State Foreign Policy Advisors (POLADs) to U.S. and NATO Military Commanders

POLAD/SDE/JIACG Programs

The Office of the POLAD Coordinator (PM/POLAD) supports the community of Foreign Policy Advisors (POLADs) to the U.S. military service chiefs in the Pentagon and principal U.S. military commanders in the United States and overseas. The POLADs are senior State Department officers (flag-rank equivalent) detailed as personal advisors to leading U.S. military leaders/commanders to provide policy support regarding the diplomatic and political aspects of the commanders' military responsibilities. There are currently 20 POLADs assigned to U.S./NATO military organizations. Click here for contact information for POLADs.

The POLAD Coordinator's Office also supports State's participation in the State-DOD Officer Exchange Program (SDE) which has operated since 1960 to further cooperation between State and Defense. At present, there are nine SDE positions in the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and on the Joint Staff under this program. In addition, PM/POLAD supports the State Department representatives on Joint Interagency Coordination Groups (JIACGs) at select military commands. There are currently 6 such positions.

The PM/POLAD organizes an annual POLAD Conference, held simultaneously with the CJCS semi-annual Combatant Commander and Service Chief Conference, in cooperation with the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) of the National Defense University, Ft. Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC, usually in January or February.

Jonita Whitaker, POLAD Coordinator
Phone: 202-736-4776
Fax: 202-647-4055
Email: WhitakerJI2@state.gov.

David Pozorski, Special Advisor for State-Defense Exchanges in PM/POLAD
Phone: 202-647-0295
Fax: 202-647-4055
Email: PozorskiDR2@state.gov.