Dan Bennett

Dan Bennett is a retired U.S. Army colonel who currently serves as the Director of the United States Alliance in the Indo-Pacific at the Department of Defense. Some key facts about Dan Bennett:

Military Career

• Spent 25 years in the U.S. Army, starting as a communications officer and network engineer
• Became a cyber officer when the Army created a cyber branch, and served as the Director of Research for the U.S. Army Cyber Institute at West Point1

Current Role

• Director of the United States Alliance in the Indo-Pacific at the Department of Defense
• In this role, he has participated in events like the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in 2023, where he helped coordinate with local, U.S. and U.K. partners2

Transition to NREL

• After retiring from the Army, Bennett joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in 2019 as the Senior Technical Advisor for the Energy Security and Resilience Center1
• At NREL, he advised on strategic initiatives and helped expand the lab's work with the DoD and Department of Homeland Security1

Cybersecurity Expertise

• Bennett has deep expertise in cybersecurity, having served as a cyber officer in the Army and worked on grid cybersecurity at NREL1
• He sees opportunities for NREL to leverage 5G technology to improve grid security and resilience1

So in summary, Dan Bennett is a retired Army cyber officer who now serves as a senior DoD official focused on U.S. alliances in the Indo-Pacific region, bringing his cybersecurity and military experience to bear on these critical issues.