David B. Shear

David Bruce Shear
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (acting)
In office
June 10, 2016 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byBrian P. McKeon
Succeeded byDavid Trachtenberg
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs
In office
July 17, 2014 – June 10, 2016
PresidentBarack Obama
DeputyClaire A. Pierangelo
Preceded byPeter R. Lavoy (acting)
Succeeded byKelly E. Magsamen (acting)
United States Ambassador to Vietnam
In office
August 4, 2011 – August 8, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byVirginia E. Palmer
Succeeded byTed Osius
Personal details
Born (1954-05-24) May 24, 1954 (age 70)
Cobleskill, New York
EducationEarlham College (BA)
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (MA)

David Bruce Shear (born May 25, 1954)[1] is an American diplomat who was a career Foreign Service Officer.[2] Shear served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs from July 2014 to June 2016.[3] Prior to his nomination for this position, he served as United States Ambassador to Vietnam. [4] He was also formerly deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the U.S. Department of State;[5] he joined the State Department in 1982 and has served in Washington, Sapporo, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo.[5]

Born in Cobleskill, New York, Shear attended Clayton A. Bouton High School, graduating in 1971. He is a graduate of Earlham College with a B.A. degree in 1975. Shear also has a M.A. degree in international affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1982, and was a Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.[1][5] He served as United States Ambassador to Vietnam from 2011 until leaving office in 2014.

Personal life

Shear is a black belt in kendo.[4] He and his wife Barbara have a daughter.[4] He speaks Chinese and Japanese.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Biographical and Financial Information Requested of Nominees". Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Second Session, 113th Congress (PDF). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 2015. pp. 402–404. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  2. ^ David Bruce Shear (1954–)
  3. ^ "ASD". U.S. Senate. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c "Ambassador". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "Biography of David Shear". Bucknell University. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  6. ^ "Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs: David B. Shear". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2012.

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