 Leslye A. Arsht became the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) on February 26, 2006 . She was selected for that position by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
She is responsible for policy, advocacy, and oversight for all community support to members and families particularly during high deployment and the Global War on Terrorism; quality of life issues; state liaison initiatives; family programs and the 24/7 1-800 family assistance service; child development and youth programs; military spouse career advancement; the off-duty, voluntary education program for military personnel; tuition assistance; Morale, Welfare, and Recreation; defense resale for commissaries and exchanges; the transition assistance program for separating service members; and family violence prevention and intervention. Included within the purview of this office is advocacy for quality education for all military students moving between schools and defense-wide policy responsibility for the Department of Defense Education Activity that serves approximately 100,000 students in 223 schools in 13 foreign countries, seven states, Guam , and Puerto Rico . Her oversight includes casualty and mortuary affairs and military funeral honors.
Ms. Arsht has been part of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (P&R) team since June 2004. Her focus since that time has been on education, military spouse career opportunities and employment for severely injured service members - all issues of importance to military families, and issues over which she will continue to have oversight in her new role as Deputy Under Secretary.
Prior to this most recent position, Ms. Arsht was appointed to be a senior advisor to Iraq 's Ministry of Education. For nine months she aided in the reestablishment of Iraq 's primary and secondary schools, developing a four year strategic plan and advising the new ministry as they began a national dialogue on curriculum reform. She was awarded the Joint Civilian Service Commendation award by Ambassador L. Paul Bremer for her service. In June 2005, Ms. Arsht was chosen as the grand prize winner of the Good Housekeeping Award for Women in the Government. Winners are chosen with the Center for American Women and Politics, a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers , the State University of New Jersey.
Ms. Arsht's career in communications and education policy spans over 30 years. She has been counselor to now U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) during his term as U.S. Secretary of Education; co-founder of a non-profit education consulting firm; and associate vice chancellor for news and public affairs at Vanderbilt University . She served as a deputy press secretary and deputy assistant to President Ronald Reagan from 1987-1989.
A native of Houston , Texas , Ms. Arsht is a graduate of the University of Houston .
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