John Charles Rood (born 1968) is an American national security adviser and former government official who served as the
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
The United States under secretary of defense for policy (USDP) is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Defense. The under secretary of defense for policy is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the Unite ...
from January 2018 to February 2020. Before that, he was Senior Vice President of
Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
where he oversaw international business. He also served as vice president for Domestic Business Development at
Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
and he was a vice president at the
Raytheon Company
The Raytheon Company was a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft unti ...
.
Early life and education
Rood was born in 1968. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
.
Career
Rood also served as Acting
from September 2007 to January 2009, and as
from October 2006 to September 2007. He served at the
United States National Security Council
The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and foreign policy matters. Based in the White House, it is part of the Execu ...
as special assistant to the president and senior director of Counterproliferation and Director of Proliferation Strategy for Counterproliferation in Homeland Defense. Rood served at the Defense Department as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Forces Policy, and at the
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
as an analyst following missile programs in foreign countries. In addition, he served as senior policy advisor to U.S. Senator
Jon Kyl
Jon Llewellyn Kyl ( ; born April 25, 1942) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States Senator for Arizona from 1995 to 2013 and again in 2018. A Republican, he held both of Arizona's Senate seats at different times, ser ...
of Arizona.
On October 16, 2017, Rood was nominated by President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
to become the
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
The United States under secretary of defense for policy (USDP) is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Defense. The under secretary of defense for policy is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the Unite ...
. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on January 3, 2018. In January 2018, Secretary
James N. Mattis
James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th US secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. During his 44 years in the Marine Corps, he commanded forces in the Persian ...
released the
National Defense Strategy
The National Defense Strategy (or NDS) is produced by the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and is signed by the United States Secretary of Defense as the United States Department of Defense's (DoD) capstone strategic guidan ...
(NDS) which placed the order of priorities for the Department of Defense as China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and then Countering Terrorism. As the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Rood was responsible for the implementation of the NDS worldwide. On February 19, 2020, Rood was asked to leave the administration by President Trump and offered his resignation effective February 28, 2020.
See also
*
Trump–Ukraine scandal
The "Trump–Ukraine scandal" refers to efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to coerce Ukraine and other countries into providing damaging narratives about 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden, and giving misinformatio ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rood, John Charles
George H. W. Bush administration personnel
Arizona State University alumni
Living people
1968 births
George W. Bush administration personnel
Arizona Republicans
Employees of the United States Senate
Analysts of the Central Intelligence Agency
United States Under Secretaries of State
United States Under Secretaries of Defense for Policy
Trump administration personnel
Trump–Ukraine scandal