HomeCouncil Of Ambassadors

Council of Ambassadors

Vigilant Torch prides itself on having an internal team that is dedicated to its mission through strategic planning, fiscal responsibility, and an overall passion for creating lasting impact within the Special Operations community. Our ethos is to work smarter, not harder, and with integrity and honor while being good stewards of our members' and donors’ funds.

Council of Ambassadors

Brian Harmon Ph.D.

Brian is a senior researcher at the Institute for Defense Analyses primarily supporting
evaluations for the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of SAFETY Act
Implementation. He also supports evaluations for various Department of Defense public
health- and biodefense-related efforts, and provides analytical support to the Director,
Operational Test & Evaluation at the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

On a part-time basis, Brian is a Lieutenant Colonel assigned to U.S. Army Special
Operations Command; serves as an Adjunct Professor with the Anthony G. Oettinger
School of Science and Technology Intelligence at the National Intelligence University in
Bethesda, Maryland; and guest lectures for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness
course at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland.

Brian earned his Doctor of Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University, carrying out his
research at its Applied Physics Laboratory. He also has a Master’s of Science from the
Rochester Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor’s of Science from Clemson
University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College,
and earned certificates in executive security leadership and the risk sciences from the
Harvard Kennedy School and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,
respectively. In addition to his Veteran support at the Vigilant Torch Foundation, Brian is
a member of the Joint Special Operations Association, TF-7294, and The OSS Society.

In his free time, Brian is a Shodan-level instructor at his local dojo, and spends as much
time as he can with his wife (Regina), son (Torin), and adorable dog (Roy).

Daniel "D.J." Gile

Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Daniel “D.J.” Gile is the Vice President of National Security at Digital Science.
Gile joined Digital Science in September of 2022 after a 24-year Army career in intelligence and special operations. He was initially recruited in 1998 and trained as a Korean linguist at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. After an assignment at the National Security Agency, he was assessed and selected into special operations where he deployed seven times in support of operations in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

In between deployments, D.J. earned a Bachelor of Science with a focus in East Asian studies
from Excelsior University, graduated from the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, and
attended the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth’s Next Step Program.

He resides near Annapolis with his wife, Maryland State Senator Dawn Gile, and their three
daughters.

Kevin Zimmerman

Kevin Zimmerman is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Command Sergeant Major with 28 years of service. Kevin began his military career in 1994 as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division before serving in a number of operational and leadership assignments within the Special Operations community. As a senior leader, he worked closely with Vigilant Torch and was honored to join the Vigilant Torch Council of Ambassadors in 2025.

Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management Studies from the University of Maryland University College and currently resides in Virginia with his wife. He has two daughters attending college and a son entering military service.