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Thomas A. Constable

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (PDASD (M&RA))

 

Mr. Constable serves as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and currently the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. In this role he is the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness on all matters related to civilian and military personnel policies, reserve integration, military community and family policy, and total force manpower and resources. He also oversees the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Defense Commissary Agency. Mr. Constable’s wide-ranging portfolio covers the entire life cycle of a service member from recruiting and accessions through casualty and mortuary affairs. He develops policies, plans, and programs for the Total Force and oversees career lifecycle management for military and civilian personnel. Additionally, he is responsible for developing policy and overseeing quality of life programs for Department of Defense personnel and their families to include commissaries and exchanges; morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) programs; family advocacy and spouse employment; the chaplaincy; child and youth services; and the Department of Defense Education Activity.

Prior to this assignment, Mr. Constable served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary on the readiness of U.S Armed Forces. There, he oversaw the policies and programs designed to assure the preparedness of the United States Military, to engage the missions assigned by the President and the Secretary of Defense. Mr. Constable shared responsibility for the policy and oversight of force training and education, Defense language programs, operational safety, and the occupational health of over 2.7 million Department of Defense Military and civilian employees.

Mr. Constable entered the Senior Executive Service in 2015 as the Associate Director for Military Operations in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), where he served as a senior representative and principle advisor for the Services’ Operation and Maintenance activities to include military readiness, Combatant Commands, Working Capital Fund operations, and Department of Defense civilian pay.

Mr. Constable is a retired Soldier, having enlisted in the Army in 1987 and later commissioned as an officer in the Field Artillery; he retired from active duty in 2008. He received Master’s Degrees in Business Administration and Public Administration from Syracuse University, and a Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. His awards include the Legion of Merit, and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service; he is a proud recipient of the Leonard F. Keenan Award for Distinguished Service.