Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks met with the Defense Policy Board at the Pentagon in a closed, classified session, Sep. 12.
Secretary Austin briefed the board members on the current landscape of global security challenges and opportunities, sharing insights gleaned from his most recent travel to the Indo-Pacific region.
The Secretary and Deputy Secretary thanked the board members for dedicating their time and expertise to provide independent and informed advice, opinions, and recommendations on Indo-Pacific security, interagency coordination, U.S. force posture, and the U.S. industrial base, Sep. 11-12.
The board members participated in important national security conversations with several other Pentagon senior leaders, to include General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff; Dr. Bill LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment; Mr. Michael McCord, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer; Ms. Susanna Blume, Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation; Dr. Mara Karlin, Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; and Dr. Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense of Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.
