Once selected as a Truman Partner, participants are offered numerous opportunities to not only bolster their national security credentials, but to build their network and engage with the entirety of the greater Truman Project community. These opportunities include:

TRUMAN ORIENTATION - Mandatory for all new Partners, orientation includes a Friday afternoon national security simulation and evening dinner that brings people together socially and includes a security-focused speaking program. On Saturday, Partners partake in values, military 101, and communications training. Typical Partner Orientation topics can be found at the bottom of the page or by clicking here.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE - Partners have the option of attending the annual Truman Conference in Washington, D.C. The Conference includes speakers such as senior policy and political leaders, as well as interactive training sessions, simulations, and expertise-based break-out sessions devoted to shaping policies and advancing change.

QUARTERLY CONTINUING EDUCATION - Partners are asked to attend quarterly webinar-based policy and communications trainings on relevant issues.

TRUMAN EVENTS - Partners are asked to attend between two and four joint events with local Truman Partners, Fellows, and Military Roundtable participants per year, such as a speech, happy hour, fundraiser, or educational event.

PERKS OF MEMBERSHIP - Partners will also receive other benefits of engagement in the Truman Project, such as email list engagement (through the Truman Partners' Google Group), access to staff expertise and membership lists, Truman Project lapel pins, and ability to publish with a Truman by-line when approved.

• Orientation to the Truman Project
  • Our mission
  • Our staff and structure
  • Our community, its resources, and its benefits
• The Progressive National Security Legacy
  • The history and status of the "progressive security gap" 
  • What the 5 main schools of National Security theory believe
  • The philosophical traditions of our national security political valuesHow the average American decides to trust you on national security
  • What are the common emotional responses tied to national security
  • The progressive legacy of strong National Security and core values that unite most progressives
• Military 101
  • Military demographics and rank structure
  • The distinct roles of the services and combatant commands
  • How to avoid common mistakes when talking with the military community
  • Core military values – where they clash with progressive values, and where they agree
  • Hot debates within the Military community
  • How to connect with veterans, military families, and active duty personnel
• Demystifying the National Security Apparatus
  • What you need to know about the State Department
  • What you need to know about the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security
  • What you need to know about the NSC and the Executive Branch
• National Security Communications - Messaging
  • The conservative security narrative vs. the progressive security story. Who wins? How progressives mess up
  • The mental shortcuts people use when thinking about national security
  • Easy and memorable ways to connect when communicating about national security
  • The national security message matrix
  • The "connect then lead" process
  • The surprising importance of nonverbal communication vs. verbal communication
  • Being instantly recognized as a "warm and strong" leader
  • How progressives start in a national security hole, and how to climb out
• National Security in the New Political Environment
  • The Millennial Generation’s National Security values and viewpoints
  • Three stunning fundamental political demographic shifts and their effect on policy and communications
  • What the end of the broadcast era means for the future of communicating policy ideas
  • What the “active voter model” means for foreign affairs
  • Why a progressive liberal internationalist coalition can dominate American politics for the next 30 years, and how to engage now