Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Charlie Faint served more than 27 years in the Army’s Infantry and Military Intelligence Branches, and currently volunteers his time as the Chair for the Study of Special Operations in the Modern War Institute at West Point. During his time in the Army, he 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. Charlie also led troops during lengthy operational tours in Egypt, The Philippines, and The Republic of Korea.
During his time as an instructor at West Point, Charlie served in the Department of Social Sciences, the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic, and the Modern War Institute. He taught a number of courses at West Point, including American Politics, International Relations, Conflict and Negotiation, Officership, and Leadership in Future War.
While at West Point, Charlie also co-founded and serves as the Leadership Advisor for the Peace and Dialogue Leadership Initiative (PDLI), a joint program with Yale University and West Point. Each year, PDLI takes 30 high-achieving Yale and West Point students to Isreal and the Palestinian Territories for a “boots on the ground” experience emphasizing leadership, civil-military relations, and careful study of the nuances of the Israel/Palestine conflict.