Janine Davidson

Janine Davidson was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Plans in April 2009. Dr. Davidson is responsible for advising the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy on matters pertaining to the development of U.S. national security and defense planning. She oversees the development of guidance for military campaign and contingency plans and the processes for review and assessment of plans. She is also responsible for the U.S. global defense posture and international agreements related to U.S. forces stationed overseas, as well as the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s (OSD) role in global force management.

Dr. Davidson joined the Defense Department from the faculty of George Mason University, where she was an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Policy; and the Brookings Institution, where she was a non-resident fellow for the 21st Century Defense Initiative. Dr. Davidson’s experience spans the fields of strategy, mobility, stabilization operations, reconstruction, counterinsurgency and interagency coordination. While, in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense for Stability Operations, she oversaw the founding of the Consortium for Complex Operations, an innovative interagency project to enhance education, training, and performance in complex emergencies.

Dr. Davidson served in the United States Air Force as an aircraft commander and senior pilot for the C-130 and the C-17 cargo aircraft. She conducted combat support and humanitarian air mobility missions throughout Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. As an instructor pilot, she also taught flying, aerodynamics, and navigation at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Dr. Davidson holds a PhD and a Master of Arts degree in international studies from the University of South Carolina and a BS in architectural engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is a member of the Executive Board for Women in International Studies and a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.