[[File:BENS logo.png|thumb]] Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is an American non-partisannonpartisan, non-profitnonprofit organization. Founded in 1982 by former mining executive Stanley A. Weiss, BENS serves asprovides a channel through which senior American business leaders volunteer their experience and expertise to help national security agencies become more efficient and effective <ref>https://www.bens.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=406</ref>. BENS has 7 regional offices across the country with headquarters based in Washington, D.C.
BENS’ early work focused extensively on U.S.-Soviet threat reduction initiatives and on widespread inefficiencies within the support functions of the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] (DoD)like maintaining housing for military personnel. AfterThey championingwere basealso realignmentactive andduring closure[[Base_Realignment_and_Closure|BRAC]] rounds, BENSchampioning workedthe to findprocess and helping develop opportunitiestransition atplans thefor baseslocations thataffected wereby affectedbase closure.<ref>https://www.bens.org/pages/policy-work/brac--base-reuse</ref> Over the last decade, they have widened {{who|date=December 2013}} their focus to encompasstake a range ofon other issues such as cybersecurity and domestic counterterrorism.Inand recent years theyhave also have broadened their government partnerships to include: the Departments of State, Treasury, Homeland Security, including FEMA and the Secret Service, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the CIA[[Unified_Combatant_Command|combatant commands]]. BENSTheir alsowork worksis withprovided allpro of the combatant commandsbono.▼
BENS believes that the defining strengths of the American private sector – ingenuity, innovation, and efficiency – should be applied to America's security. And by working with government partners pro bono to develop creative, new approaches to address current challenges, America will be more secure.
▲BENS’ early work focused extensively on U.S.-Soviet threat reduction initiatives and on widespread inefficiencies within the support functions of the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] (DoD). After championing base realignment and closure, BENS worked to find and develop opportunities at the bases that were affected. Over the last decade, they have widened {{who|date=December 2013}} their focus to encompass a range of other issues such as cybersecurity and domestic counterterrorism. In recent years they also have broadened their government partnerships to include: the Departments of State, Treasury, Homeland Security, including FEMA and the Secret Service, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the CIA. BENS also works with all of the combatant commands.
The organization's current president and CEO is retired Air Force General [[Norton_A._Schwartz|Norton A. Schwartz]], the 19th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, and their current chairman is Bruce Mosler, Chairman of Global Brokerage ofat [[Cushman & Wakefield]]. Prominent members include [[Jeff_Bezos|Jeff Bezos]], [[David_H._Koch|David Koch]], and [[Frances_Townsend|Frances Townsend]].
