John J. Young Jr. served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics; Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, and Director of Defense Research & Engineering (Chief DoD Engineer). Prior to these Presidential appointed, Senate-confirmed positions, he served as a senior staff member with the US Senate Defense AppropriationsSubcommittee for ten years where he was responsible for reviewing all Department of Defense aircraft procurement programs, the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Young is a Senate-appointed member of the National Commission for the Review of the Research and Development Programs of the US Intelligence Community. During his tenure at the Pentagon, he was awarded the Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Army Distinguished Civilian Service Awards. Young also led the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle Program Task Force at the US Department of Defense. Additional accomplishments include guiding the Biometrics Task Force, establishing the Reliance 21 science and technology oversight process, structuring the SSGN Submarine Conversion program, securing the Virginia Class Submarine multi-year contract, and leading the unprecedented swap of DDG-51 destroyers and LPD-17 amphibious ships between two industry shipyards.