Hans Mumm: Master’s Degree, Strategic Intelligence

During the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Hans Mumm, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency, faced the daunting task of helping coalition troops identify top leaders in Saddam Hussein’s regime. The result: the Iraqi “Most Wanted” deck of cards — one of the most successful information campaigns in the 40-year history of the agency.

“We needed to train our troops quickly,” says Mumm, who led the team. “We had no idea [what] kind of impact the cards would have.”

Recently, Mumm decided to build upon his intelligence skills and pursue a master’s degree. But he needed a program that challenged the knowledge base he already had — and one that addressed the most current issues. American Military University (AMU) had just that program.

“AMU provides the high-level expertise I need to advance in my career,” says Mumm. The program covers terrorism, espionage, national security, ethnic conflict and more. It challenges students to address these topics in terms of local, national and international strategies.

Mumm has already seen how his studies can make a difference. A professor encouraged him to take an impressive 30-page graduate paper a step further. The resulting white paper, which advocates national security policy review of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), is now part of draft legislation.

Mumm has special expertise in UAVs. He’s the co-founder and principal of Victory Systems, a UAV and robotics company. His company has built three helicopters to test new materials and technologies. Mumm also specializes in Middle East and Eastern European military intelligence issues and is currently a senior threat analyst for ManTech International. The company provides national security support to the U.S. government.

“My master’s courses at AMU are helping me become a better military officer — and a better business owner,” says Mumm. “I am gaining that competitive edge.”