Lt. Col. Leo Spaeder

About

Lieutenant Colonel Leo Spaeder, national security affairs fellow for the academic year 2025–26, is a career logistics officer, operational planner, and red teamer in the Marine Corps. Over nineteen years of service, he has deployed four times—to Iraq, Afghanistan, Norway, and Liberia—in operational and training roles. He served at Headquarters Marine Corps from 2018 to 2023 where he contributed to future force design and analysis.

Spaeder’s most recent assignment was command of 12th Littoral Logistics Battalion in Okinawa, Japan. He was responsible for the transition of the battalion from a motor transportation unit to supporting the new Marine littoral regiment as part of the Marine Corps’ recent modernization.

Spaeder has a bachelor of science in economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, a master of arts in political science from Villanova University, a master in operational studies from Marine Corps University, and a master in systems analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School.