Pentagon names three new senior officials

The Pentagon announced the appointments of three new deputy assistant secretaries of defense Wednesday.

Elbridge Colby has been selected to become the next deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development. Colby was most recently a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, where he specialized in nuclear policy.

Pete Giambastiani will be appointed as the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs. Giambastiani was most recently chief of staff to Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL), a member of the House Appropriations and Intelligence committees.

He previously served as a special assistant to the deputy under secretary of the Navy and the secretary of the Navy in the George W. Bush administration. Prior to that, Giambastiani was a senior staff member to former House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL), and a Navy surface warfare and intelligence officer.

Thomas Goffus has been selected to become the next deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO. Goffus was most recently a professional staff member for the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he was the lead adviser on national military strategy, counterterrorism, international defense cooperation, and foreign policy issues in U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command. He is a retired Air Force colonel.