Events

Watson Events

Jonathan Bott — Wings of Hope: Creating an Afghan Evacuee Safehaven

Thursday, March 2, 2023

12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Joukowsky Forum, Watson Institute, 111 Thayer Street

Lunch will be provided

In August 2021, the United States Government evacuated 122,000 Afghan civilians to safe havens across the United States. Lt Col Jonathan Bott will share his experience as the Chief of Staff for one of these sites; creating it from scratch in the desert of New Mexico with three days' notice before the first arrivals. The discussion will include an overview of Operation Allies Welcome, interagency efforts to address the humanitarian need, and the refocus of combat oriented capabilities in support of the largest non-combatant evacuation and resettlement in U.S. History.

Military Fellows Speaker Series

Lt Col Bott is a Visiting Scholar and National Defense Fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. He previously served as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Air Force’s 4th Fighter Wing and as Commander of the 333rd Fighter Squadron. As an Air Force active duty officer and Instructor Weapons System Officer; he has flown over 2,200 hours including over 600 combat hours primarily in the F-15E Strike Eagle. His six deployments include operations in Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf, the Horn of Africa, Europe, and most recently Operation Allies Welcome supporting Afghan evacuation efforts. He received a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology from Boston University and three Masters degrees, most recently a Master of Military Arts and Science in Theater Operations from the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College. He is also a graduate of the elite School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, KS where he authored foundational research on multi-domain operations.