Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
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Sometimes informally called the "Secretary of State for the Department of Defense", the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (ISA) is responsible for coordinating U.S. security and defense policies relating to the nations and international organizations of Europe (including NATO), the Middle East and Africa. Historically, it has been an influential post, more important than many other jobs at the Assistant Secretary level.
The incumbent, in the Obama administration, is a career Foreign Service Officer, Alexander Vershbow .
The Assistant Secretary reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and has six majr direct reports:
- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs
- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East
- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe & NATO
- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia & Eurasia
- Secretary of Defense Representative in the U.S. Mission to NATO
- Secretary of Defense Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Past incumbents
| Name | Dates of office |
|---|---|
| John H. Ohly | October 1, 1947 - December 1, 1949 |
| James H.Burns, MG, USA (Ret.) | December 6, 1949 - August 27, 1951 |
| Frank C. Nash | August 28, 1951 - February 28, 1954 |
| H. Struve Hensel | March 5, 1954 - June 30, 1955 |
| Gordon Gray | July 14, 1955 - February 27, 1957 |
| Mansfield D. Sprague | February 28, 1957 - October 3, 1958 |
| John N. Irwin, II | October 4, 1958 - January 19, 1961 |
| Paul Nitze | January 20, 1961 - November 29, 1963 |
| William Bundy | November 30, 1963 - March 15, 1964 |
| John McNaughton | March 16, 1964 - July 19, 1967 |
| Paul Warnke | August 1, 1967 - February 15, 1969 |
| G. Warren Nutter | March 4, 1969 - January 28, 1973 |
| Robert C. Hill | May 10, 1973 - January 4, 1974 |
| Robert Ellsworth | June 6, 1974 - December 23, 1975 |
| Eugene V. McAuliffe | May 6, 1976 - April 1, 1977 |
| David E. McGiffert | April 4, 1977 - January 20, 1981 |
| Francis West. | June 15, 1981 - April 1, 1983 |
| Richard Armitage | June 9, 1983 - June 5, 1989 |
| Henry Rowen | July 7, 1989 - July 31, 1991 |
| James Lilley | December 12, 1991 - Jaunary 16, 1993 |
| Chas Freeman | July 6, 1993 - September 5, 1994 |
| Joseph Nye | September 15, 1994 - December 14, 1995 |
| Franklin Kramer | March 29, 1996 - February 16, 2001 |
| Peter Rodman | July 1, 2001 - March 2, 2007 |