Rheanne Wirkkala

Rheanne Wirkkala is an American defense policy advisor and former intelligence analyst who is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs in the Biden administration.

Education
Wirkkala graduated from Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, Washington. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and philosophy from Boston University and a Master of Arts in international relations from Yale University.

Career
As a graduate student, was an intern for the Global Strategy Group and Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. She later worked as a consultant for Burson Cohn & Wolfe. From 2012 to 2015, she was an intelligence analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency, focused on political and military leadership in Pakistan and Afghanistan. From 2015 to 2020, she served as an advisor, deputy director, and director for the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In February 2021, she became a special assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Biden administration
On March 11, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Wirkkala to be an assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs. The Senate confirmed her on November 17.

Personal life
Wirkkala is married to Ian Duncan, a transportation reporter for The Washington Post. They have two children and live in Maryland.