On Wednesday, December 10, the International Affairs Forum returns to the Milliken Auditorium with a revealing look at the hidden environmental, social, and economic impacts of U.S. military spending. America’s defense budget exceeds $800 billion, but the real cost goes deeper. The True Cost of Defense follows quadruple-amputee veteran Travis Mills, military recruiters, families on overseas bases, and communities shaped by global military commitments. It reveals defense’s most profound price: the human one—lives forever changed by service and America’s role in world affairs.
A reception will precede the event at 6:30 p.m., with the screening at 7 p.m. followed by a public Q&A panel discussion at 8 p.m.
The panel includes Jack Segal, retired senior U.S. diplomat and former Consul General who served at the White House, held posts in Russia, Israel/Palestine, and Afghanistan, helped craft landmark U.S.–USSR nuclear agreements, and earned a Bronze Star for service in Vietnam; MajGen Mike Lehnert, USMC (ret.), co-chair of the International Affairs Forum Advisory Board and longtime Marine commander with operational roles in Panama, Kuwait, Iraq, and Cuba; and Colonel Steve Briggs, U.S. Army (ret.), a 30-year Army Aviation and senior Operations/Plans Officer with additional service as a DoD analyst and deployments to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Afghanistan. More panelists may be announced at TCIAF.com and on IAF socials.
Admission is free—advance registration is recommended. To register, visit TCIAF.com.
Presented in partnership with Free To Choose Media.
