(US and Canada) The U.S. Department of Defense Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) has appointed Garrett Berntsen as Deputy Chief Digital and AI Officer (DCDAO) for Mission Analytics. Berntsen joins the CDAO having served as the State Department’s first Deputy Chief Data and AI Officer, where he was responsible for standing up the State Department’s Center for Analytics.

Additionally, he served as a Director for Technology and National Security on the National Security Council (NSC), during which he supported the development of Executive Order 14110 on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. His background will help build and expand CDAO analytics efforts to support both warfighting and business functions. 

A former U.S. Army transportation officer with five years of service, Berntsen completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School and a recipient of two bronze stars. Berntsen earned a Master’s in International Economics with honors from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.