Biden also decided on Colin Kahl, another former Pentagon official in charge of affairs in the Middle East, who was the national security adviser to then-Vice President Joe Biden, as secretary of defense policy. Kahl is currently co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University.
In his previous positions at the Pentagon, Kahl played a key role in the withdrawal in Iraq, which opposed Iran and strengthened the US defense relationship with Israel, according to the statement.
‘These respected, capable civilian leaders will help guide the Department of Defense with integrity and determination, protect the lives and interests of the American people, and ensure that we fulfill our most sacred duty: to equip and serve those who serve our country. ” to protect them and their families during and after their service, ” Biden said in a statement.
“Dr. Kath Hicks and Dr. Colin Kahl,” he added, “have the broad experience and crisis-tested judgment needed to tackle the challenges we face today, and all we may face tomorrow. will be trusted partners for me, the elected vice president and designated secretary of Austin – as well as our dedicated civilian and military team – as we work to restore responsible American leadership on the world stage. ”
Meanwhile, Kelly Magsamen, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for security affairs in Asia and the Pacific now at the Center for American Progress, will be the Pentagon’s chief of staff, officials told POLITICO.
The choice of Hicks is in some ways an olive branch for a prominent group of female national security leaders who have campaigned for Biden Michèle Flournoy, another former Pentagon official in Obama, to be nominated for the best Pentagon post. Biden went over to Flournoy to select Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star general, as his nominee for defense.
Hicks “knows the building, there’s a long history. Plus, the glass breaks pitch, ”said one of the people. “It’s important to have gender diversity at the top.”
The move also sends a signal that Biden wants stronger civilian oversight of the military, after the Pentagon’s civilian workforce declined in numbers and influence during President Donald Trump’s presidency. Some experts were concerned that the choice of another former military officer to run the Pentagon, just four years after Trump fired retired Gen. Jim Mattis as his first secretary of defense would further erode civilian control of the building.
Austin said in a statement on Wednesday that Hicks and Kahl “share my strong belief that we need empowered civilian voices who serve with military leaders in the Department of Defense to ensure we are always accountable to the American people.”
It is also a reassuring sign for members of the national security community who have sounded the alarm about Austin’s lack of experience in countering China, which they say is the Pentagon’s most pressing challenge. She helped implement Obama’s hub to Asia in the Pentagon in the early 2010s, and wrote regularly about China’s rise.
Hicks did not respond to a request for comment. A transition spokesman declined to comment.
Tyler Pager contributed to the report.