Kathleen Heesch-Eccles serves as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia in the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy (OUSWP). Ms. Heesch-Eccles is a career civilian with more than 17 years in the Department. 

Prior to her appointment as A/DASW, Ms. Heesch-Eccles served as the Director for North and West Europe, overseeing defense policy and security strategy for half of Europe for the U.S. Department of Defense. She also served three years as the Deputy Director for NATO policy.  Since joining then-OUSDP in 2008, Ms. Heesch-Eccles has worked Middle East policy, with a focus on Iraq and Iran, and plans and posture policy, with a primary focus on USCENTCOM and USEUCOM. 

Prior to joining government, Ms. Heesch-Eccles worked as a war game analyst and at a think tank on German-American relations.  She holds Master’s degrees in National Security Strategy from the National War College, and International Affairs and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and in German from the University of Southern California.