Drones Over America! Defending the U.S. Homeland from Aerial Threats
The Strauss Center presented a panel on “Drones Over America! Defending the U.S. Homeland from Aerial Threats,” on Tuesday, April 1, with Monique Allen of the Texas Army National Guard, Jason Day of Unmanned Aircraft at the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Brendan Groves of SkyDio. Drones are seemingly everywhere: above military bases, seaports, airports, and even suburban backyards. Who’s sending them? And do government agencies have the authority and tools to take them down? Strauss Center Director Adam Klein moderated this panel.
Biographies
LTC Monique Allen was commissioned into the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant in May 2008 in the Military Intelligence (MI) branch. She received her commission through Army ROTC at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Language and Military Science.
LTC Allen began her career in the Regular Active Army in the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. She served in several positions including the Battalion Battle Captain/ Assistant Operations Officer for an Apache Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas, and Baghdad, Iraq; the Intelligence and Operations Officer in the Aviation Support Battalion and a Company Commander for the HHC BDE, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas and Mazār-e Sharīf, Afghanistan.
In April of 2014, LTC Allen joined the Texas Army National Guard where she has held several leadership positions including the 36th Infantry Division, Collection Manager, and the lead Intel Operations Officer. From 2016 to 2020 she served as the Operations Officer and the Deputy Commander for the 636th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion, 71st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade in San Antonio, TX. In 2020 she was selected to deploy as the Deputy Senior Intelligence Officer for the 36th Infantry Division in support of Operation Spartan Shield in the Central Command Area of Operation (Kuwait, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Egypt). LTC Allen served as the Commander for Region I (North Texas), Recruiting and Retention Battalion from 2021-2024. She is currently serving as the Commander for the 636th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion and full time the Multidomain Activities Division Chief and The State Training Officer for Texas Military Department.
LTC Allen is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College, Functional Area 30, Information Operations, Military Intelligence Captains Career Course, and Officer Basic Course.
MAJ Allen’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service (with Bronze 4 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal, Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Iraq Campaign Medal with one Campaign Star, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Campaign Star, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Metal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Army Service Ribbon.
Jason Day is the Director of Unmanned Aircraft at the Texas Department of Public Safety, bringing with him a wealth of experience from his 27-year tenure military, civilian, and public safety aviation. Widely recognized as a subject matter expert in the UAS community, Jason specializes in public safety UAS operations and administration.
In his role as Director, Jason oversees the largest public safety UAS program in the nation with over 370 remote pilots and unmanned aircraft. His primary responsibilities include ensuring compliance with FAA regulations, developing training standards and maintaining the highest levels of safety. Texas DPS stands out as the most active UAS program in the United States conducting 50,000 flights in 2024 and a remarkable 13,000 flight hours.
Operating within the Aircraft Operations Division of Texas DPS, Jason has actively participated in high-profile UAS missions, including disaster response, tactical operations, overwatch missions, and border operations. Recognized for his expertise in joint manned/unmanned aircraft operations, Jason holds a crucial seat in the Texas Air Operations Center, coordinating UAS operations during declared disasters in the state.
Jason plays a pivotal role in developing policies, procedures, and training standards for UAS use by public safety agencies during disasters and contributes as a voting member of the Texas Advanced Air Mobility Committee, shaping recommendations for the implementation of AAM and UAM in the State of Texas.
Jason developed and implemented the UAS Remote Pilot in Command training program for the department, earning recognition in Air Beat Magazine and serving as a template for various federal, state, and local public safety agencies. He has assisted countless public safety agencies across the world in establishing their UAS programs, emphasizing safety, compliance, and transparency.
Actively engaged in the UAS community, Jason is a member of numerous UAS and cUAS working groups and servers on multiple boards. He founded of the Texas Public Safety UAS Working Group, comprising over 100 public safety agencies across Texas. Additionally, Jason serves as an instructor for the Airborne Public Safety Association and is a sought-after guest speaker for organizations such as DRONERESPONDERS, AXON, NIST, and the FirstNet Alliance. With a strong rapport with the Federal Aviation Administration, Jason was appointed as a member of the FAA’s UAS Detection and Mitigation Aviation Rulemaking Committee. As a valuable member of the Texas DPS cUAS committee, he authored a white paper on the Threat of Weaponized Drones and is recognized as a subject matter expert on drone detection. Jason orchestrated the deployment of multiple UAS detection sensors across the state, enhancing airspace situational awareness for both public safety manned and unmanned aviators.
Brendan Groves is the Vice President of Regulatory and Policy Affairs at Skydio, the largest U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight. Brendan works with policy makers and regulators in the U.S. and international markets to unlock safe and effective autonomous operations. Under his leadership, Skydio has also become a leader in the development of ethical frameworks on the responsible use of drones and AI.
Before joining Skydio, he held senior positions in the federal government, most recently as Associate Deputy Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In that role, he managed DOJ’s national security policy portfolio, including intelligence and counterintelligence, counterterrorism, cyber operations, reviews of foreign investments, and export controls. In particular, he oversaw the Department’s contributions to the White House National Security Council process.
He also led DOJ’s drone program and helped to shape national policy on drones as a member of the FAA’s Executive Committee on UAS. Brendan played a central leadership role in the effort to counter the threat posed by malicious drones, spearheading the development and passage of legislation—known as the Preventing Emerging Threats Act—authorizing federal law enforcement officials to detect and disrupt drone threats nationwide.
Brendan’s career began as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, where he deployed to Afghanistan with joint special operations forces and served as the chief prosecutor of a military installation. Following his military service, Brendan served as the Special Counsel to the General Counsel of the National Security Agency and clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
He has received the Bronze Star Medal, the Attorney General’s John Marshall Award for the Handling of Legislation, the National Security Division’s Award for Excellence, and two national awards from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, including the National Intelligence Community Junior Attorney of the Year. Brendan is a graduate of Yale Law School and Pepperdine University.