Deputy Defense Secretary Hamre to to step down

DAILY BRIEFING

Deputy Defense Secretary
Hamre to step down

Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre is resigning, the Pentagon announced Monday.

Hamre, the second-ranking civilian official at the Pentagon, is leaving the Defense Department to head up the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.

Defense Secretary William Cohen said that Rudy de Leon, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, would be nominated to replace Hamre.

"John Hamre has been my friend and partner in running the department," Cohen said. "He has made contributions in many areas, but his biggest achievements have been in increasing computer security, bringing better business practices to the department, winning increases in Defense spending to improve readiness and procurement and helping Defense contractors and the department adapt to global business conditions."

Hamre was named deputy secretary in July 1997 after serving as the Pentagon's comptroller. In the number two spot at the Pentagon, Hamre oversaw the department's year 2000 computer conversion efforts. He also ran the Defense Reform Initiative, the department's effort to overhaul its operations to reduce the cost of supporting military troops.

Hamre is slated to leave the Pentagon in March.