Jules W. Hurst III
Mr. Jules W. Hurst III is performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer and serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on all budgetary and financial matters, including the development and execution of the Department’s annual budget. Prior to this role, Mr. Hurst was Performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Additionally, Mr. Hurst performed the duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness where he served as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on all matters related to military and civilian personnel policies, reserve integration, military community and family policy, and total force manpower.
Mr. Hurst also served as Legislative Director and Defense Advisor to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (LA-04), where he oversaw policy in his personal office and advised the Speaker on matters of defense policy. Before joining the Speaker’s Office, Mr. Hurst held roles as an Army officer and government civilian on the Army Staff, within the Joint Special Operations Command Intelligence Brigade, at the 75th Ranger Regiment, and within U.S. Central Command. As both a military officer and civilian, he deployed to Afghanistan four times as a senior intelligence officer for a Joint Special Operations Task Force. He also supported the initial stand-up of Project Maven, the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team. He continues to serve in the Army Reserve as an FA59 Army Strategist.
Mr. Hurst has earned an M.A. in Security Studies from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, an M.A. in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University, and a B.A. in Public Policy from the College of William and Mary. Mr. Hurst has published broadly on topics like great power competition, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and warfare in venues like War on the Rocks and Joint Force Quarterly.