Lawrence B. "Larry" Wilkerson is a retired U.S. Army Colonel who served 31 years in the military, including a combat tour in Vietnam as an OH-6A helicopter pilot. From 1987 to 1989, he was on the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College. In March 1989, he began his association with General Colin L. Powell as Deputy Executive Officer at the U.S. Army's Forces Command in Atlanta, Georgia, later serving as Powell’s special assistant when Powell became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From 2002 to 2005, Wilkerson served as Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell. Following his government service, he became a vocal critic of the Iraq War and neoconservative influence on the Bush administration's foreign policy, openly accusing Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld of forming a "cabal" that hijacked U.S. foreign policy. He has publicly criticized figures such as Paul Wolfowitz and expressed regrets over the intelligence presented to the United Nations regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Wilkerson continues to lecture and comment on national security issues through media appearances and events and engages in facilitation roles focused on education, leadership, and technical skills.