Kenneth P. Rapuano is an American Marine who has held various global security-related posts within the U.S. federal government. He most recently served from June 2017 to January 2021 as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security in the United States Department of Defense, having been confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 12, 2017, by a vote of 95–1.[1][2]
Kenneth Rapuano | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs | |
| In office June 21, 2017 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Tom Atkin (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Melissa Dalton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ridgewood, New Jersey |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Middlebury College (BS) Georgetown University (MS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1984-2005 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant Colonel |
Early life and education edit
Rapuano is the son of Alfred and Catherine Rapuano, and a native of Ridgewood, New Jersey, where he graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1980.[3][4] Following high school, he graduated with a B.S. in Political Science from Middlebury College and an M.S. in National Security Studies from Georgetown University.[5]
Military edit
Rapuano served 21 years in the United States Marines Corps on active duty and the reserve as an infantryman and intelligence officer with deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He deployed to Iraq in 2003, where he commanded the Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center of the Iraq Survey Group established to conduct the mission of surveying and exploiting possible weapons of mass destruction activities throughout Iraq.[6] In 2006, he left his position as Deputy Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush to volunteer for active duty deployment to Afghanistan. He deployed as a Marine Corps intelligence officer with the Joint Special Operations Task Force, establishing and directing a targeting fusion center tracking high-value terrorists and insurgents.[7]
Career edit
Rapuano has previously worked for the think tanks ANSER and Mitre Corporation. At ANSER, he simultaneously served as a Senior Vice President while also acting as the Executive Director of the Studies & Analysis Group.[8] Prior to working for ANSER, he was the President of Homeland Security at ICx Technologies.[9] Rapuano has previously served as the Deputy Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush, the Deputy Undersecretary for Counter-Terrorism at the United States Department of Energy, and as a Special Assistant in International Security Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.[10][11]
References edit
- ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Office of the Press Secretary. March 16, 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017 – via National Archives.
- ^ Tritten, Travis (June 12, 2017). "Trump pick Kenneth Rapuano confirmed for Pentagon homeland defense job". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ "All-County | Bergen Passaic Football".
- ^ "Service Salute", Shopper News, May 7, 1986. Accessed February 1, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Marine 2nd Lt. Kenneth P. Rapuano, son of Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Rapuano of 813 Morningside Road, Ridgewood, recently participated in U.S. Tunisia Amphibious Exercise.... A 1980 graduate of Ridgewood High School, he joined the Marine Corps in November, 1984."
- ^ "Kenneth P. Rapuano".
- ^ "Kenneth P. Rapuano".
- ^ "Kenneth P. Rapuano".
- ^ https://www.anser.org/leadership/kenneth-p-rapuano/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Senate Confirms Kenneth Rapuano as DoD Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense & Global Security". 13 June 2017.
- ^ Freedberg Jr., Sydney; Clark, Colin (March 16, 2017). "Trump Picks Technocrats, Not Billionaires, For Top Pentagon Posts". Breaking Defense. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "President Announces Picks for Senior Pentagon Posts". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 1 May 2017.