Academic combatant: Exploring Erik Lin-Greenberg's fusion of scholarly pursuits and Air Force intelligence operations
A Hybrid Path: Theory and Practice in National Security
In the modern era of rapidly evolving technologies challenging the national security landscape, Erik Lin-Greenberg, an '09 MIT alum and lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, is a shining example of straddling the line between theory and practice.
Now stationed at the Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska, Lin-Greenberg is in command of the 820th Intelligence Squadron, leading a team of dozens of officers and enlisted personnel. Simultaneously, he continues to serve as the Leo Marx Career Development Associate Professor in the History and Culture of Science and Technology at MIT, focusing on emerging technologies, crisis escalation, and security.
Marrying these two worlds — the military and academic — has been second nature for Lin-Greenberg, who anticipates the synergy between his duties in both realms to grow stronger.
"I feel deeply honored to be entrusted with the role of squadron commander," Lin-Greenberg says. "I've acquired valuable insights about leadership through my tenure as a professor, an airman, and a reservist, and I'm excited to serve the airmen in my squadron."
From Heartbreak to Honor
Lin-Greenberg's commitment to service was forged from the ashes of tragedy, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Growing up outside New York City, he witnessed fighter jets patrolling the skies overhead.
Soon after, Lin-Greenberg felt an inner calling to serve his nation. While studying political science at MIT, he became a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Detachment 365, consisting of students from MIT, Harvard University, Tufts University, and Wellesley College.
As a graduate in 2009, Lin-Greenberg joined the Air Force, where he was commissioned as an intelligence officer. He swiftly climbed the ranks, becoming a flight commander at California's Beale Air Force Base. "I genuinely enjoyed being a part of the Air Force," he says, "so I transferred to the Reserve when I commenced my PhD program."
The Scholar-Warrior
Lin-Greenberg went on to complete a PhD in political science at Columbia University in 2019 and garnered fellowships at Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania before joining the MIT Department of Political Science as an assistant professor in 2020.
His military career began with early involvement in drone operations and deployments to Qatar and Afghanistan, experiences that have influenced much of his academic research. His forthcoming book examines the use of drones in crises and conflicts since the Cold War.
"Drones are instruments of war and diplomacy," Lin-Greenberg observes. "My research delves into how new technologies reshape the use of force and decision-making during interstate conflicts." When exploring academic mysteries, he often ponders: "Would my superior be concerned with the questions I'm asking?"
In addition to his independent research, Lin-Greenberg co-leads the MIT Security Studies Program's Wargaming Lab, a research group dedicated to exploring conflicts through war-gaming and fostering best practices for academic war-gaming. "War games are data-collecting tools," he says, "and the lab enables me to integrate academic instruments, such as experiments, into war games, which have traditionally been employed by militaries."
Leading in the Classroom and on the Base
Lin-Greenberg recognizes and respects the responsibilities entrusted to him and approaches his leadership in both the Air Force and the classroom with deliberation and care. The personnel he leads in the Air Force, he believes, resemble his MIT students in that they are innovative, committed, and dedicated to their work.
His role as a leader in the military aids him in counseling his students effectively and creating mentorship opportunities across all of his professional avenues. When advising students, he employs lessons on providing constructive feedback and inspiring people, lessons he learned from Air Force mentors. In his Air Force role, he endeavors to incorporate insights from international relations and security studies scholarship to elucidate the strategic environment for junior personnel.
Lin-Greenberg credits his success in his military and academic careers to grabbing opportunities when they present themselves. "Everything happens for a reason," he says.
- Erik Lin-Greenberg, an '09 MIT alum and currently a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, is leading a team of officers and enlisted personnel at the Offutt Air Force Base, while also serving as the Leo Marx Career Development Associate Professor in the History and Culture of Science and Technology at MIT.
- As a graduate in 2009, Lin-Greenberg joined the Air Force, where he served as an intelligence officer and climbed the ranks to become a flight commander at California's Beale Air Force Base.
- Simultaneous to his military duties, Lin-Greenberg pursued a PhD in political science at Columbia University, completed in 2019, and became a fellow at Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania before joining the MIT Department of Political Science as an assistant professor in 2020.
- Much of Lin-Greenberg's academic research has been influenced by his experiences with drone operations and deployments to Qatar and Afghanistan during his military career.
- He is currently co-leading the MIT Security Studies Program's Wargaming Lab, a research group dedicated to exploring conflicts through war-gaming and fostering best practices for academic war-gaming.
- Lin-Greenberg's military career commitment was forged from the ashes of tragedy, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, growing up outside New York City.
- In both his military and academic leadership roles, Lin-Greenberg strives to inspire and provide constructive feedback to the innovative, committed, and dedicated individuals under his charge — be they students or airmen. He believes in seizing opportunities when they present themselves as key to personal and professional growth.
