Latest high-level departure

Pentagon policy chief to step down in latest high-level departure

John Rood departs as undersecretary of Defense for policy, one of the department's most senior posts, just over two years into the job.

By CONNOR O’BRIEN and DANIEL LIPPMAN

Pentagon policy chief John Rood is expected to leave his job, according to two sources familiar with the move, marking yet another high-level departure from the Trump administration's senior national security ranks.

Rood departs as undersecretary of Defense for policy, one of the department's most senior posts, just over two years into the job, an administration official and former Defense Department official said.

Rood's exit from the administration was first reported by CNN. A third source, also a former DoD official, said Rood was asked to resign due to "unhappiness with him for some time."

Foreign Policy reported in December that several officials who have left the Pentagon cited "a toxic work environment" under Rood.

A spokesperson for the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment.

Last May, Rood certified to Congress that Ukraine made enough progress in combating corruption that it should receive $250 million in military assistance. The money was withheld by the White House over the summer, a move that led to Trump's impeachment by the House. The administration claimed the aid was withheld over concerns with corruption in Kyiv, though House Democrats tied the move to Trump's efforts to pressure the nation to dig up dirt on his political opponents.

Rood also led several other initiatives at the department. He spearheaded the Pentagon's long-delayed final blueprint for future U.S. missile defense capabilities. The review had been underway before Rood took over, but he reportedly elected to redo the report upon his confirmation.

Rood was also responsible for the Pentagon's about-face on a proposed crackdown on sales by U.S. companies to sanctioned Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei. Rood overruled concerns from Pentagon research and engineering officials that further restricting exports to Huawei would hurt U.S. companies' competitive edge.

Prior to joining the Pentagon in 2018, Rood held senior nonproliferation posts at the State Department and National Security Council. He was also a deputy assistant secretary of Defense for forces policy as a well as a policy adviser to then-Republican Sen. Jon Kyl.

Most recently, Rood was a senior vice president at Lockheed Martin's international arm. Rood was easily confirmed by the Senate despite a bumpy confirmation hearing where late-Armed Services Chairman John McCain and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) grilled him over whether he'd seek waivers to his two year ethics agreement by which he recused himself on matters that could affect Lockheed's bottom line.

Rood is just the latest in a raft of senior departures, including the Pentagon's acting personnel chief, top Asia policy official, No. 2 intelligence official, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency director.

Trump, meanwhile, still has not nominated a replacement for fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, despite announcing ambassador to Norway Kenneth Braithwaite as his pick late last year.