Defense Policy and Arms Control

Special Assistant to
the President and Senior Director


The Office advises and assists the President and the National Security Advisor on all aspects of U.S. national security policy with respect to the U.S. defense budget, programs and policy, nuclear arms control, and conventional arms control.

Among the issues that the Office provides advice and assistance to the President on are:

  • The U.S. national security strategy;
  • U.S. defense budget;
  • U.S. military force structure and strategy;
  • Defense R & D and procurement programs;
  • Personnel policy;
  • Military readiness;
  • Senior officer nominations;
  • Base Closure and Realignment;
  • Defense reinvestment;
  • Telecommunications;
  • Military space policy;
  • National security emergency preparedness;
  • Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty negotiations;
  • U.S. nuclear posture and INF and START Treaty implementation;
  • Ballistic missile defense policy and ABM Treaty implementation;
  • Treaty on Open Skies implementation;
  • Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe implementation;
  • Security component of the OSCE, and;
  • NATO defense policy.


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