Douglas Lute

Douglas Lute
United States Ambassador to NATO
Incumbent
Assumed office September 3, 2013
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Ivo Daalder
Personal details
Born	(1952-11-03) November 3, 1952 Michigan City, Indiana, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Jane Holl
Alma mater	United States Military Academy Harvard University
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal (3 Oak leaf clusters) Legion of Merit (with Oak leaf cluster) Bronze Star Medal
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States
Rank	Lieutenant General

Douglas Edward Lute (born November 3, 1952) is the United States Permanent Representative to NATO, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. He was nominated for the post by President Obama on May 23, 2013, and assumed his position on September 3, 2013.^[1]

Lute is a retired United States Army lieutenant general.

On May 15, 2007, Lute was appointed by George W. Bush to serve as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan. The New York Times referred to him as the "War Czar", since he occupied a senior advisory position responsible for overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.^[2] He was asked to stay on by new President Barack Obama as Obama's Special Assistant and Senior Coordinator for Afghanistan and Pakistan.^[3] After leaving active duty in 2010, Lute remained in his position at the National Security Staff. He is married to Jane Holl Lute, who served as the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from 2009 through 2013.

Education

Lute was born in Michigan City, Indiana, on November 3, 1952. He. graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1975. His first assignment was to the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bindlach, Germany, where he commanded C Troop. He earned a MPA degree from the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University in 1983 and taught in the Department of Social Science at West Point.

Second Cavalry

Following attendance at the British Army Staff College, he returned to the Second Cavalry as operations officer, serving both at the squadron and regimental levels. In 1990–91 he deployed and fought with the regiment in Operation Desert Storm, and later served on the staff of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

Advancement

Lute commanded 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1992–94. He then served on the Joint Staff in the J-5 Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy, and held a War College Fellowship at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C.

Lt. Gen. Lute and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Mark Kimmitt conduct a press briefing, February 9, 2007.

From 1998 to 2000 he commanded the Second Cavalry Regiment, part of XVIII Airborne Corps, at Fort Polk, Louisiana. In 2001, he was appointed brigadier general.^[4] He served next as the executive assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for 14 months before joining the 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany, as the Assistant Division Commander (Support). He commanded Multinational Brigade East in Kosovo for six months in 2002 before being assigned to United States European Command in January 2003 as the Deputy Director of Operations.

In June 2004, Lute began more than two years as Director of Operations (J-3) at United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), during which he oversaw combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other operations in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa. He was appointed to the rank of major general in 2004,^[5] and to the rank of lieutenant general in 2006.^[6] He assumed the duties of Director of Operations, the Joint Staff, in September 2006.

National security

On June 28, 2007, the Senate confirmed Lute to serve as the Deputy National Security Advisor. He remained in the position after his retirement from active duty in 2010.^[7]

On 10 August 2007, Lute stated that the United States should "consider" reinstating the military draft to relieve the "stressed" volunteer service from multiple tours of duty.^[8] This was immediately followed by a comment that it would be a major policy shift and that he did not see a current need for a draft.^[9]

Awards and decorations

During his military career he received:^[10]

• Defense Superior Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
• Bronze Star Medal
• Defense Meritorious Service Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Joint Service Commendation Medal
• Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Army Achievement Medal
• Parachutist Badge
• Ranger Tab
• Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
• Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
• Army Staff Identification Badge

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Douglas E. Lute.

• Text adapted from public domain Joint Chiefs of Staff biography

External links

• Douglas Lute collected news and commentary at The Washington Post
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Douglas Lute collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about Douglas Lute in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Douglas Lute at SourceWatch

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McDonough Mona Sutphen Nancy-Ann DeParle Rob Nabors 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013– 2009–11 2011–13 2013–15 National Security Advisor Deputy National Security Advisor Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan Jim Jones Thomas E. Donilon Susan Rice Thomas E. Donilon Denis McDonough Tony Blinken Avril Haines Douglas Lute† 2009–10 2010–13 2013– 2009–10 2010–13 2013–14 2015– 2009–13 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Jim Messina Alyssa Mastromonaco Anita Decker Breckenridge 2009–11 2011–14 2014– Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security Ben Rhodes John O. Brennan Lisa Monaco 2009– 2009–13 2013– White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning Mark B. 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Neil Eggleston 2009–11 2011–13 2013– 2009–11 2011–13 2014– 2010–11 2009–13 2013– 2009–10 2010–11 2011–14 2014– Deputy Director, National Economic Council Deputy Director, National Economic Council Chair of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board Diana Farrell Brian Deese Jason Furman Paul Volcker 2009–11 2011–13 2009–13 2009–11 Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Phil Schiliro Rob Nabors Miguel Rodriguez Katie Beirne Fallon 2009–11 2011–13 2013 2013– Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer Austan Goolsbee Jason Furman 2009–10 2010–13 2013– Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Lisa Konwinski Amy Rosenbaum 2009– 2014– Member of the Council of Economic Advisors Katharine Abraham 2011– Executive Clerk George T. Saunders† David Kalbaugh 2009–12 2012– Member of the Council of Economic Advisors Cecilia Rouse 2009– Director, Office of Political Affairs Patrick Gaspard David Simas 2009–11 2013– Director, Office of Management and Budget Peter R. 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Mulligan, Jr. Emmett Beliveau 2009–11 2011– 2009–13 2013– United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk Michael Froman 2009–13 2013– Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu Broderick Johnson 2009–13 2013– Director, Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes Cecilia Muñoz 2009–12 2012– Deputy Cabinet Secretary Liz Sears Smith Rachana Bhowmik Michael Robertson Gaurab Bansal 2009–11 2011–13 2013–15 2015– Deputy Director, Domestic Policy Council Heather Higginbottom Mark Zuckerman 2009–11 2011– Staff Secretary Lisa Brown Rajesh De Douglas Kramer Joani Walsh 2009–11 2011–12 2012–13 2014– Director, Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois Melissa Rogers 2009–2013 2013– Assistant to the President for Management and Administration Bradley Kiley Katy Kale Maju Varghese 2009–13 2013–15 2015– Director, Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle 2009–11 Director, Oval Office Operations Micaela Fernandez Brian Mosteller 2009–12 2012– Deputy Director, Office of Health Reform Jeanne Lambrew 2009–2011 Personal Aide to the President Reggie Love Marvin Nicholson 2009–11 2011– Director, Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner 2009–11 Personal Secretary to the President Katie Johnson Anita Decker Breckenridge Ferial Govashiri 2009–11 2011–14 2014– Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Heather Zichal Dan Utech 2009–2013 2013– Special Projects Coordinator and Confidential Assistant to the President Eugene Kang 2009–11 Director, Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley Michael Boots 2009–2014 2014– Director, Office of National AIDS Policy Jeffrey Crowley Grant Cofax Douglas Brooks 2009–2011 2012–2014 2014– Chief of Staff to the First Lady   Jackie Norris Susan Sher Christina Tchen 2009 2009–10 2011– Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske Michael Botticelli 2009–14 2014– White House Social Secretary Desirée Rogers Julianna Smoot Jeremy Bernard Deesha Dyer 2009–10 2010–11 2011–15 2015– Director, Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrión, Jr. Racquel Russell 2009–2010 2010– Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy John Holdren 2009– *Senate-confirmation pending.   †Remained from previous administration(s). Office of the Vice President Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Vice President Steve Ricchetti Counsel to the Vice President Cynthia Hogan Counselor to the Vice President Mike Donilon Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison Evan Ryan Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Communications Shailagh Murray Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President Shailagh Murray Deputy National Security Adviser to the Vice President Brian McKeon Residence Manager and Social Secretary for the Vice President and Second Lady Carlos Elizondo National Security Adviser to the Vice President Tony Blinken Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Second Lady Catherine M. 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United States Permanent Representatives to NATO William H. Draper, Jr. John C. Hughes George W. Perkins Warren R. Burgess Thomas K. Finletter Harlan Cleveland Robert F. Ellsworth David M. Kennedy Donald Rumsfeld David K. E. Bruce Robert Strausz-Hupé William T. Bennett David M. Abshire Alton G. Keel, Jr. William Howard Taft IV Reginald Bartholomew Robert E. Hunter Alexander Vershbow R. Nicholas Burns Victoria Nuland Kurt Volker Ivo Daalder Douglas Lute