James Di Pane (’17): Consultant for the U.S. Navy

When James first became interested in great power competition in a community college class, little did he know that one day, he would do a deep dive into the state of our military at an influential think tank.

Today, James contributes directly to the strength of our military by supporting a major shipbuilding program for the U.S. Navy. Recently, James’ cost estimates played an essential role in supporting contract negotiations, earning him multiple corporate awards.

Below, James discusses how his study of American founding principles and the importance of deterrence have informed his career choices, the impact he has made on the national security conversation, and the practical work he is doing to further American military strength.

Studying Great Power Competition

Originally from Southern California, James read Power Transitions: Strategies for the 21st Century for an international relations course at Pasadena City College. At the time, China was still in the early stages of building its blue water navy, and this book predicted China’s plans to become a great power and provided a perspective on how the U.S. could counter that rise and avoid a major war.

James was fascinated. Most of the world was focused on the War on Terror, but this book motivated James to focus on China and great power competition while studying political science at Azuza Pacific University and later at IWP. He recalled, “I have always enjoyed reading about navies and sea power. A competition with a major rival where the military component has a large maritime focus piqued my interest, and I wanted to contribute however I could to that mission.”

At IWP, James delved into these topics, especially enjoying his class on military strategy and its sections on the Cold War and naval history, where he learned how military force can be used to deter war or keep it limited.

In Dr. John Lenczowski’s class, he learned more about the other arts of statecraft and the concept of “tranquility of order” and how it applies to international relations. He studied how conflict can be avoided if countries come to an agreement that everyone can live with, even if it is not ideal.

One of his favorite classes was the Western Moral Tradition with Amb. Alberto Piedra. “I think about this class often,” James noted. “That is what I love about the curriculum at IWP – you don’t just use it in your career. I think about these topics in my personal life as well.”

During his time at IWP, James also participated in the Rumsfeld Foundation’s Graduate Fellowship program. In addition to receiving a financial scholarship, James received exposure to senior national security leaders, as well as a cohort of other Fellows in the public service enterprise, including in Intelligence, at the Pentagon, and in the private sector.

Influencing the National Conversation

During his second year of his master’s degree program at IWP, James heard about an internship in the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation. After an IWP alumna who was working at Heritage advocated for him, James landed the internship, and later a job as a research assistant at Heritage’s Center for National Defense.

James later became a policy analyst and program manager focused on the publication of Heritage’s well-known “Index of U.S. Military Strength.” This report provides an independent assessment of the state of U.S. military power and is a report card on the military services. It analyzes whether the U.S. would be prepared to fight in a conflict while still maintaining reserve power to deter other adversaries.

“It was an unsettling project to work on,” said James. “Over the years, U.S. military power has atrophied across all the services, but especially the Navy and Air Force.” He found that after the Cold War, our focus turned to counterinsurgency, while the procurement of ships, fighters, and bombers was put on the back burner.

Meanwhile, James knew that China was ramping up its capabilities while our military struggled.

Thanks to the research that James helped compile, along with other policy recommendations from the broader team at Heritage, the narrative on Capitol Hill with regard to U.S. military power began to shift. “It opened our military services to hard questions about their readiness and capacity,” said James. The Index also influenced the debates around legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act, which allowed for more investment in the military.

Helping Strengthen the U.S. Navy

Being immersed in research about the weakened state of our military gave James a strong desire to help increase our military deterrence capabilities in a more direct way. “It was a motivating reason for me to begin consulting for the U.S. Navy. I wanted to get closer to the problem,” he said.

James now works for Pantheon Integrated Solutions, a data analytics firm, where he serves as a consultant and team lead. He manages one of the company’s teams for a major shipbuilding program. They handle financial management, cost estimating, and acquisition support.

James has also worked on high-level messaging and talking points to help the Navy communicate with Congress. “It’s funny, because at Heritage, we would encourage Congress to ask the Navy hard questions, and now I am helping the Navy answer these questions,” said James.

In the think tank world, James worked on research that would enable others to take action. In the contracting world, he enjoys supporting the government in a hands-on way, and his work on cost estimates has helped the Navy get more ships on contract. He said, “I can point directly to my contribution and a tangible outcome. It is very rewarding.”

The IWP Education in Action

James’ career focus on strengthening the American military began with his interest in international relations but was solidified by his studies at IWP, which have given meaning to his daily work.

“Understanding the moral foundation of our country gave me a deeper appreciation for why America is worth defending,” he said.

IWP also gave James a holistic view of national security, allowing him to see the crucial importance of a strong military. “If you achieve deterrence, public diplomacy and traditional diplomacy have space to work effectively because the adversary does not choose war as an option,” said James. “Without deterrence, the other arts of statecraft struggle to achieve peace. The conventional military becomes an enabling factor for harmonious international relations.”

James used his IWP education regularly at Heritage, where he focused on high-level analysis and policy recommendations. While researching the U.S. Coast Guard, he focused on ways the service could contribute to great power competition in Asia and the Arctic, important from a defense perspective, but also in terms of soft power. “The Coast Guard, with its fishing patrols and search and rescue efforts, is a great tool for building partnerships around the world without using a warship,” said James.

In his current work, it is helpful to have the strategic view that he learned at IWP. Working with the Navy and the industrial base that builds the ships, James sees firsthand how government, the larger economic picture, and the industrial base are interconnected. “A strategic outlook expands your mindset in a helpful way,” said James.

James is also glad he received good career advice from Prof. Tsagronis, who advised students to take advantage of opportunities while keeping their ultimate career goal in sight. As a result, James kept an eye on his larger goal of countering China and took advantage of opportunities to contribute to that mission in a strategic, and later very practical, way.

“I am incredibly fulfilled,” he said. “I love how my career has gone.”