Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Charles (Charlie) Faint served more than 27 years in the Army’s Infantry and Military Intelligence Branches, and in retirement continues his leadership journey as the Managing Editor of the Modern War Institute at West Point. During his time in the Army, Charlie completed seven combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan while assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and the Joint Special Operations Command, earning the Bronze Star Medal four times. Charlie also led troops during lengthy operational tours in Egypt, The Philippines, and The Republic of Korea and served for ten years as an instructor at West Point.
During his time at West Point, Charlie taught in the Department of Social Sciences, the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic, the Department of Military Instruction, and the Modern War Institute. He also instructed courses including American Politics, International Relations, Conflict and Negotiation, Officership, Comparative Defense Policy, and Leadership in Future War. He is the host of West Point’s podcast series The Spear and 5 Questions for a General.