Grimes onboard as Defense CIO

Former Raytheon Co. vice president John G. Grimes was confirmed Friday as the Defense Department's new CIO, filling a position that had been without a permanent IT leader for more than a year-and-a-half.

In June, President Bush nominated Grimes for the department's top IT job, which also includes the position of assistant secretary of Defense for networks and information integration.

Grimes, the former vice president of Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems in Washington, replaces Linton Wells, who has served as acting CIO and assistant secretary for networks and information integration since former CIO John Stenbit left the department in March 2004.

Part of the hold-up with Grimes' nomination was that Senate leaders had asked him to conduct an investigation and issue a report on whether DOD could reap any benefits by centralizing its IT spending. It was not clear whether the senators' request had been met prior to Grimes' confirmation.

Grimes previously served as deputy assistant secretary for counterintelligence and security countermeasures at Defense, and held the title of deputy assistant secretary for Defense-wide command, control and communications. He also worked for the National Security Council as senior director of the White House Situation Support Staff.

Grimes is a graduate of the University of Arizona and has a master's degree from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. He also is a graduate of the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa., the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Va., and Harvard University's National and International Security Policy Program.

Other Defense officials confirmed Friday include:

• Michael W. Wynne as Air Force secretary. Wynne formerly worked as principal deputy undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.


• Delores M. Etter as the Navy's assistant secretary of research, development and acquisition. Previously, Etter worked as a U.S. Naval Academy professor.


• John J. Young Jr. as director of Defense Research and Engineering. Young was the Navy's assistant secretary for research, development and acquisition.


• William Anderson as assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations and environment.