Chris
Miller

Chris Miller served as Acting Secretary of Defense from November 2020 to January 2021, following his service as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and prior roles performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism. He also served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism and Transnational Threats at the National Security Council, where he led strategic policy coordination. A retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel, Mr. Miller began his military service as an enlisted Infantryman in 1983, later commissioning through ROTC and serving in numerous leadership positions within the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), including command of 2nd Battalion. He participated in initial combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and completed multiple deployments with extensive joint and interagency experience. After retiring in 2014, he worked as a defense contractor supporting senior Pentagon leadership on SOF and intelligence matters. He holds a B.A. in History from George Washington University and an M.A. in National Security Studies from the Naval War College. Mr. Miller lives in Virginia with his wife; they have three children.