President Donald Trump nominated Michael Griffin to be principal deputy under secretary of defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics on Oct. 27.
Griffin would be in charge of Department of Defense acquisition, establishing policies for logistics and maintenance, as well as establishing policies for the maintenance of the defense industrial base for the United States. Griffin would also have oversight responsibility for military installations and their environments; operational energy plans and programs; major weapon systems; missile defense programs; space and intelligence programs; and nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs.
In August, DoD’s Department of Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics submitted its report on how to restructure the agency in order to comply with Trump’s executive order on executive agency reorganization. The report recommends that the department elevate the mission of advancing technology and innovation, foster distinct technology and acquisition cultures to better deliver superior capabilities for the armed forces, assign greater accountability to acquisition personnel, and provide greater oversight and management to the department. The department would also be required to reduce its size in management headquarters activities by 25 percent, according to the report. Griffin would oversee the carrying out of these goals.
Griffin served as chairman and CEO of the Schafer Corporation, which provides scientific, engineering, and technical services and products to the national security sector.
Griffin has also served as the administrator of NASA, where he established the architecture for space shuttle replacement, and initiated the first development of commercial cargo delivery service to Earth’s orbit in the agency’s history. He is a recipient of the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, the AIAA Space Systems Medal, and the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal.
Griffin is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, the Catholic University of America, the University of Maryland, the University of Southern California, Loyola College, and George Washington University.
