Vayl Stanley Oxford (born March 1, 1952) is a national security policy adviser who was selected by

Secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...

James 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 ...

in 2017 to head the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Oxford was previously a security adviser at the

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is one of the United States Department of Energy national laboratories, managed by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science. The main campus of the laboratory is in Richland, Washington. O ...

Education

Born in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

and raised in

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, Oxford graduated in 1974 with a B.S. degree in general engineering from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

, and then in 1976 with an M.S. degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology.

Career

During his

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

tenure, Oxford held several positions associated with aircraft and weapons development, and war plans analysis in Europe and the Pacific. Oxford was an assistant professor of aeronautics at the Air Force Academy from 1982 to 1986. Oxford became director for counterproliferation at the

Defense Nuclear Agency The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD) for countering weapons of mass destruction (WMD; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosives). Accord ...

and the Defense Special Weapons Agency, from 1993 until 1998. Oxford was director for

counterproliferation Counterproliferation refers to diplomatic, intelligence, and military efforts to combat the proliferation of weapons, including both weapons of mass destruction (WMD), long-range missiles, and certain conventional weapons. Nonproliferation and ar ...

on 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 ...

. In 2004,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

appointed Oxford to head the

Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) is a part of the Science and Technology Directorate at the United States Department of Homeland Security. Much like DARPA in the Department of Defense, HSARPA is tasked with advanced proj ...

(HSARPA). Subsequent to that appointment, Oxford was Director of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, following its creation in 2005. During his tenure, the DNDO invested heavily in

Radiation Portal Monitor Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) are passive radiation detection devices used for the screening of individuals, vehicles, cargo or other vectors for detection of illicit sources such as at borders or secure facilities. Fear of terrorist attacks w ...

technology to scan cargo entering the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

for radiological weapons, technology Oxford strongly promoted. In later years, Oxford served as head of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oxford, Vayl 1952 births Living people United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel from Tennessee United States Air Force officers Air Force Institute of Technology alumni United States Air Force Academy faculty United States National Security Council staffers George W. Bush administration personnel United States Department of Homeland Security officials Trump administration personnel Defense Threat Reduction Agency