Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Senior Fellow and Director, Keystone Defense Initiative

heinrichs

At A Glance:

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs is a senior fellow and director of the Keystone Defense Initiative. She specializes in US national defense policy with a focus on strategic deterrence.

Biography

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute and the director of its Keystone Defense Initiative. She specializes in US national defense policy with a focus on strategic deterrence.

Dr. Heinrichs served as a commissioner on the bipartisan Strategic Posture Commission, which was created in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. She also serves on the US Strategic Command Advisory Group and the National Independent Panel on Military Service and Readiness.

She is an adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics, where she teaches nuclear deterrence theory, and is also a contributing editor of Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy.

Dr. Heinrichs earned her doctorate in defense and strategic studies from Missouri State University, where she graduated with distinction. She received her MA in national security and strategic studies from the US Naval War College and graduated with highest distinction from its College of Naval Command and Staff, receiving the Director’s Award for academic excellence. She earned her BA in history and political science from Ashland University in Ohio, was an Ashbrook Scholar, and currently serves as a member of the University's Board of Trustees.

She lives in Virginia with her husband and their five children.

Events
10
June 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Adapting the US Nuclear Posture in Response to Adversary Threats
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Austin Long
Greg Weaver
Moderator:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
DVIDS
10
June 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Adapting the US Nuclear Posture in Response to Adversary Threats

Join Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs, the director of Hudson’s Keystone Defense Initiative, for a discussion with Dr. Austin Long and Mr. Greg Weaver on ways the US can increase the credibility of its nuclear deterrent in a dangerous new era.

DVIDS
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Austin Long
Greg Weaver
Moderator:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
10
June 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Defending in Outer Space: A Conversation with Congressman Jeff Crank
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Jeff Crank
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
DVIDS
10
June 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Defending in Outer Space: A Conversation with Congressman Jeff Crank

Join Hudson Senior Fellow Rebeccah L. Heinrichs, the director of Hudson’s Keystone Defense Initiative, and Congressman Jeff Crank (R-CO), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, for a conversation about the threats to American satellites and the policies and programs necessary to defend US interests in space.

DVIDS
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Jeff Crank
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
19
May 2025
Past Event
Time Change | Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West
Featured Speakers:
Josh Hammer
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Getty Images
19
May 2025
Past Event
Time Change | Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West

Join Keystone Defense Initiative Director Rebeccah Heinrichs for a conversation with Hammer about the book and the future of US-Israel relations.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Josh Hammer
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
23
April 2025
Past Event
Economic Security and NATO Cohesion: A Conversation with Jens Stoltenberg
Featured Speakers:
Jens Stoltenberg
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Getty Images
23
April 2025
Past Event
Economic Security and NATO Cohesion: A Conversation with Jens Stoltenberg

Join Hudson Institute for an event with Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Jens Stoltenberg
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
A B-2A Spirit bomber assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing leads a delta formation consisting of  two F-15C Eagles assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing and two Royal Air Force F-35B Lightnings as they  conduct aerial operations over the North Sea on September 16, 2019. (US Air Force)
Caption
A B-2A Spirit bomber assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing leads a delta formation consisting of two F-15C Eagles assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing and two Royal Air Force F-35B Lightnings as they conduct aerial operations over the North Sea on September 16, 2019. (US Air Force)
heinrichs
heinrichs
Senior Fellow and Director, Keystone Defense Initiative
Ryan Tully Senate Intelligence Committee staff director
Ryan Tully Senate Intelligence Committee staff director
Former Senior Fellow
kyle_balzer
kyle_balzer
Jeane Kirkpatrick Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Matthew Costlow
Matthew Costlow
Senior Analyst, National Institute for Public Policy
Reports
Long Read