John D. Winkler was assigned as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs on July 27, 2007.  He serves as the principal staff adviser and assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs) for all functional areas and responsibilities assigned to the office, and when necessary, acts for him on all matters within the scope of his responsibility.

Prior to this appointment, Dr. Winkler served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (Manpower and Personnel) since August 6, 2001. In that capacity, he served as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs for all National Guard and Reserve manpower, personnel and compensation policies; including Reserve component manpower requirements and utilization, personnel programs and management, the official Reserve component personnel database and system, Reserve medical readiness and programs, and development of legislation affecting Guard and Reserve manpower, personnel and compensation.

While serving in Reserve Affairs, Dr. Winkler led the Department’s QDR-mandated “Review of Comprehensive Review of Reserve Component Contributions to National Defense,” which proposed new ideas for building force capabilities and for creating flexibility in management that can assist the Department in meeting it transformation goals.  These included approaches for rebalancing active/reserve force mix, meeting requirements for emerging and traditional missions, and establishing a “continuum of service” and streamlined management practices for the Total Force.

Dr. Winkler was previously a Senior Behavioral Scientist at RAND and Associate Director of the Manpower and Training Program at the RAND Arroyo Center, a federally funded research and development center for the U.S. Army. As such, he managed and directed studies addressing personnel management, readiness and resources, individual and unit training, and the Army Reserve Components. He also served as the Arroyo Center's liaison officer, assisting the Director of the Arroyo Center and serving as the point of contact for the Army regarding research program development and execution and results of policy studies. He has authored and co-authored numerous RAND publications.

Dr. Winkler has a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Harvard University and a B.A. (with honors) in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania.