Expert on national security & foreign affairs who serves as national security and foreign affairs analyst for Moody Broadcasting
Lieutenant Colonel Robert (Bob) Maginnis, US Army (retired) is an experienced and internationally known expert on national security and foreign affairs. He currently serves as a national security and foreign affairs analyst for Moody Broadcasting Radio Network, Salem Radio Network, and is a regular guest on several other radio and television networks. He is a columnist with the publication Human Events and serves as the executive director for Checks for Heroes, a non-profit organization that capitalizes programs serving the families of fallen warriors. He is a senior strategist with the US Army in the Pentagon which is a contracted position with BCP International Limited, an Alexandria, VA-based company. Since October of 2002, Colonel Maginnis has been a member of the Secretary of Defense’s retired Military Analyst Group.Before returning to the Pentagon Colonel Maginnis served as the vice president for policy with the Washington, DC-based Family Research Council. While with FRC, Colonel Maginnis supervised a staff of policy experts and also served as the organization’s expert for national security, foreign affairs, crime prevent and drug policies. He has testified numerous times before Congressional committees.
In his many roles, Colonel Maginnis has appeared on ABC, NBC and CBS evening news shows, CBS 60 Minutes, CBS This Morning, ABC Good Morning America, PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer, MSNBC Equal Time, Hardball, Internight, and The News with Brian Williams, Court TVs Pro and Con, Fox News The O’Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, and is a regular guest on On the Record, CNN’s Crossfire, Larry King Live, Talk Back Live, Wolf Blitzer Reports, Late Edition as well as other programs, such as Donahue and The Jenny Jones Show. He has been quoted many times in newspapers and magazines across the world such as The New York Times, US News & World Report and Time Magazine. Since 1993, he has written more than 500 articles, many of which have been published in distinguished newspapers and magazines nationwide. Colonel Maginnis has testified before congressional committees on military personnel issues, drug policy, AIDS, teen violence and homosexuality. His policy papers have been entered into the Congressional Record and his material is frequently used by members during floor debates. He is also a respected anti-drug expert having spoken at conferences in the United States and abroad. His anti-drug insights are sought by the media, grassroots activists, and government officials.
In July 1993, Colonel Maginnis retired from an assignment in the Pentagon where he served as an Inspector General. He is an airborne-ranger infantry officer with an assignment history that includes Korea, Germany, Alaska, and several posts in the continental United States. He served in command and staff positions in four infantry divisions from platoon to division level. The colonel was the chief for the U.S. Army Infantry School’s leadership and ethics training branch. He developed curricula, taught, participated in leader development research and consulted with leaders and soldiers throughout the Army. He is the author of more than fifty articles published in professional military journals concerning ethics, leadership, and personnel matters impacting the military. Colonel Maginnis service in the armed forces was commended with the Legion of Merit, one of the highest Army peacetime decorations, as well as with five meritorious medals and four commendation medals.
In the last eight months of his military service, Colonel Maginnis was a member of the Army’s study group examining the homosexual ban. He also was advisor to the Defense Department Military Working Group on homosexuals in the military. In that role, he debated the issue in the media as well as speaking in various forums - including testifying before a House subcommittee.
Colonel Maginnis received his B.S. from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York in 1973 and a M.S. from the Naval Postgraduate School, California, in 1983. He is a graduate of many military schools, including the Command and General Staff College and the US Army’s War College strategy course.
The colonel travels overseas as part of his Pentagon job and as a media consultant. He has visited war zones in Iraq, remote South African areas, Australia, Russia and much of the Orient. He has lived, worked and visited numerous European countries for more than 30 years.
Colonel Maginnis was born on October 3, 1950, in Orlando, Florida, and was raised in Alabama, California and Tennessee. He and his wife Jan have two children, Meghan, a graduate of Liberty University and now an employee with Booz-Allen-Hamilton in McLean, Virginia and Grant, a student at Liberty University. They have made their home in Woodbridge, Virginia since 1990. They are active members at Calvary Baptist Church in Woodbridge.