Hunter Hustus

Nuclear Deterrence Practitioner & Strategic Security Expert

Hunter flew B-52 bombers during the Cold War. He served in NATO oversaw air support to UN ground forces during the war in Bosnia. He was the senior advisor to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) in Europe regarding non-military issues and the senior theorist and communicator regarding nuclear weapons and deterrence for the Air Staff at the Pentagon.

Hunter Hustus brings you on an unexpected journey of discovery regarding nuclear weapons, why nuclear-armed states retain them, and resultant implications for future security. With his unique expertise, he successfully combines the technical with the behavioral, introducing counter-intuitive themes to provide insight into decision-making at the highest level regarding these most powerful weapons.

He served in the Pentagon as a senior USAF nuclear weapons strategist, communicator, and educator. As one of his final tasks, he developed the first nuclear deterrence training day for all new general officers and civilian-level equivalents, instructing several blocks and facilitating the entire program. Prior, as a senior Foreign Policy Advisor he traveled to over 60 countries and hosted over 100 visits from the U.S. Congress. He initiated efforts leading to the deployment of the first UN Peacekeeping forces to Darfur, accompanying those Nigerian troops from Kigali, Rwanda to El Fashir, Sudan. As an aviator, he won the Top Flyer Award at the USAF’s "Top Gun" competition.

Hunter Hustus has a doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University.