Karlin picked for key DOD post

By Tony Bertuca / April 16, 2021 at 3:23 PM

President Biden intends to nominate Pentagon official Mara Karlin to become assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities, according to the White House.

Karlin currently serves as the Defense Department's principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs and "advises the secretary of defense on defense policies relating to the Middle East, Europe (including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Russia, Eurasia, Africa, and the Western Hemisphere," the White House said.

Prior to taking her current job, Karlin was a member of Biden's Pentagon transition team and director of strategic studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

"Previously, she served in national security roles for five U.S. secretaries of defense, advising on policies spanning strategic planning, defense policy and budgeting, future conflicts, and regional security affairs," according to the White House.

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