AWC Appoints Operations Director and Strategic Communications Advisor
November 27, 2023
The bipartisan leadership of the Afghanistan War Commission, Co-Chairs Shamila N. Chaudhary and Dr. Colin F. Jackson, today announced two appointments: Mr. Jeremy Butler as Director of Operations and Mr. Matthew Gobush as Strategic Communications Advisor.
“Mr. Butler combines deep experience in national security through diverse roles in the U.S. Navy with executive leadership of prominent organizations such as Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America,” said Commission Co-Chair Shamila N. Chaudhary. “His background will not only benefit the Commission operationally but also as it seeks to honor, among other areas, the sacrifices made by U.S. service members in Afghanistan.” Commission Co-Chair Dr. Colin F. Jackson said, “Mr. Butler’s military, private sector, and non-profit organization experience in managing complex operations will undoubtedly prove invaluable in enabling the AWC to maintain our momentum and operational focus in line with our statute laid out by Congress.”
Mr. Butler joins the Commission from We the Veterans, a non-profit, non-partisan democracy organization where he served as Chief Growth Officer and advocated for civic participation of veterans. He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of IAVA after joining the staff in 2015 where he worked in various capacities with the fundraising team. In 2018, he transitioned to Chief Operating Officer, and in 2019 took over as CEO. Mr. Butler served on active duty in the Navy from 1999 to 2005 as a Surface Warfare Officer. He transitioned to the Reserves and has remained there since, being currently assigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Coming off active duty, Mr. Butler began working for a DC-based government contractor and served in a variety of roles, including work for the Department of Homeland Security, the Joint Staff, and the Department of the Navy. Throughout, he spent several years back on active duty both overseas and in the U.S. He attended Knox College in Galesburg, IL, and graduated with an International Relations major. Mr. Butler later received his M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.
“As someone who served in the Navy for the duration of our country’s military commitment in Afghanistan as well as having advocated on behalf of our veterans to make sure they receive everything they fought for and earned, it is an honor to now join the team ensuring we learn from our twenty-year investment,” said Mr. Butler.
The Commission also welcomes veteran communications strategist Matthew Gobush to the team.
“Mr. Gobush brings to this leadership role a wealth of strategic communications experience at the highest levels of the U.S. national security establishment, Congress, and the private sector, working closely with senior officials from both parties,” said Commission Co-Chair Shamila N. Chaudhary. “We are deeply appreciative of his willingness to return to public service to support the important mission of the Afghanistan War Commission.” Commission Co-Chair Dr. Colin F. Jackson added, “Mr. Gobush’s distinguished career in both the public and private sectors, and ties with the civilian, military, and veterans communities, will serve the AWC well as we engage key stakeholders and the American public in telling the story and sharing the lessons of the war in Afghanistan.”
Previously, Mr. Gobush served as Director of Communications for the National Security Council, and as Foreign Policy Spokesman and Speechwriter in the Office of the Vice President. Prior to working at The White House, he served as a staff specialist for international and commercial programs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. During the Afghanistan War’s initial phases, Mr. Gobush was Press Secretary for the U.S. House of Representatives International Relations Committee minority staff, and later Director of Communications for Senate Armed Services Committee member Joe Lieberman. Most recently, he was Communications Manager at Exxon Mobil Corporation. During his career, Mr. Gobush has been privileged to directly support a sitting President, Vice President, Senator, Congressman, and two Chief Executive Officers, as well as two future U.S. Secretaries of State of different political parties. He has written extensively on foreign policy, military ethics, and veterans affairs, and led the Military Chaplains Just War Education Project for the Episcopal Church. A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Mr. Gobush and his wife Gari Lister have six internationally adopted daughters and live in Urbanna, Virginia.
“My mother was a journalism student, and the first line she taught me to type was, ‘Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country’,” said Mr. Gobush upon accepting the position. “I’m honored and humbled to return to public service, to support the important fact-finding, truth-telling work of the Commission, and to aid my country and those who sacrificed for it during America’s longest war.”
The Commission was established by the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to conduct a comprehensive review of key strategic, diplomatic, and operational decisions related to the war in Afghanistan from June 2001 to August 2021 in order to craft “lessons learned and recommendations for the way forward that will inform future decisions by Congress and policymakers throughout the United States Government.”
Background
In FY 2022, a bipartisan group of members of the U.S. Congress from majority and minority leadership and various committees (Foreign Affairs; Intelligence; Armed Services) appointed the following fifteen commissioners to the Commission:
Dr. Anand Gopal
Luke Hartig
Dr. Seth Jones
Laurel Miller
LTC Chris Molino (ret.)
Gov. Bob Taft
Dr. Andrew Wilder
Shamila N. Chaudhary, Co-Chair
Dr. Colin F. Jackson, Co-Chair
Michael Allen
LTG Robert Ashley (ret.)
Jeremy Bash
Amb. Ryan Crocker
Jeffrey Dressler
Daniel Fata
Click here to read biographies of the Commissioners.
Click here to read the full text of Sec. 1094 of the FY22 NDAA establishing the Commission.
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Media queries and meeting requests should be directed to Harris Samad: awc@awc.senate.gov