John "Dragon" Teichert

John is a recently-retired brigadier general, a national security expert, and a leadership champion. He has vast whole-of-government leadership experience that includes military, diplomatic, intelligence, and industrial instruments of power -- from cutting-edge technology to our nation's most sensitive international relationships. Throughout John's career, his unique, fun-loving leadership style, infused with a heartfelt love of country, true passion for people, and burning desire for progress, has relentlessly unshackled the creativity and talent of teams at all levels.

Growing up in the Pacific northwest, John had an early passion for service to his country, with the movie TOP GUN cementing his desire to fly fast jets and live a life on the edge of the danger zone. He earned engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University before swearing his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States via the United States Air Force.

John ended his service to the Air Force as the Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, responsible for world-wide international engagement on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Prior to that, John was the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attache to Iraq, leading on the front lines of whole-of-government national security strategy and policy in the most challenging of conditions.

John has been an F-15E combat pilot and F-22 test pilot, and commanded Joint Base Andrews and Edwards Air Force Base. He has written extensively and spoken globally on leadership, innovation, risk management, national security, security cooperation, and international affairs.

He continues to serve with his amazing wife Melonie and their three remarkable children.