The Honorable Ronald T. Keohane assumed the role of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs after being confirmed by the United States Senate on March 6, 2024. As the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Mr. Keohane is responsible for a wide range of matters, including Civilian and Military Personnel Policies, Reserve Integration, Military Community and Family Policy, and Total Force Planning and Requirements. He also maintains oversight for the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Defense Commissary Agency.

Throughout most of his civilian career, Mr. Keohane dedicated himself to the Department of Defense’s mission. Being on the forefront of new initiatives to include the Warrior Games and Invictus Games, education and employment, transition assistance, and human capital management, provided Mr. Keohane with opportunities to embed with Service members and their families, assisting them through key periods of transition and quality of life needs. Mr. Keohane also managed large teams of non-medical counselors, increased military spouse employment opportunities, and sexual assault response and prevention issues in support of the All-Volunteer Force, and their families.

As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Military Community and Family Policy during the Obama Administration, Mr. Keohane supervised, directed, and advocated for programs, policies, planning, and resource allocation related to quality-of-life for service members and their families worldwide. In this capacity, Mr. Keohane was responsible for casualty, mortuary and memorial affairs; military community outreach; child development programs; dependents and voluntary education; domestic abuse and child abuse prevention; moral, welfare and recreation; Military One Source; tuition assistance; commissaries and exchanges; family violence prevention and intervention; and state liaison initiatives.

Under the Administration of President Bill Clinton, Mr. Keohane held executive level positions in the office of the Secretariat for Electronic Commerce at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and in the President’s Electronic Commerce Working Group at the White House.  Mr. Keohane was integral in the expansion of the Drug Demand Reduction role within the Department of Defense Office of Drug Enforcement Policy and Support and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Mr. Keohane holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY.