ARNSF learns about new Army command

The CGSC Foundation and Alumni Association and its Simons Center hosted an Arter-Rowland National Security Forum luncheon event on June 18, 2026, at the Carriage Club in Kansas City. The event featured a presentation by Army Strategist Col. Nathan K. Finney on the establishment of the U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command.

The CGSC Foundation’s Simons Center Director and ARNSF program leader Col. (Ret.) Todd Schmidt kicked off the Forum welcoming the ARNSF members and their guests. After lunch, he introduced Finney.

(Top photo and above) Army Strategist Col. Nathan K. Finney, provides members of the Arter-Rowland National Security Forum with a briefing on the establishment of the U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command, the U.S. Army’s newest Theater Army/Army Service Component Command, during an ARNSF luncheon event at the Carriage Club in Kansas City on June 18, 2026.

Finney began his presentation walking members of the forum through a historical timeline of our nation’s focus on its own hemisphere, building strength and security to enable global reach and strength. He also discussed the threats we face and how the new U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command is a result of strategic reprioritization and now provides support to both the U.S. Northern and U.S. Southern Commands. He further outlined the alliances and partnerships the command fosters through various security cooperation activities such as planning and exercises, military personnel exchanges and other programs.

Finney outlined the priorities of the command’s leadership. Gen. Joseph Ryan, who took command in December 2025 established three priorities: accomplish the mission, take care of the command’s people and continue to build the new Theater Army. Further, based on these priorities, the command established four focus areas to help shape the new command and it capabilities: war fighting, delivering combat-ready forces, continually transforming and strengthening the profession.

After the presentation and a question and answer period, Schmidt presented Finney with a small gift in appreciation for his time with the Forum. Schmidt also provided information about future ARNSF gatherings.

For more photos see the CGSC Foundation Flickr album

Visit the U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command to learn more about its mission and leadership

Colonel Nathan K. Finney is an Army Strategist currently serving as the director of the Commander’s Initiatives Group at U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command. He has served from the platoon to combatant command level, including combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and plans and strategy positions focused on the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Africa, and Central and South America.

Finney was a founding executive board member of the Military Writers Guild and is currently serving as the chairman of the advisory board. He was also a founder of The Strategy Bridge and the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum. He is a managing editor at the British Journal for Military History and serves on the editorial advisory board for the Journal of Military History. Among many other academic endeavors, he is a senior mentor for the Project on International Peace and Security (PIPS) and an affiliate of the Whole of Government Center at the College of William & Mary.

Finney is the co-editor and author of the book Redefining the Modern Military: The Intersection of Profession and Ethics (USNI Press), the editor and author of On Strategy: A Primer (Army University Press), and author of Orchestrating Power: The American Associational State in the First World War (Cornell University Press). He is currently researching his next book, which is focused on Taiwan in the Cold War.

Finney earned a doctorate in history from Duke University in 2022 while also serving as a Goodpaster Scholar. Previously, he received master’s degrees in public administration from Harvard University and the University of Kansas, and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona.

The Arter-Rowland National Security Forum (ARNSF) is led by the CGSC Foundation and Alumni Association’s Simons Center and is an exclusive professional information sharing and networking forum for those interested in keeping abreast of relevant information about national security issues.

Members of the Forum and their guests meet periodically at guest speaker events in downtown Kansas City. National and regional guest speakers representing all elements of national power (Diplomatic, Informational, Military and Economic) highlight the meetings. The Forum is nonpartisan, but elected government officials may present from time to time.

The Forum is named after Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Arter, Founding Chairman of the CGSC Foundation, and Mr. Landon Rowland, the Foundation’s first major donor who was well-known in Kansas City for his keen interest in national security issues and his leadership in business and philanthropy.

ARNSF events are only open to ARNSF members and their guests. If you are not a member but are interested in joining, contact the CGSC Foundation.

The Arter-Rowland National Security Forum is sponsored by: