Kayla Haas
About
Kayla Haas is a former Marine Corps Captain who has briefed general officers, coordinated multinational messaging during humanitarian operations in Haiti, directed strategic communications for Arctic military operations in Norway, and announced heads of state at the White House, all before thirty.
Every role she's held comes back to the same thing: a deep love for the United States and the people who serve.
As Director of Strategic Communications at Marine Barracks Washington — the oldest and most visible post in the Marine Corps — she spent three years managing press relationships, overseeing public messaging, and leading Marines through events broadcast to the nation. During that time, she also served as a White House Military Social Aide under the Biden and Trump administration. Before that, she was on the ground with Joint Task Force-Haiti coordinating military and NGO communications during humanitarian operations, and in Norway advising senior commanders on countering misinformation and building coalition trust during exercises above the Arctic Circle.
Along the way, she began turning the densest, most consequential documents in national security (National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, NDAA, USMC Force Design 2030, etc.) into visual breakdowns that people across the defense and policy spheres actually used. Not as part of her official duties, but because she believed the people supporting these efforts shouldn't need a law or policy degree to understand them. U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings published her work. So did Defense Acquisition University. She thrives on making the complex engaging and intuitive.
When she exited the Marine Corps, she didn't ease into the transition. On Friday she picked up her discharge paperwork. On Saturday she threw a party. On Sunday she painted her nails red for the first time in a decade, and on Monday started at Rivet Industries as their first strategic communications hire. No predecessor, no playbook. There, she built Rivet’s brand and communications function from the ground up, driving the company's launch out of stealth, leading event strategy, forging strategic partnerships across the defense and tech ecosystem, and facilitating media engagements.
Kayla holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy, where she interned at Sandia National Laboratories on national security projects. She leads with empathy, loves high-impact missions, and is dedicated to helping America win.
As Seen On
Fox & Friends
126th annual Army-Navy football game set to kick off
Joey Jones talks with former Army football player Jason Van Camp and Marine Corps veteran Kayla Haas about the 126th Army–Navy football game on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend.’
U.S. Naval Institute
The National Defense Strategy in One Image
Marine Corps First Lieutenant Kayla Haas possesses the unusual talent of conveying complex ideas in easy-to-grasp visuals. Her take on the new National Defense Strategy is presented here.
Marine Corps Gazette
EI and the Warfighter
Kayla makes the case that emotional intelligence isn't a soft skill, it's a competitive advantage, and the Marine Corps should train it with the same rigor as any combat discipline. She argues that the strongest warfighters aren't just tactically proficient; they're self-aware, emotionally disciplined, and built to lead under pressure.