President Donald Trump on Monday announced plans to nominate J. David Patterson to be principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.
Patterson, who is from Tennessee, is senior vice president of strategic business opportunities at SMA, Inc. and previously served in an executive role with Boeing Co. and the National Defense Business Institute at the University of Tennessee.
He has also served as principal deputy under secretary of defense (comptroller) and has been a special assistant to the deputy secretary of defense. From 1970 to 1993, he was an Air Force pilot and flew as a forward air controller in Vietnam and retired as a colonel.
Patterson graduated from Bethel College, Chapman University and NATO Defense College.
