Joe Costa is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Plans and Posture in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSDP). In this role, he serves as the principal civilian advisor to the Department’s leadership for operational planning and overseas force posture.

Prior to his appointment, he served as Acting Principal Director for Middle East Policy, and Special Assistant in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Readiness. He has also served as a Rosenthal Fellow on the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security.

Prior to government service, Joe was a Vice President at The Cohen Group, a global strategic advisory firm, and researcher at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is a 2023 recipient of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award, and holds degrees from the University of Chicago and George Washington University