Mara_Karlin

Mara Karlin

Mara Karlin

American foreign policy and defense advisor

Mara Elizabeth Karlin[1] is an American foreign policy and defense advisor. In April 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Karlin to serve as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities.[2] She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by voice vote on August 9, 2021.[3] Previously, she served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.[4] In her role, she served as the main advisor to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on U.S. security policies related to every country in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Eurasia, and the Western Hemisphere. Her portfolio included shaping U.S. defense policy related to NATO.[5]

Quick Facts Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities, President ...

Education

Karlin earned a B.A. degree in political science and Jewish studies from Newcomb College at Tulane University in 2001. She then attended Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, completing an M.A. degree in strategic studies, Middle East studies and international economics in 2005 and a Ph.D. in international relations in 2012.[6][7] Her doctoral thesis was entitled Training and equipping is not transforming: An assessment of U.S. programs to build partner militaries.[7][8]

Career

Karlin began her career in government as a career civil servant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.[9] She later became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development during the Obama administration.[10] In that capacity, she helped develop the 2015 National Security Strategy and the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review.[11]

Upon leaving the Obama administration, Karlin returned to her alma mater, Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, to first become the deputy director of the Strategic Studies Department and later its Director until leaving academia for government. During her time at Johns Hopkins University, she also served as an associate professor.[12] Simultaneously, Karlin served as a nonresident senior fellow with the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution[13]

In 2018, Karlin was on the National Defense Strategy Commission staff, and a member of the congressionally appointed Syria Study Group.[14]

Biden administration

Karlin was on the defense policy team for the Biden-Harris transition.[15]

In January 2021, Karlin was appointed to serve as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. The position did not require Senate confirmation, and she began service on January 20, 2021, immediately after President Biden was inaugurated.[16] As the most senior member of the International Security Affairs Office, Karlin became the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, leading the department's relations with nearly 150 countries.[17]

In April 2021, the White House announced that President Joe Biden had nominated Karlin as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, & Capabilities. Karlin received Senate confirmation on August 9.[18][19] In this role Karlin led development of the 2022 National Defense Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review, and Missile Defense Review—the first integrated strategy review in Department of Defense history.[20][21] In this capacity, she also was responsible for advising the Secretary of Defense and others on the forces, plans, posture, emerging capabilities, and security cooperation activities necessary to implement the National Defense Strategy. As part of this, she manages policy and strategy for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).[22]

In addition to her role in writing and implementing the 2022 National Defense Strategy, Karlin guided the AUKUS agreement between the US, UK, and Australia, which, according to a speech by President Biden, is meant to help in "developing Australia’s conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarine capacity"[23]

Karlin also helped form a new emerging capabilities policy office.[24]

On 11 December 2023, Karlin announced that she would be stepping down from her position as Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities, to take up a position in academia.[25]

Publications

Karlin is the author of two books, Building Militaries in Fragile States: Challenges for the United States, and The Inheritance: America's Military After Two Decades of War.[26]

References

  1. [1]
    "PN402 - Nomination of Mara Elizabeth Karlin for Department of Defense, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. 2021-07-13. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  2. [2]
    "President Biden Picks Defense Exec Mara Karlin as Nominee for Strategic Role". Executive Gov. 2021-04-19. Archived from the original on 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  3. [3]
    "US Senate Cloakroom confirms Dr. Mara Karlin to be an assistant secretary of defense". Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-08-10. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  4. [4]
    "Dr. Mara Karlin". www.defense.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  5. [5]
    "Dr. Mara Karlin". www.defense.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
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    "Johns Hopkins SAIS names national security expert Mara Karlin Associate Director of the Strategic Studies Program" (Press release). Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. 2017-06-27. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  7. [7]
    "Mara E. Karlin, Ph.D." (PDF). Brookings.edu. 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  8. [8]
    Karlin, Mara E (2012). Training and equipping is not transforming: An assessment of U.S. programs to build partner militaries (Thesis). Ann Arbor, Michigan: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. ISBN 978-126794841-0. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  9. [9]
    "President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Eight Key Administration Leaders". The White House. 2021-04-16. Archived from the original on 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  10. [10]
    Mehta, Aaron (2021-04-16). "Mara Karlin selected to lead Pentagon strategy office". Defense News. Archived from the original on 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  11. [11]
    "Mara Karlin". Semester at Sea. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  12. [12]
    "Johns Hopkins SAIS names national security expert Mara Karlin Director of the Strategic Studies Program". Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. 28 March 2019. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  13. [13]
    "Mara Karlin". Brookings.edu. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  14. [14]
    "Dr. Mara E. Karlin". defense.gov. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  15. [15]
    "Dr. Mara E. Karlin". defense.gov. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  16. [16]
    "Here's Who Will Be Running the Pentagon When Biden Takes Office". Defense One. 19 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  17. [17]
    "ASD for International Security Affairs". policy.defense.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  18. [18]
    Gould, Joe (August 9, 2021). "Mara Karlin confirmed to lead Pentagon strategy". Defense News. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  19. [19]
    Mehta, Aaron (2021-04-16). "Mara Karlin selected to lead Pentagon strategy office". Defense News. Archived from the original on 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  20. [20]
    Seligman, Lara; McLeary, Paul (December 11, 2023). "Top Pentagon official steps down, creating policy gap amid Tuberville hold". Politico. Politico. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  21. [21]
    Karlin, Mara (May 24, 2023). "Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities Dr. Mara Karlin's Remarks at the Third Annual Middle East Institute CENTCOM Conference (As Prepared)". Department of Defense. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  22. [22]
    "Dr. Mara E. Karlin". defence.gov. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  23. [23]
    Biden, Joe (March 13, 2023). "Remarks by President Biden, Prime Minister Albanese of Australia, and Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom on the AUKUS Partnership". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  24. [24]
    Seligman, Lara; McLeary, Paul (December 11, 2023). "Top Pentagon official steps down, creating policy gap amid Tuberville hold". Politico. Politico. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  25. [25]
    Acting Pentagon policy head Karlin announces departure Archived 2024-02-26 at the Wayback Machine, Noah Robertson, Defense News, 2023-12-12
  26. [26]
    and (2020-05-26). "The Inheritance". Brookings. Archived from the original on 2021-10-15. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
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