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Kathleen Hicks
35th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 9, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byDavid Norquist
9th Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
In office
May 24, 2012 – July 2, 2013
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byJames Miller
Succeeded byBrian P. McKeon
Personal details
Born
Kathleen Anne Holland

(1970-09-25) September 25, 1970 (age 54)
Fairfield, California, U.S.
SpouseThomas W. Hicks
Children3
EducationMount Holyoke College (BA)
University of Maryland, College Park (MPA)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD)

Kathleen Anne Holland Hicks[1][2] (born September 25, 1970)[1][3] is an American government official who has served as the United States deputy secretary of defense since 2021. She is the first Senate-confirmed woman in this role and is the highest ranking woman to have served in the United States Department of Defense. Hicks previously served as the principal deputy under secretary of defense for policy during the Obama administration.[4] By 2020 Hicks was an academic and national security advisor working as a senior vice president and director of the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.[5]

Education

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Hicks completed a B.A. in history and politics at Mount Holyoke College in 1991, where she graduated with magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors.[6] In 1993, she earned an M.P.A. in national security studies at University of Maryland, College Park.[7] Hicks completed a Ph.D. in political science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010.[8] Her dissertation was titled Change Agents: Who Leads and Why in the Execution of U.S. National Security Policy. Charles Stewart III was Hicks' doctoral advisor.[7]

Career

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From 1993 to 2006, Hicks was a career civil servant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, rising from Presidential Management Intern to the Senior Executive Service. She was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) from 2006 to 2009, leading a variety of national security research projects.[6]

During the Obama administration in 2009, Hicks was appointed deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans, and forces.[9] In 2012, Hicks was the principal deputy under secretary of defense for policy during the Obama administration.[10] In that role, she was a liaison for the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review and oversaw the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance.[11] Hicks was a presidentially appointed commissioner for the National Commission on the Future of the Army. She was also appointed to the Commission on the National Defense Strategy of the United States. She is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served on the boards of The Aerospace Corporation and the U.S. Naval Institute,[12][13] as well as the boards of advisors for the Truman National Security Project and SoldierStrong.[6]

Hicks formerly served as a senior vice president, Henry A. Kissinger Chair, and director of the international security program at CSIS. She concurrently served as the Donald Marron scholar at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.[11] In October 2020, she also served on the CSIS-LSHTM High-Level Panel on Vaccine Confidence and Misinformation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, co-chaired by Heidi Larson and J. Stephen Morrison.[14] In 2020, Hicks led the Department of Defense agency review team, tasked with reviewing issues related to defense and national security during the presidential transition of Joe Biden.[15]

United States Deputy Secretary of Defense

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Hicks is sworn in as deputy secretary of defense, February 9, 2021.

On December 30, 2020, Hicks was announced as then U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for the United States deputy secretary of defense. She appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 2, 2021.[16] She was confirmed by voice vote by the full Senate on February 8, 2021 and sworn into office on February 9, 2021.[17] She is the first Senate-confirmed woman in this role.[18] Hicks is the highest ranking woman to have served in the United States Department of Defense.[19]

Hicks has launched initiatives that attempt to shorten technology adoption timelines and speed fielding of new defense capabilities.[20] She spearheaded Replicator, an initiative initially focused on fielding autonomous systems to help counter China's military.[21] She oversees the military's first commercial space integration strategy,[22] as well as several of the Pentagon's largest missile defense and long-range strike programs.[23][24] She is also in charge of the military's efforts related to climate change.[25]

Hicks established the Deputy's Workforce Council in the Defense Department to address workforce challenges such as extremism and a lack of diversity.[26] She has also focused on efforts to take care of service members and their families,[27] including countering sexual assault and harassment and preventing suicide.[28][29][30]

In April 2023, Hicks was interviewed by comedian Jon Stewart, who confronted her about the military defense budget and spending priorities, and suggested there is too much "waste, fraud, and abuse" within the Department of Defense.[31] According to Military Times, she responded by "conceding past shortcomings in spending priorities but insisting that the current administration has focused more on correcting those issues".[32] The segment generated negative press attention.[33]

In January 2024, Hicks temporarily assumed the functions and duties of the Secretary of Defense while Lloyd Austin was hospitalized. Hicks performed the role of Secretary of Defense while vacationing in Puerto Rico, but was left unaware of the reason why for three days.[34] In February 2024, Austin transferred his authority to Hicks while again being hospitalized.[35]

Selected works

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  • Hicks, Kathleen; Ridge, Eric (2007). Planning for Stability Operations: The Use of Capabilities-based Approaches. Center for Strategic and International Studies. ISBN 978-0-89206-515-8.
  • Hicks, Kathleen H. (2008). Invigorating Defense Department Governance: A Beyond Goldwater-Nichols, Phase 4, Report. Center for Strategic and International Studies. ISBN 978-0-89206-528-8.
  • Hicks, Kathleen H.; Wormuth, Christine E.; Ridge, Eric (2009). The Future of U.S. Civil Affairs Forces. Center for Strategic and International Studies. ISBN 978-0-89206-568-4.
  • Alterman, Jon B.; Hicks, Kathleen H. (2015). Federated Defense in the Middle East. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-5881-5.
  • Hicks, Kathleen H.; Metrick, Andrew; Samp, Lisa Sawyer; Weinberger, Kathleen (August 2, 2016). Undersea Warfare in Northern Europe. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-5968-3.
  • Hicks, Kathleen H.; Samp, Lisa Sawyer (2017). Recalibrating U.S. Strategy toward Russia: A New Time for Choosing. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-8006-9.
  • Hicks, Kathleen H.; Lauter, Louis; McElhinny, Colin (2018). Beyond the Water's Edge: Measuring the Internationalism of Congress. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-8088-5.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Nominations Before The Senate Armed Services Committee, Second Session, 112th Congress". U.S. Congress. 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  2. ^ "PN79-5 — Kathleen Holland Hicks — Department of Defense". U.S. Congress. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  3. ^ "Hicks, Kathleen H." Virtual International Authority File. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  4. ^ Department of Defense Key Officials September 1947–December 2020 (PDF). Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense. p. 35. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Vislocky, Jana (February 19, 2021). "Who's Who in Defense: Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary Of Defense". Breaking Defense. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Biography: Commission on the National Defense Strategy for the United States" (PDF). Commission on the National Defense Strategy for the United States. Retrieved December 30, 2020.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ a b Hicks, Kathleen H. (2010). Change Agents: Who Leads and Why in the Execution of U.S. National Security Policy (Ph.D. thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. hdl:1721.1/59793. OCLC 671485930.
  8. ^ Zimmerman, Leda (May 4, 2020). "A forum for female voices in international security". MIT News. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  9. ^ Rozen, Laura (April 2, 2009). "Pentagon appointments". Foreign Policy. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  10. ^ Sullivan, Kate; Lee, MJ (December 30, 2020). "Biden names Kathleen Hicks as first woman deputy defense secretary". CNN. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Seck, Hope Hodge (December 30, 2020). "Biden Taps Kathleen Hicks to Be the Pentagon's First Female Deputy SecDef". Military.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  12. ^ "Biden picks first woman to serve as US deputy defence secretary". The Straits Times. SPH Media. January 1, 2021 – via Bloomberg News.
  13. ^ Shelbourne, Mallory. "Senate Confirms Kathleen Hicks As Deputy Defense Secretary". United States Naval Institute. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  14. ^ Call to Action: CSIS-LSHTM High-Level Panel on Vaccine Confidence and Misinformation, October 19, 2020 Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
  15. ^ Beinart, Matthew (November 11, 2020). "Biden Announces Transition Team Reviewing Pentagon, Led By CSIS' Kathleen Hicks". Defense Daily.
  16. ^ "How Kathleen Hicks will approach nukes, shipbuilding and the budget". DefenseNews. February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  17. ^ "DOD Announces New Deputy Secretary of Defense" (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  18. ^ Seligman, Lara (December 30, 2020). "Kathleen Hicks is Biden's pick to be first female deputy Defense secretary". Politico. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  19. ^ Hinchliffe, Emma; Goodkind, Nicole (November 12, 2021). "The highest-ranking female official at the Pentagon is used to being the only woman in the room". Fortune. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  20. ^ Knight, Will (May 2, 2022). "To Win the Next War, the Pentagon Needs Nerds". Wired. Condé Nast. OCLC 24479723. He suggests that advocates for change, such as Hicks, can only do so much... Martell was appointed by Hicks to help advance adoption and use of the technology.
  21. ^ Replicator:
  22. ^ Erwin, Sandra (November 27, 2023). "Pentagon looks to commercial space for an edge". SpaceNews. ISSN 1046-6940. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who has spearheaded Pentagon efforts to bring cutting-edge technology into defense programs, is overseeing the military's first commercial space integration strategy.
  23. ^ Paul McCleary (2 Feb 2021) DepSecDef Will Run Most Missile Defense, Nuke Modernization; SecDef Recused
  24. ^ Paul McCleary (24 Feb 2021) New Hicks Memo Sets Acquisition, Force Posture 2022 Budget Priorities Feb. 17 memo.
  25. ^ Liebermann, Oren; Kaufman, Ellie (November 20, 2021). "Senior Pentagon official warns the US military is 'not ready' for climate change". CNN. Hicks, the first woman to hold the Pentagon's number two position, leads the military's different efforts on climate change.
  26. ^ Bender, Bryan (March 11, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Hicks to establish 'workforce council'". Politico.
  27. ^ Myers, Meghann (February 15, 2024). "DOD looks to revamp housing, facilities on military installations". Military Times.
  28. ^ Doornbos, Caitlin (September 22, 2021). "Pentagon reveals plan to address sexual assault and harassment in the military ranks". Stars and Stripes.
  29. ^ "Top Pentagon official urges Congress to change military system for sex assault cases". United Press International. July 21, 2021 – via Medill News Service.
  30. ^ Vanden Brook, Tom (June 8, 2023). "Alaska's army bases see glimmer of hope after 'horrifically high' suicide rates among soldiers". USA Today. Senior defense officials, led by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, sought out troops, commanders and counselors during a recent visit as the Defense Department assesses what's worked and what hasn't in combatting despair. Hicks' tour came as the Pentagon sorts through dozens of recommendations from an independent commission on combatting suicide in the military.
  31. ^ ""That's f**king corruption!": Jon Stewart corners top Pentagon official in epic confrontation". Salon. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  32. ^ "Jon Stewart blasts 'corruption' in Pentagon spending priorities". Yahoo News. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  33. ^ "In a second Trump or Biden term, who'd be the next defense chief?". Politico. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  34. ^ Bertrand, Natasha; Liebermann, Oren; Britzky, Haley; Liptak, Kevin (January 7, 2024). "Deputy defense secretary was not told Austin had been hospitalized when she assumed his duties". CNN.
  35. ^ "Lloyd Austin hospitalized for a bladder issue; duties transferred to deputy defense secretary". NBC News. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
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Political offices
Preceded by United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
2021–present 		Incumbent


Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:People from Fairfield, California Category:Mount Holyoke College alumni Category:University of Maryland, College Park alumni Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Category:American women civil servants Category:Obama administration personnel Category:United States Department of Defense officials Category:Women government officials Category:Biden administration personnel Category:United States Deputy Secretaries of Defense Category:21st-century American women academics Category:21st-century American academics

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