James Anderson (defense official)
James Anderson is an American government official and academic serving as acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the Donald Trump Administration.Early life and education
Anderson is a native of Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Amherst College. He then earned a Master of Arts in law and a PhD in international affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.Career
Anderson began his career as an United States Marine Corps intelligence officer. He later worked as a professor at the Marine Corps University, National Defense University, George Washington University, the University of Phoenix, and Lasell University. From 2009 to 2012, he worked as a Professor of international security studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. From 2012 to 2015, he served as Dean of Academics and Deputy Director of the Marine Corps War College.
In 2018, Anderson was nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities. On March 1, 2020, Anderson was selected to serve as acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy after the resignation of John Rood.
