Daniel E. Gardner
Director, Readiness and Training Policy and Programs
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Daniel E. (Dan) Gardner is the Director of the Readiness and Training Policy and Programs 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 and the USD(P&R), on all policies, resources, and issues related to the training of U.S. military forces.
Mr. Gardner leads the DoD Training Transformation Initiative and its three major capabilities of Joint Knowledge Development and Distribution, Joint National Training, and Joint Assessment and Enabling along with the Combatant Commanders Exercise and Engagement (CE2) Account. His office oversees efforts to ensure appropriate training components in Defense acquisition programs and also works to alleviate encroachment on DoD training ranges. He 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. 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.
