Mara Karlin, performing the duties of deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, will step down from her job next week. (DoD/US Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders)
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s policy shop is experiencing another shakeup, this time with its number two official stepping down, the department announced today.
Mara Karlin — tapped as the assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities in 2021, and now performing the duties of deputy undersecretary of defense for policy — is departing her post next week for academia.
“During her tenure, she managed the writing and ongoing implementation of the [2022] National Defense Strategy, a pivotal document in guiding the department, particularly in linking strategy to resources, even amid evolving global crises,” Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Sasha Baker wrote in a brief statement. In addition to helping ink the strategy that continued to place Beijing as Washington’s top strategic military competitor, Karlin’s role has included implementation of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership and the establishment of an emerging capabilities policy office.
“As Dr. Karlin embarks on her next chapter, we wish her the very best and are confident that her impact on national security will continue to resonate for years to come,” Baker added. Before joining the department, Karlin was the director of strategic studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, served on the 2018 National Defense Strategy Commission staff and more.
Earlier today, Politico first broke the news of Karlin’s return to the teaching world. Her departure comes just five months after Colin Kahl vacated his seat as the undersecretary of defense for policy and will mean the department’s policy shop will continue without Senate-confirmed leaders for its top two posts.
While the White House has not yet announced who it wants to replace Karlin, back in July it nominated Derek Chollet to take over the top policy gig, but the Senate has not yet confirmed him, and it is not clear if or when that might happen, in part, because Sen. Tommy Tuberville is maintaining his hold on senior civilian Pentagon nominees and four-star generals and flag officers.
In the meantime, Barker is filling in, and she said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs Melissa Dalton has been tapped to perform the duties of her deputy once Karlin leaves next week.
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