Gen. Eugene Habiger has compiled an extraordinary career. A graduate of the University of Georgia and George Washington University, he held positions of increasing responsibility during his 35 years of military service, rising to head the Strategic Command, an organization made up of some 80,000 military and civilian personnel. As commander he directed all U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy strategic nuclear forces, from bomber aircraft to ballistic-missile submarines. He also helped the United States and Russia transcend the Cold War era, forging close military-to-military ties with his Russian counterparts and sponsoring unprecedented confidence-building measures between the long-time rivals. CNN and 60 Minutes II aired reports in 2000 paying tribute to his efforts.

His outreach efforts and distinguished career earned Habiger a position on the Board of Directors of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a charitable organization working to reduce the threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, co-chaired by former Sen. Sam Nunn and Ted Turner. After retiring from the Air Force, he also served as “Security Czar” at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he worked to transform the security culture at U.S. nuclear sites and restore public confidence in the department's security precautions. Most recently he served as president and CEO of the San Antonio Water System, where he oversaw the operations of the system and was responsible for strategic planning and water resource management.

Center Director Gary Bertsch notes that “Gen. Habiger's experience and interests ideally complement the work of the Center for International Trade and Security,” one of the world's foremost research institutions working on threats posed by weapons of mass destruction and trade in dangerous materials. Over the past 15 years, the Center has built close ties in many countries, helping them improve their export control laws and regulations. The center has conducted research on trade and security issues in over 25 countries and has projects aimed at promoting international cooperation in preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and related technologies.