Mr. Kohout leads the Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute’s mission area for counterterrorism, borders, and immigration. This mission area focuses on assessing risks, measuring the performance of security initiatives, and informing decisions that DHS operating components face about resource allocation. As manager of the infrastructure and operational assessment division, Mr. Kohout supervised operational analyses for Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and several DHS headquarters components.

Prior to joining HSSAI, Mr. Kohout spent 13 years at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) as an operations analyst, field representative, and project director performing a wide range of operational analyses for U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), U.S. Coast Guard, and joint commands. He spent five years assigned to USMC operational commands in Hawaii (MARFORPAC) and California (I MEF). He also deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom to assess battlefield command and control issues. Mr. Kohout deployed again to analyze the contributions of a prototype USMC special operations detachment. He also served as CNA’s scientific analyst to the director of operations, plans, and political-military affairs on the Navy staff.

Mr. Kohout earned a bachelor’s in government from Hamilton College and a master’s in security policy studies from George Washington University. Mr. Kohout also completed the John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security.