Public Programs

Virtual Battle Brief

Tuesday, August 4, 2026, 7 p.m. ET 
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

In the hot summer of 1862 in the Northern Virginia piedmont region, Union General John Pope took command of scattered Yankee forces guarding Washington, D.C. The boastful Pope soon adopted an offensive strategy against the opposing Confederate Army. Learn from Museum educator John Maass how Pope's command fared on the battlefields around Manassas, fighting against two of the South's best generals.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is "The Battles of Spencer's Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781" (2025).

In-Person Battle Brief

Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

In the hot summer of 1862 in the Northern Virginia piedmont region, Union General John Pope took command of scattered Yankee forces guarding Washington, D.C. The boastful Pope soon adopted an offensive strategy against the opposing Confederate Army. Learn from Museum educator John Maass how Pope's command fared on the battlefields around Manassas, fighting against two of the South's best generals.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is "The Battles of Spencer's Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781" (2025).

Thursday, August 20, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

"The Airborne Mafia" explores how a small group of World War II airborne officers took control of the US Army after World War II. This powerful cadre cemented a unique airborne culture that had an unprecedented impact on the Cold War US Army and beyond. With a deft touch, deep research, and an unwavering eye for the human stories behind organizational change, Robert Williams helps explain the existence and importance of the paratrooper mystique that remains within the military still today.

Robert F. Williams is a historian with the Army University Press and Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. A former airborne infantry non-commissioned officer, he has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Virtual Battle Brief

Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 7 p.m. ET 
Tuesday, September 9, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

During the first two years of the Revolutionary War, former British Army officer Horatio Gates was a godsend to the American cause. A superb administrator, combat veteran of the Seven Years War, and the Continental Army's second in command in 1775, he showed great promise in the fight for American liberty. And by the Fall of 1777, he had led the army that defeated the British and Hessians at Saratoga in the forests of northern New York, the war's biggest victory to date. But as historian John Maass explains, Gates's laurels turned to willows when the general turned against George Washington, suffered a crushing battlefield defeat in South Carolina in 1780, and became involved in mutinous actions at Newburgh, New York, in the war's final year.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is “The Battles of Spencer’s Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781” (2025).

In-Person Battle Brief

Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

During the first two years of the Revolutionary War, former British Army officer Horatio Gates was a godsend to the American cause. A superb administrator, combat veteran of the Seven Years War, and the Continental Army's second in command in 1775, he showed great promise in the fight for American liberty. And by the Fall of 1777, he had led the army that defeated the British and Hessians at Saratoga in the forests of northern New York, the war's biggest victory to date. But as historian John Maass explains, Gates's laurels turned to willows when the general turned against George Washington, suffered a crushing battlefield defeat in South Carolina in 1780, and became involved in mutinous actions at Newburgh, New York, in the war's final year.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is “The Battles of Spencer’s Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781” (2025).

Virtual History Talk

Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 12 p.m. ET
Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 12 p.m. ET
Wednesday, September 16, 2025, 18 p.m. ET

Join us to learn more about the U.S. Army during the Cold War.

During World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States worked together to fight a common enemy; after the war, that relationship fell apart. Trust between the former allies broke down, and fear took hold in its place. This mutual mistrust led the two countries to confront the looming question of “what if?” That question would color the relationship between the two for the next 50 years. As a result, the Army developed new technology, equipment, and training to better protect Americans from the possibilities and threats posed by the “what if?”

Learn how Soldiers worked together to keep the “what if?” from becoming a reality during the Cold War.

In-Person History Talk

Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Join us to learn more about the U.S. Army during the Cold War.

During World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States worked together to fight a common enemy; after the war, that relationship fell apart. Trust between the former allies broke down, and fear took hold in its place. This mutual mistrust led the two countries to confront the looming question of “what if?” That question would color the relationship between the two for the next 50 years. As a result, the Army developed new technology, equipment, and training to better protect Americans from the possibilities and threats posed by the “what if?”

Learn how Soldiers worked together to keep the “what if?” from becoming a reality during the Cold War.

Book Talk - "Winning the Ten Crucial Days: The Keys to Victory in George Washington's Legendary Winter Campaign," by David Price

Thursday, September 17, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

Historian David Price examines a pivotal moment in the American War of Independence through an interpretive framework that focuses on five key factors: leadership, geography, weather, artillery, and contingency. Price argues that Washington's winter victories at Trenton and Princeton were made possible by these factors, and propelled the Revolutionary cause into a lengthy war of attrition that eventuated in American independence.

David is a recipient of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Bronze Good Citizenship Medal in recognition of his work as an author, speaker, and historical interpreter at Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania and Princeton Battlefield State Park in New Jersey. He is the author of several books about the Revolutionary War, including "The Battle of Harlem Heights, 1776" (2023).

History Hike 

Occupied by Union forces on May 24, 1861, Alexandria became the Confederacy's longest-occupied city. Strategically positioned across the Potomac River from Washington, it functioned as a massive Union supply depot, medical hub, and sanctuary for freedom seekers until the war's end. With its port and rail connections, Alexandria was transformed into a major logistical center. Dozens of public buildings, churches, and private homes were commandeered to serve as military barracks, prisons, and hospitals. Spend two hours on a walking tour of Old Town Alexandria with Museum educators Kenna Howat Felix and John Maass to learn about the city’s Civil War past.

This walking tour will begin and end in Old Town Alexandria. Ability Level: moderate due to terrain. The tour will be over partly uneven brick and stone walkways.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a Ph.D. in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. His most recent book is “The Battles of Spencer’s Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781” (2025).

Kenna Howat Felix is a Museum Educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. She received a master’s degree in history from George Mason University. She has over 12 years’ experience working in museums throughout the Washington, D.C. area. 

Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

The horrific events of 11 September 2001 are seared into the memories of all Americans and many others around the world. But out of the fires and rubble of those events have come a number of personal accounts that depict the initial shock of the attacks and their aftermath. Learn from retired U.S. Army historian Stephen J. Lofgren about the many stories about the attack on the Pentagon, based on hundreds of interviews with witnesses, first responders, and survivors of the Pentagon in the days immediately following the event.


Stephen J. Lofgren is the General Editor of "Then Came the Fire: Personal Accounts from the Pentagon, 11 September 2001," published in 2011, by the U.S. Army Center of Military History at Fort McNair, where he was a division chief for many years until his retirement in 2025. 

Virtual Battle Brief

Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 7 p.m. ET 
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

In the closing months of the War of 1812, a large British army attacked American forces led by Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson near New Orleans on January 8, 1815. Despite having Napoleonic War veterans in their ranks and Royal Navy support, the British were soundly defeated in what was the final major engagement of the conflict. Learn how U.S. troops and local militiamen won the battle for the American southwest with minimal losses and made Jackson a hero and eventually a United States president.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is “The Battles of Spencer’s Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781” (2025).

In-Person Battle Brief

Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

In the closing months of the War of 1812, a large British army attacked American forces led by Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson near New Orleans on January 8, 1815. Despite having Napoleonic War veterans in their ranks and Royal Navy support, the British were soundly defeated in what was the final major engagement of the conflict. Learn how U.S. troops and local militiamen won the battle for the American southwest with minimal losses and made Jackson a hero and eventually a United States president.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is “The Battles of Spencer’s Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781” (2025).

Virtual History Talk

Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

For 250 years the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has engaged in two unique roles to defend and build the nation. First, as a source of professional engineering expertise, the Corps built coastal fortifications to defend the boundaries of a growing nation. And from that expertise, the Corps was also the obvious choice for Congress to engage in developing roads and waterways westward to the expanding frontier. Overtime those two unique missions – military construction and civil works – evolved and expanded to include flood control, disaster response, and overseas contingency operations, among others. 

In this History Talk, explore how the mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers changed and developed with the nation.

in Person History Talk

Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

For 250 years the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has engaged in two unique roles to defend and build the nation. First, as a source of professional engineering expertise, the Corps built coastal fortifications to defend the boundaries of a growing nation. And from that expertise, the Corps was also the obvious choice for Congress to engage in developing roads and waterways westward to the expanding frontier. Overtime those two unique missions – military construction and civil works – evolved and expanded to include flood control, disaster response, and overseas contingency operations, among others. 

In this History Talk, explore how the mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers changed and developed with the nation.

Thursday, October 15, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

"Damn Fine Soldiers" is a vivid history of the U.S. Army’s  21-day campaign to Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, told through the experiences of the soldiers who fought it. The book focuses on the campaign from the perspective of commanders, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers on the ground, blending personal narrative with operational history. Drawing on firsthand accounts, official records, and two decades of reflection, it preserves the experiences of those who participated in what remains the Army’s last  large-scale combined arms ground campaign. 

Scott Rutter served over 20 years in the U.S. Army, culminating as a battalion commander during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He is a former Fox News military analyst and currently works in the medical and defense industries. He is the president of Valor Network Inc. 

Matthew C. Paul is an Army officer with a combined 27 years of service in infantry and acquisition assignments, including multiple combat tours in the Middle East. His career as a former infantry commander and current acquisition project manager spans leadership in ground combat and modernization efforts across the Army. 

Virtual Battle Brief

Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 7 p.m. ET 
Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

The Battle of Williamsport, Maryland, took place from July 6 to July 16, 1863, during the U.S. Civil War. It marked the perilous retreat of General Robert E. Lee's Confederate army after their defeat at Gettysburg, when a flooded Potomac River trapped the rebels on the northern banks as they tried to cross into Virginia. Learn how Union forces under Maj. George G. Meade tried to crush Lee's troops, and how a slow pursuit failed to bag Lee and frustrated the President of the United States.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is “The Battles of Spencer’s Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781” (2025).

In Person Battle Brief

Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

The Battle of Williamsport, Maryland, took place from July 6 to July 16, 1863, during the U.S. Civil War. It marked the perilous retreat of General Robert E. Lee's Confederate army after their defeat at Gettysburg, when a flooded Potomac River trapped the rebels on the northern banks as they tried to cross into Virginia. Learn how Union forces under Maj. George G. Meade tried to crush Lee's troops, and how a slow pursuit failed to bag Lee and frustrated the President of the United States.

John R. Maass is a historian and educator at the National Museum of the U.S. Army. He received a BA in history from Washington & Lee University, and a PhD in early U.S. history from the Ohio State University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve (80th Division). His most recent book is “The Battles of Spencer’s Ordinary and Green Spring, 1781” (2025).

Virtual History Talk

Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Since the founding of the United States Army on June 14, 1775, the United States has sought to care for its Soldiers in gratitude for their service. These honors include memorials, remembrances, and celebrations alongside tangible benefits that improve the well-being of both the Veterans and the nation they served. Learn how these various benefits, both tangible and intangible, have changed over time to expand eligibility and adapt to current needs.
 

In this History Talk explore the recognition bestowed upon Veterans returning from conflicts and the measure undertaken by the United States to encourage future participation in the Armed Forces. Examine the impact of these measures and identify how military service has helped pave the way for civil rights.

In-Person History Talk

Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 12 p.m. ET

Since the founding of the United States Army on June 14, 1775, the United States has sought to care for its Soldiers in gratitude for their service. These honors include memorials, remembrances, and celebrations alongside tangible benefits that improve the well-being of both the Veterans and the nation they served. Learn how these various benefits, both tangible and intangible, have changed over time to expand eligibility and adapt to current needs.
 

In this History Talk explore the recognition bestowed upon Veterans returning from conflicts and the measure undertaken by the United States to encourage future participation in the Armed Forces. Examine the impact of these measures and identify how military service has helped pave the way for civil rights.

Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 12 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

Museum Director Paul Morando shares select artifacts on display in the Museum’s new “Steel and Stone” exhibit, which tells the story of the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Mr. Morando will then be available in the exhibit to answer visitor questions about the exhibit.

Paul Morando is the Museum Director of the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Previously he was the Chief Curator of the National Army Museum. He was also the Director at the U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum, 2011-2017. He earned a Masters Degree focused in American History from the City University of New York-College of Staten Island.

Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 12 p.m. (ET) - In Person

Museum Director Paul Morando shares select artifacts on display in the Museum’s new “Steel and Stone” exhibit, which tells the story of the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Mr. Morando will then be available in the exhibit to answer visitor questions about the exhibit.

Paul Morando is the Museum Director of the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Previously he was the Chief Curator of the National Army Museum. He was also the Director at the U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum, 2011-2017. He earned a Masters Degree focused in American History from the City University of New York-College of Staten Island.

Thursday, November 19, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

In Backcountry Resistance, Carl P. Borick delivers a groundbreaking account of the citizen militia that defied British forces in South Carolina's volatile Backcountry during the pivotal Southern campaign of the Revolutionary War. Focusing on rank-and-file militiamen, Borick explores how these ordinary men were recruited, armed, fed, and motivated. Drawing on underused pension records and state claims, he reconstructs their everyday realities and their battlefield experiences. He also examines the war's devastating effects on civilians, including enslaved people and women, who played crucial roles in the struggle.


Carl P. Borick is director of the Charleston Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, and the author of "Relieve Us of This Burthen: American Prisoners of War in the Revolutionary South, 1780-1782" (USC Press, 2011) and "A Gallant Defense: The Siege of Charleston, 1780" (USC Press, 2012).

Thursday, December 17, 2026, 7 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

In "Desert Empire," Emerging Civil War historian Patrick Kelly-Fischer tackle the overlooked New Mexico Campaign of 1862 by exploring the men, battles, and politics that shaped the course of the war in the Southwest and the future of the region.

Patrick Kelly-Fischer is a historian with Emerging Civil War. He graduated from Bard College in 2009 with a B.A. in Political Studies and began writing for Emerging Civil War in 2021.

Phillip S. Greenwalt was a Supervisory Park Ranger of the Shark Valley District of Everglades National Park, and a Historian-Park ranger at George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Thomas Stone National Historic Site.

Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 12 p.m. (ET) - Virtual

Learn about the dramatic events of September 11, 2001, in the Washington area from a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who witnessed the actual day of attack on the Pentagon, the aftermath, and the response that followed. Peter Knight was an Army captain serving on the Army G-2 Foreign Intelligence Watch as a daily briefer to then Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White, Jr. and then Chief of Staff of the Army General Eric Shinseki at the Pentagon on September 11. Dr. Knight witnessed first-hand the Army senior leadership’s response to that event and was an active participant in keeping them informed.

Dr. Peter G. Knight is the Director of the Historical Studies section at the U.S. Army Center of Military History at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., where he has served since September of 2017. He is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel with 23 years of service as a military intelligence officer, 1 combat tour in Iraq. 

Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 12 p.m. (ET) - In Person

Learn about the dramatic events of September 11, 2001, in the Washington area from a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who witnessed the actual day of attack on the Pentagon, the aftermath, and the response that followed. Peter Knight was an Army captain serving on the Army G-2 Foreign Intelligence Watch as a daily briefer to then Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White, Jr. and then Chief of Staff of the Army General Eric Shinseki at the Pentagon on September 11. Dr. Knight witnessed first-hand the Army senior leadership’s response to that event and was an active participant in keeping them informed.

Dr. Peter G. Knight is the Director of the Historical Studies section at the U.S. Army Center of Military History at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., where he has served since September of 2017. He is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel with 23 years of service as a military intelligence officer, 1 combat tour in Iraq.