Trailblazing Deputy Under Secretary of Defense

The US Senate has confirmed Indian-American security expert, Radha Iyengar Plumb, as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, with a vote of 68- 30. Plumb, who currently serves as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defence, was nominated by President Joe Biden in June 2022.

Plumb has an extensive background in the government, academia, and industry, having previously worked as Director of Research and Insights for Trust; Safety at Google and Global Head of Policy Analysis at Facebook. She has also served as a senior economist at the RAND Corporation, director of personnel and readiness at the National Security Council, and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Energy.

During her time at the RAND Corporation, Plumb served as lead author on critical reports evaluating the Department of Defence’s readiness and security efforts, including assessing the implications of open service for transgender service members and reviewing security and suitability screening efforts.

Plumb’s research has covered empirical evaluations of policies aimed at reducing violence, including criminal violence, sexual assault, terrorist behavior, and sexual and intimate partner violence. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University and was an assistant professor at the London School of Economics and a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Scholar at Harvard at the outset of her career. As an experienced leader with deep technical analytic skills, Plumb is set to bring a valuable perspective to the Department of Defence. She has been instrumental in executive actions on sexual assault in the military and modernizing nuclear infrastructure and efforts to enhance energy sector security and resilience.

The confirmation of Radha Iyengar Plumb as Deputy Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment highlights the increasing representation of women and Indian- Americans in key positions of power in the US government.

Re-reported from the story originally published in LokmatTimes English