Captain Merlin Boone is an Instructor of International Affairs at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. Merlin is a U.S. Army Special Operations Civil Affairs Officer and has experience in Syria and the broader Asia-Pacific. He is also a PhD candidate in Public Affairs (Security Studies) at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. His research focuses on modern geopolitical competition, economic statecraft, and U.S. China relations. Merlin holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs (Security Studies) from Princeton University, a master’s degree in International and Public Affairs from the University of Hong Kong, and bachelor's degrees in Economics (Honors) and Chinese from the United States Military Academy, West Point.