Owen West — DIU Director

**Owen West** is the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit (Jan 2026), appointed by Need to verify current SecDef as of 2024. Former DOGE team lead at DoD. Former ASD for SO/LIC under SecDef Mattis (2017-2019, confirmed 74-23). USMC veteran — 6 years active duty as infantry/recon platoon commander, two combat tours in Iraq (1st Force Recon 2003, advisor team in Habbaniyah 2006-2007). Goldman Sachs ~19 years — Global Head of Natural Gas Trading, Co-Head of Global Power Trading (took 4 leaves for Eco Challenge, Everest, and two Iraq deployments). Harvard BA (1991, All-Ivy heavyweight rower), Stanford MBA (1998). Father: "Bing" West — Marine Colonel, ASD under Reagan, co-author of *Call Sign Chaos* with Mattis. Author of 3 books including *The Snake Eaters* (Newsweek "best books on today's wars"). 6'4", "most badass banker on Wall Street."