Pilot, U.S. Air Force
From Richmond, VA, Dr. Nathan Dial is an Active-Duty Major in the US Air Force. Nathan earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a minor in Spanish from the US Air Force Academy in 2010. Over his 12-year Air Force career, Nathan has deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, and Ali Al-Salem Air Base, Kuwait, piloting the EC-130H with the 55th Electronic Combat Group (Tucson, AZ). Currently, Nathan serves at Offutt, AFB (Omaha, NE) as an RC-135 Pilot with the 55th Operations Group. Additionally, in 2012, Nathan attained a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, where he focused on Political and Economic Development. In 2021, Nathan received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University, concentrating on comparative politics and minoring in qualitative and quantitative methods. His dissertation developed a theory on why the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pursues out-of-area activities in the 21st Century. In his spare time, Nathan enjoys playing golf and pick-up basketball, riding his Peloton, reading biographies, producing sports analytic articles, and playing the piano. Teams, where the collective is greater than the sum of its parts, have inspired Nathan’s studies and assignments in the military. The idea of creating groups that elevate their members led him to study economics, public policy, NATO, and sports analytics. Nathan plans to contribute to the Aspen Strategy Group community through his experiences and learn how the various parts of the United States’ security apparatus can positively impact its foreign policy and global standing.