Leslie VanBelkum is an Adjunct Instructor in Intelligence & Security Studies at LVC. Mr. VanBelkum retired as a Senior Master Sergeant from the U.S. Air Force in 2019. During his time in the military, he served as an All-Source Intelligence Analyst and as a language-enabled Combat Advisor. He primarily focused on counterterrorism in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and humanitarian operations in the Pacific region. Additionally, Mr. VanBelkum taught geopolitics, culture, and terrorism topics at the Air Force Special Operations School. After the military, Mr. VanBelkum operated as a Senior Intelligence Analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) focusing on terrorist entities in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region. During this time, he co-authored multiple intelligence assessments for the President’s Daily Brief. Most recently, Mr. VanBelkum served as an Intelligence Research Specialist in the Office of Security at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He ensured the safety and security of USAID Missions in 80 countries through collaboration with the Intelligence Community as a whole. While at USAID, Mr. VanBelkum lead a COVID response team tasked with ensuring the continuity of mission operations and safeguarding agency personnel. He also assisted with humanitarian disasters in Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.
Mr. VanBelkum received his MBA in 2020 from the University of Maryland and his B.A. in International Relations from American Military University. Mr. VanBelkum is the recipient of the American Australian Association’s 2020 Veterans’ scholarship which provides the opportunity to study at an Australian academic institution, with the goal of expanding the bonds between the two nations. Currently, Mr. VanBelkum is participating in the Cybersecurity Workforce Certification Training program at Purdue University Northwest thanks to a grant from the National Security Agency (NSA).