Stephen C. Hedger served as the deputy chief of staff to the Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, and as the chief of staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Robert Work.  

In his role as the deputy chief of staff to the Secretary of Defense, he advised and provided counsel directly to the Secretary on a full array of topics.  Hedger was responsible for providing a critical conduit between the offices of the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary. 

As the chief of staff for the Deputy Secretary, Hedger assisted the deputy secretary in executing his core functions and day to day operations, which included the responsibilities of the chief management officer and the architect of a $500 billion annual defense budget.

Prior to this position, Hedger served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs.  He was directly responsible for all matters pertaining to the Department of Defense’s relationships with the United States Congress, including securing approval of the Department’s budget.  He fully and candidly informed the Congress about the Department's plans and programs and was responsible for securing congressional support for major DoD initiatives, as well as addressing policy propositions being pursued by Congress.  Additionally, he oversaw the confirmation process for individuals nominated by the President for DoD positions requiring Senate confirmation.

Previously, he served as Special Assistant to the President and Senate Legislative Affairs Liaison in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, where he served as a the principal White House liaison to the Senate Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Intelligence, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees, and relevant Appropriations Subcommittees. 

He has nearly ten years of experience on Capitol Hill.  He worked seven years in the office of Senator Claire McCaskill, where he first served as the Legislative Assistant for national security affairs and then as the Senator’s Legislative Director, managing her full policy team.  Prior to his time with McCaskill, Hedger served in the office of Representative Steve Israel and subsequently in the office of Delegate Madeleine Bordallo. Additionally, he taught undergraduate courses about Congressional and Legislative behavior as an Adjunct Professor at American University in Washington, DC, from 2011 to 2013. 

From 1999 to 2004, he served on active duty in the United States Army. During his service, Hedger deployed for a peacekeeping tour in Kosovo and later deployed to Kuwait and then into Iraq, where he served with a mechanized infantry battalion during the attack on Baghdad.  He has completed the Armor Officer Basic Course, Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, and Army Airborne and Ranger training.  He continues to serve in the Army Reserve.

Hedger was born and raised on Long Island, New York.  He earned a Bachelor of Science in International Relations from the United States Military Academy at West Point and later earned a Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center.