Melissa Dalton

Under Secretary

U.S. Department of the Air Force

Melissa G. Dalton is the 28th Under Secretary of the Air Force. As the Department of the Air Force’s second-highest ranking official, she is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Ms. Dalton oversees an annual budget exceeding $200 billion, provides air and space forces to combatant commanders in support of global military operations, and is accountable for the welfare of nearly 700,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian Airmen and Guardians and their families. Ms. Dalton has more than 20 years of experience in U.S. defense strategy, policy, and national security affairs. Prior to this role, she was Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from December 2023 to May 2024 where she served as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense for all matters concerning the formation of national security and defense policy. Additionally, she served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs from March 2022 to May 2024. She joined the Biden Administration in January 2021 as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities. Ms. Dalton served for more than a decade as a civil servant in the Bush and Obama Administrations within the Department of Defense, including as Policy Advisor to the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan and more. Additionally, she has extensive experience within various prominent think tank organizations including the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Center for a New American Security.

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