The assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs is a position within the U.S. Department of State that manages the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, charged with linking the Department of Defense and the Department of State by providing policy in the areas of international security, security assistance, military operations, defense strategy, and defense trade. The assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs reports to the under secretary of state for arms control and international security affairs.
When the Department of State originally established the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs on September 18, 1969, the bureau replaced a special component for politico-military affairs that had served under the deputy under secretary of state for political affairs since 1960. The head of the bureau had the title of director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, and was designated by the secretary of state, but still held rank equivalent to assistant secretary. Later, the director became appointed by the president, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, and the title of the head of the bureau was changed to assistant secretary on April 14, 1986.
List of directors of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, 1969–1985
#NameAssumed officeLeft officePresident served under1Ronald I. SpiersSeptember 18, 1969August 2, 1973Richard Nixon2Seymour WeissAugust 6, 1973January 17, 19743George S. VestApril 29, 1974March 27, 1977Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford4Leslie H. GelbFebruary 23, 1977June 30, 1979Jimmy Carter5Reginald H. BartholomewJuly 1, 1979January 20, 19816Richard R. BurtJanuary 23, 1981February 17, 1982Ronald Reagan7Jonathan HoweMay 10, 1982July 1, 19848John T. Chain Jr.July 1, 1984June 14, 1985
List of assistant secretaries of state for political-military affairs, 1986–present #NameAssumed officeLeft officePresident served under9H. Allen HolmesJuly 19, 1985August 8, 1989Ronald Reagan10Richard A. ClarkeAugust 8, 1989July 10, 1992George H. W. Bush11Robert GallucciJuly 13, 1992October 11, 1994George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton12Thomas E. McNamaraOctober 12, 1994January 9, 1998 Bill Clinton13Eric D. NewsomNovember 2, 1998December 31, 200014Lincoln P. Bloomfield Jr.May 31, 2001January 20, 2005George W. Bush15John HillenOctober 11, 2005January 11, 2007 -Stephen D. Mull (acting)January 11, 2007August 8, 200816Mark KimmittAugust 8, 2008January 20, 200917Andrew J. ShapiroJune 22, 2009April 19, 2013Barack Obama -Thomas P. Kelly III (acting)April 19, 2013April 9, 201418Puneet TalwarApril 9, 2014November 201519R. Clarke CooperMay 2, 2019January 20, 2021Donald Trump -Timothy Alan Betts (acting)January 20, 2021September 30, 2021Joe Biden20Jessica LewisSeptember 30, 2021July 16, 2024 -Stanley L. Brown (acting)July 16, 2024January 20, 2025 -James Holtsnider (senior bureau official)January 20, 2025September 29, 2025Donald Trump -Fleet White (senior bureau official)September 29, 2025March 11, 2026 -Stanley L. Brown (acting)March 11, 2026August 14, 202621Fleet WhiteAugust 14, 2026Present
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