Drew Walter
Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Deterrence, Chemical, and Biological Defense Policy and Programs
|
Mr. Drew Walter is Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Deterrence, Chemical, and Biological Defense Policy and Programs. In this capacity, Mr. Walter is the principal civilian advisor to the Secretary of Defense for nuclear deterrence policies, operations, and associated programs and is responsible for overall supervision of nuclear deterrence policy, resources, and activities of the Department of Defense. Mr. Walter advises and assists the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment on matters relating to nuclear deterrence and defense against chemical, biological, and other weapons of mass destruction. He also serves as the Nuclear Weapons Council Staff Director and Executive Secretary to the Biodefense Council.
Previously, Mr. Walter served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters (DASD(NM)). In this role, he was responsible for carrying out the Office of Nuclear Matters’ mission to “ensure the continued credibility, safety, security, resiliency, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear deterrent to deter adversaries, assure allies and partners, and achieve U.S. objectives if deterrence fails—today and in the future.” Before being assigned as DASD(NM), Mr. Walter served as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, where he supported efforts to integrate activities across the Department of Defense related to nuclear deterrent modernization and sustainment. Mr. Walter joined the Department in 2018 as Principal Director and Senior Advisor in the Office of Nuclear Matters.
Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Mr. Walter served as a professional staff member with the Committee on Armed Services in the U.S. House of Representatives. In this role, he was responsible for executing committee activities and oversight regarding all policies, programs, and budgets related to nuclear deterrence, nuclear nonproliferation, naval nuclear propulsion, and nuclear environmental cleanup. These responsibilities included oversight and authorization of over $30 billion in annual funding within the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.
Mr. Walter began his career at Sandia National Laboratories, where he was a Senior Member of the Technical Staff. His responsibilities at Sandia included conducting physical security assessments for U.S. nuclear weapons, developing and analyzing new security technologies and security assessment methodologies, and conducting special studies for laboratory executives.
Mr. Walter holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.