Daniel E. (Dan) Gardner is the Director of the Readiness and Training, Policy and Program Directorate and a member of the Senior Executive Service in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, USD(P&R). He manages a team of professionals that advises the Secretary of Defense, through the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Readiness (DUSD(R)) and USD(P&R), on all policies, resources, and issues related to the training of U.S. military forces.
Mr. Gardner leads the recently commenced DoD Training Transformation Initiative and its three major capabilities of Joint Knowledge Development and Distribution, Joint National Training, and Joint Assessment and Enabling. He oversees efforts to alleviate encroachment on DoD training ranges and also guides the application of advanced technologies to make military training and education better, faster, less expensive, and available anytime anywhere. This includes oversight of the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative and its associated ADL Co-Laboratory structure. He serves as Executive Secretary for the Defense Science Board Task Forces on "Training for Future Conflicts." In addition, as the OSD focal point for training and training-related activities, Mr. Gardner is the U.S. national coordinator for DoD training policies and programs impacting NATO and PfP training.
Prior to assuming his duties as Director, Mr. Gardner was the Director for Joint Training in the Readiness and Training Directorate, responsible for enhancing and expanding Joint Training throughout the Department.
Mr. Gardner retired from Naval service as a Commander, Surface Warfare Officer, with a sub-specialty in manpower, personnel, and training, and designation as a deep-sea diving and salvage officer.
Mr. Gardner received a Bachelors Degree in Science from Baldwin Wallace College and earned a Masters Degree in Management Science from the Naval Postgraduate School .
