U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appoints new Defense Policy Board

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the appointment of 15 members to the Defense Policy Board, the Pentagon’s senior advisory panel on national security and defense policy. Former U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer will serve as chair, with former Senator Norm Coleman as vice‑chair. The roster includes venture capital investor Marc Andreessen, former Rep. Mike Garcia, retired Navy admiral Charles A. Richard, foreign‑policy strategist Michael Pillsbury and several other former officials and industry leaders.

The board, established in 1985, advises the secretary, deputy secretary and under secretary of defense on strategy, modernization, force structure and regional security challenges. This is the first full slate of members since the previous board was dismissed in early 2021 as part of a Pentagon “zero‑based” review of advisory groups.