While the world of defense and foreign policy is driven by the policies of the president and the secretaries of state and defense, defense trade and arms sales are managed by key under and assistant secretaries who oversee critical decisions about how the United States manages foreign military and commercial arms sales. With over $300 billion in arms sales last year, defense companies and policy makers need to understand who holds these roles and their significance. Below is a brief overview of who the Trump administration currently has in place in these positions and those who have been nominated to fill them for the long-term. The roles covered are:
- Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
- Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs
- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities
- Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy
State Department
Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security
Currently Held by: Brent T. Christensen is the senior official performing the duties of the undersecretary for arms control and international security. He is a career foreign service officer and former foreign policy advisor to the commander of the United States Strategic Command. Christensen also previously served as counselor for political and economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, as deputy director, Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the Department of State, and as a Pearson Fellow on detail to the majority staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
Nominated for the Role: Thomas DiNanno previously served as a professional staff member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. DiNanno also previously worked in the State Department’s Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Bureau as deputy assistant secretary and acting assistant secretary between 2018–2020. During this time, DiNanno led U.S. engagement in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) Treaty extension talk and other arms control negotiations, missile defense and space policy oversight, and as U.S. representation at international disarmament forums. He also held roles as assistant administrator at Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), deputy assistant secretary for critical infrastructure projection at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and served in the White House Office of Homeland Security in the Bush administration. Most recently, DiNanno was a senior adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute.
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Why this job matters: Known as “T” within the State Department, this undersecretary oversees the Pol-Mil Bureau, reviews certain arms sales and helps resolve policy disputes related to arms sales and security assistance. |
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Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs
Currently Held by: James W. Holtsnider is the senior official for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. He is a career senior Foreign Service officer and former deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Kuwait. Holtsnider also previously served in the office of the deputy secretary of state for management and resources, in the Office of Iranian Affairs and in the State Department’s Operations Center.
Nominated for the Role: Chris Pratt, current assistant secretary for international affairs at DHS, has experience leading international engagement efforts to strengthen border security, counterterrorism and cybersecurity programs with U.S. allies. He previously served as the principal deputy special presidential envoy for hostage affairs at the State Department, where he led efforts to secure the release of American hostages and improve the government’s hostage recovery response. He also has experience as the chief of hostage recovery and nonconventional assisted recovery at the Department of Defense (DOD) and coordinating interagency operations to support complex recovery missions. Pratt also has worked in the private sector, managing U.S. government programs in Afghanistan, and advising military leadership, including the commander of all forces in Afghanistan and the commanding general of special operations forces.
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Why this job matters: The Pol-Mil Bureau oversees all arms transfers including both foreign military sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS). |
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Defense Department
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities
Currently Held by: Austin Dahmer is performing the duties of the assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities. Dahmer is the former national security adviser for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) with a focus on foreign policy, defense and intelligence matters, as well as classified material related to the Homeland Security and Judiciary committees. He also has experience as the principal policy analyst with Science Applications International Corp.
Nominated for the Role: President Trump has not nominated someone for this position yet.
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Why this job matters: This assistant secretary provides the policy guidance and strategy for security cooperation and oversees the work of the deputy assistant secretary for global partnerships. |
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Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Currently Held by: Steven J. Morani is performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. Morani is a member of the Senior Executive Service and previously served as the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for sustainment and the principal advisor to the assistant secretary of defense for sustainment. Morani is also a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with 28 years of military service.
Nominated for the Role: Michael Duffey served as program associate director for national security at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Duffey held several senior roles at DOD between 2017–2019, including deputy chief of staff to the secretary of defense and chief of staff to the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. From 2015–2016, Duffey served as executive director of the Wisconsin Republican Party, following a six-year tenure at the DOD in various analytical and leadership roles.
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Why this job matters: This role is responsible for all matters pertaining to acquisition including: contract administration, logistics and materiel readiness, installations and environment, operational energy, nuclear, chemical and biological defense, the acquisition workforce and the defense industrial base. |
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy
Currently Held by: Dr. Vic S. Ramdass is the acting assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy and also serves as the principal deputy assistant of defense for industrial base policy. Dr. Ramdass helped support the publishing of the Implementation Plan for the first National Defense Industrial Strategy. He previously served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for materiel readiness, served in various senior executive service positions and served over 12 years on active duty.
Nominated for the Role: President Trump has not nominated someone for this position yet.
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Why this job matters: The assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy leads DOD's efforts to develop and maintain the U.S. defense industrial base to ensure a secure supply of materials critical to national security, including defense articles for export. |
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Other Considerations
There are other non-Senate-confirmed positions within the Trump administration who are involved in the defense trade/arms sales space. We will continue to monitor the nomination process for the above officials and provide updates as President Trump continues to release his key picks for defense trade/arms sales positions. If you would like to know more about the policy sector or would like to understand how defense trade impacts the U.S. defense industrial base, please contact one of the authors of this alert.
THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING IMPORTANT EXECUTIVE OFFICIALS IN THE DEFENSE AND ARMS INDUSTRY. THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT ARE NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT OR IF YOU NEED LEGAL ADVICE AS TO AN ISSUE, PLEASE CONTACT THE ATTORNEYS LISTED OR YOUR REGULAR BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK, LLP ATTORNEY. THIS COMMUNICATION MAY BE CONSIDERED ADVERTISING IN SOME JURISDICTIONS.