Elbridge Colby
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Elbridge Andrew Colby was bornin December 1979. He earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. He began his career in the Departments of State and Defense, as well as the Intelligence Community. He also served in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Colby worked as a nonprofit analyst, then became a fellow at a security think tank. During President Donald Trump’s first term, Colby served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for strategy and force development. He worked on defense issues in the private sector and as a consultant, then launched his own think tank that developed defense strategies.
Colby was nominated by President Trump to be the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in December 2024. The Senate confirmed him, and he assumed office in April 2025.
In the News…
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby announced the start of the planned review of the U.S. military mission in Europe. The move is part of the administration’s shift to allow NATO allies to increase their share of responsibility for their defense.
Under Secretary Colby stated, “The outcome of this Review will be an acceleration of NATO’s transition to a stronger, more equitable, and sustainable alliance, continuing the trajectory of positive change achieved by President Trump and his team incentivizing and enabling allies to lead Europe’s conventional defense.”
He continued, “The Review will further the goal of fully restoring NATO’s character as a powerful warfighting organization – a NATO 3.0. This will put NATO on the track for lasting, sustained success, especially as we confront simultaneous challenges across theaters.”
Under Secretary Colby added, “We also look forward to further extensive consultations on this key initiative with our allies in Europe, Congress, and other parts of the U.S. Government.”
