One of the benefits of being located so close to Washington, D.C., is that the U.S. Army War College has access to some of the nation’s most senior leaders. Most recently, the Honorable Melissa Dalton addressed the Homeland Defense Symposium in Carlisle and took time out of her busy schedule to join podcast editor Ron Granieri for an intriguing conversation. Sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs on March 4, 2022, Secretary Dalton currently performs the duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. She shares how she found her way to the civil service and the challenges her office faces in pursuit of national defense priorities. Her portfolio includes Indo-Pacific Affairs, International Security Affairs, Space Policy, Special Operations Low-Intensity Conflict and Homeland Defense Hemispheric Affairs.
I would emphasize the importance of resilience and the day-to-day actions that any one of us can take to make ourselves more resilient at the individual, community, unit, departmental, and country level matters because if we are demonstrating that resilience day-to-day through repeatable actions…that is sending a message principally to the PRC that today is not the day to test us.
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Melissa Dalton is Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. She was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs on March 4, 2022. She is responsible for advising the Secretary of Defense and other senior defense leaders on defense continuity and mission assurance; homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities; Arctic and global resilience; and U.S. defense and security policy for Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.
Ron Granieri is Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE.
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.
Photo Description: The Honorable Melissa Dalton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs addresses the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, February 9, 2023
Photo Credit: Courtesy of C-SPAN