991, Mr. Giarra was assigned to the Strategic Concepts Group (OP-603) on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, responsible for the formation of global naval strategy and policy, strategic wargaming, regional strategy, and Navy strategic planning in Asia. He conducted extensive staff and functional coordination with the national interagency and international strategy communities, and was the CNO Staff lead for Global War Game 1988, 1989, and 1990. He was awarded the Navy Meritorious Service Medal for his leading role in re-orienting Navy strategic and programmatic priorities at the end of the Cold War.
MAJOR PUBLICATIONS
“The Defense Of Japan In The 21st Century”, in Shukan Gendai, (Tokyo, October, 1996)
“Point Of Choice, Point Of Departure: Setting the New Trajectory for U.S.-Japan Security Relations”, In The Japan Quarterly, vol. 44, no. 1, January – March, 1997 (The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo)
“Host Nation Support, Responsibility Sharing, and Alternative Approaches to U.S. Bases in Japan”, The U.S. Naval War College Review, (Autumn 1997: 49-66)
“Integrating Essential Bases in Japan: Innovative Approaches to Maintaining America’s Strategic Presence”, in Michael J. Green and Patrick Cronin, eds., The U.S. – Japan Alliance: Past, Present, and Future, (New York, The Council on Foreign Relations, 1999)
“The Alliance Implications of Theater Missile Defense”, with Patrick Cronin and Michael Green, in Michael J. Green and Patrick Cronin, eds., The U.S. – Japan Alliance: Past, Present, and Future, (New York, The Council on Foreign Relations, 1999)
“Managing the New U.S.-Japan Security Alliance: Enhancing Structures and Mechanisms to Address Post-Cold War Requirements”, with Akihisa Nagashima and Emily Metzgar, in Michael J. Green and Patrick Cronin, eds., The U.S. – Japan Alliance: Past, Present, and Future, (New York, The Council on Foreign Relations, 1999)
“Interim Report from an Evolving Alliance: Japan’s Changing Security Policy -- Listening All These Years”, The Library Of Congress, April 12, 2000
“Are Okinawa Bases Really Important for Japan from a Strategic Point of View?”, in Strategy 21 (The Bungei Shunju, Tokyo, September, 2000)
“Renegotiating the U.S.-Japan Security Relationship, 1991–1996”, with Ezra F. Vogel, in Japanese Negotiating Behavior, (The U.S. Institute for Peace, Washington, D.C., 2003)
“Japan and Missile Defense Cooperation with the United States: Changed Directions and Uncertain Opinions”, (The National Bureau of Asian Research, Seattle Washington, 2003)
“Thought Experimentation: Sea-Based Joint And Combined Urban Operations In 2025”, (Unpublished manuscript, January, 2007)
“China’s Maritime Reconnaissance-Strike Complex: Land Mobile, Maneuverable Reentry Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBMs)”, briefing delivered at the Fairbank Center for East Asian Research China Current Events Workshop, Harvard University, September 28, 2007
“Back to Basics for the U.S.-Japan Alliance”, (Forthcoming, Armed Forces Journal, August, 2008)
“The NATO Response Force Initiative”, in Transforming International Defense Capabilities, CAPT Scott Jasper, USN (Ret.) editor (Forthcoming, Lynne Rienner Publishers, September, 2008)
Numerous columns in The Brief (The Asian Council, Tokyo.)
Numerous columns in The Japan Digest (McLean, Virginia)
MISCELLANEOUS
Frequent commentator in the Japanese news media, including major newspapers and national TV. Former Editorial Advisor for the Japan Digest. Member, International Institute for Strategic Studies Member, U.S. Naval Institute Member, Navy League of the United States Member, Air Force Association Chief Election Officer, Fairfax County, Virginia
COMPUTER PROFICIENCY
Microsoft Office and Project
SECURITY CLEARANCE
TOP SECRET/SSBI (DISCO/April 27, 2004)
REFERENCES
Will be provided upon request.