Rafael F. Leonardo is performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities. In this capacity, he provides policy and planning oversight for Department of Defense (DoD) strategic guidance such as the National Defense Strategy (NDS), operational war plans, global posture, security cooperation activities, force development, and emerging capabilities.

During the initial phase of the second Trump Administration, the Secretary of Defense designated Mr. Leonardo as the senior official performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs. In this capacity, he oversaw an unprecedented increase in DoD support to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in order to secure the Southern Border. Under President Trump’s decisive leadership, the heroic efforts of the men and women of DoD and DHS resulted in a 99.9% decrease in illegal border crossings within the first 100 days of the Administration.

Mr. Leonardo previously served in the first Trump Administration as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, focusing on implementation of the 2018 NDS, zero-based reviews of Combatant Commands, and updates to priority operational war plans. In the private sector, Mr. Leonardo led teams in functions spanning finance, warehouse operations, and customer service as a member of general management for a multibillion-dollar industrial supply distributor. He has also worked in state government as Aide to the Governor of his home state.

A Strategist (FA59) and Military Intelligence Officer (35A) in the US Army Reserve, his past active duty assignments include lead Indo-Pacific Strategist in the Department of the Army’s War Plans Division specializing in joint operational war plans and development of future posture initiatives; Commander of a military intelligence brigade headquarters company; and Chief of Intelligence for an Aviation Task Force mobilized for a Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) mission.

Mr. Leonardo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Boston College, a Master’s in Business Administration from University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.