The third longest-serving deputy secretary of defense, William J. Lynn III, will be resigning this fall. The nationâs 30th deputy secretary has spent the last two decades in government service, beginning with his role as national security adviser to the late Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy.
âIt has been an honor to serve alongside an outstanding group of civilian and military members who everyday demonstrate the value to this nation of their unwavering commitment and dedicated,â Lynn said.
During his time at DoD, Lynn played a role in creating the U.S. Cyber Command, new space policy, an operational energy strategy as well as helped expand the use of social media for men and women serving overseas to communicate with their families.
âBill Lynn has provided outstanding service and counsel to this department and to the nation over the course of his long career,â said Leon Panetta, secretary of defense. âI will rely on his experience and expertise during this transition period. His service will be greatly missedâ
Lynn has not made public his future plans.