Darin Selnick Biography – Darin Selnick Wiki

Darin Selnick is the deputy chief of staff for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He has worked closely with Hegseth on personnel matters and the enforcement of President Donald Trump’s order banning any content related to diversity, equity and inclusion from the Defense Department.

Selnick was placed on administrative leave on April 15, 2025, as part of an investigation into an unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, U.S. defense officials said. He is the second Hegseth advisor removed amid DOD leak probe that saw Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, escorted out of the Pentagon by security.

Previously

Previously, he Performed the Duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. In this role, he serves as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense for force readiness; force management; health affairs; National Guard and Reserve component affairs; education and training; and military and civilian personnel requirements and management, including morale, welfare, recreation, and quality of life matters.

His career in veterans affairs saw him serve as a senior advisor to Concerned Veterans for America from 2019 to 2024. While at CVA, he was executive director of its Fixing Veterans Health Care Bipartisan Taskforce. From 2017 to 2019, he worked in federal government roles, serving from 2017 to 2018 as the Veterans Affairs Advisor on the Domestic Policy Council at the White House and from 2018 to 2019 as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

At the White House, he developed the Presidential Executive Order on Supporting Our Veterans During Their Transition from Uniformed Service to Civilian Life. At VA, he was responsible for the implementation of the VA MISSION Act, the most significant transformation of the VA healthcare system in more than 20 years.

His prior experience includes serving as special assistant to the VA Secretary during the Bush administration and as a commissioner on the Commission on Care, established by Congress to examine how VA could better deliver health care to veterans.

Selnick is a retired Air Force officer who attained the rank of captain. He lives with his wife in California, where he volunteers his time as a board member of the West Los Angeles Veterans Home Support Foundation. He is a member of the American Legion, AMVETS, Jewish War Veterans, and the Air Force Association.

Darin Selnick Political Party

Defense Department’s deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick is a Republican.