Kathleen Hicks

Kathleen Hicks
Name	Kathleen Hicks
Caption	Official portrait, 2021
Office	35th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
President	Joe Biden
Term start	February 9, 2021
Predecessor	David Norquist
Office1	United States Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
President1	Barack Obama
Term start1	February 9, 2012
Term end1	July 23, 2013
Predecessor1	James N. Miller
Successor1	Christine Wormuth
Birth place	Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Education	Mount Holyoke College (BA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA), Georgetown University (PhD)

Kathleen Hicks is an American national security official and scholar who has served as the 35th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense since February 2021, the first woman to hold the position. Appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the United States Senate, she is the principal deputy and chief operating officer to the United States Secretary of Defense. Hicks previously held senior roles in the United States Department of Defense and at prominent Washington, D.C. think tanks, establishing a career focused on defense strategy, policy, and management.

Early life and education

Born in Fairfax, Virginia, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Mount Holyoke College. She subsequently received a Master of Arts in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, which is administered in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Hicks later completed a Doctor of Philosophy in political science from Georgetown University, where her dissertation examined military innovation.

Military and academic career

Before entering government service, she worked as a civil servant for the United States Navy. Her academic career included fellowships and research positions at institutions such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She also served as a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and directed the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Department of Defense roles

She joined the United States Department of Defense during the administration of President Barack Obama. From 2009 to 2012, she served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Forces, and later as Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. In February 2012, she was confirmed by the United States Senate as the United States Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the department's top policy official, serving until July 2013. In this role, she oversaw the development of the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance and advised on issues ranging from the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) to Asia-Pacific rebalancing.

Deputy Secretary of Defense

Following the 2020 presidential election, President Joe Biden nominated her to be United States Deputy Secretary of Defense; she was confirmed by the United States Senate in February 2021. As Deputy Secretary, she chairs the Deputy's Management Action Group and has led major departmental initiatives, including the establishment of the China Task Force and overseeing the creation of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. She has also been a key figure in implementing the National Defense Strategy and managing the department's response to global challenges such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Policy positions and initiatives

A central architect of the Biden administration's defense priorities, she has championed the concept of Integrated Deterrence and driven efforts to accelerate innovation through initiatives like the Replicator program. She has publicly emphasized the pacing challenge posed by the People's Republic of China and the need for the United States Armed Forces to modernize. Her work has also focused on reforming the Defense Acquisition System, strengthening alliances like NATO and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and advancing Department of Defense efforts on climate change.

Awards and recognition

For her government service, she has received the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal and the Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award. In 2021, she was named to the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people. Her professional memberships have included the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Strategy Group.

Category:United States Deputy Secretaries of Defense Category:United States Under Secretaries of Defense for Policy Category:Georgetown University alumni Category:Mount Holyoke College alumni Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni