Melissa Dalton, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs at the Department of Defense, was nominated by President Joe Biden to become the under secretary of the U.S. Air Force.
In her current role, Dalton provides the DOD secretary and other senior defense leaders with informed recommendations on defense continuity and mission assurance; homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities; and Arctic and global resilience. She also guides U.S. defense and security policy for Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America.
She was principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities for over a year before taking on her present designation. She held that previous role for over a year, advising defense leaders on national security, defense strategy and other key areas.
Dalton’s career also includes time as a senior fellow and deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies International Security Program and Director of the Cooperative Defense Project.
Additionally, she spent a decade as a civil servant in the DOD during the Bush-Cheney and Obama-Biden administrations.