Auburn grad among top military commanders who dined with Trump at White House

Vice Adm. Michael S. Rogers in Monterey, California January 31, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump held a working dinner at the White House last night with some of the nation’s top military leaders, including Auburn University graduate Admiral Michael S. Rogers. Rogers is currently the head of the National Security Agency, the Commander of the U.S. Cyber Command, and Chief of the Central Security Service. He was appointed to all three positions by President Obama in 2014.

Prior to his work at the NSA, Rogers served as the commander of the Tenth Fleet and as the commander of the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command.

The Trump Administration is currently engaged in several critical foreign policy fronts following its attack on the Assad Government in Syria and increased nuclear aggression from North Korea.

Rogers, who is a graduate of Auburn University’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, took over as director of the NSA in the midst of a trying period for the agency. Following Edward Snowden’s leak of information regarding the agency’s questionable domestic spying programs, the NSA came under fire from numerous politicians and citizens alike who are concerned about American’s constitutional rights.

Auburn University is one of four colleges that was selected in 2013 for the NSA’s National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations Program.

“Auburn has devoted significant resources and interdisciplinary rigor across campus to expand new cyber initiatives and extensive collaboration with external organizations,” said Retired Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, Jr., Auburn’s Senior Counsel for National Security Programs, Cyber Programs, and Military Affairs. “We are extremely pleased that NSA has recognized our efforts by selecting Auburn University for the program. It is important to the nation, and we want to be a part of the strategic way ahead and feel we can contribute to this national need.”