Mr. James R. Mismash serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Growth (DASW(IBG)) and Director of the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP). In these roles, he advises the Secretary of War, the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, and the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy on matters affecting new entrants and small businesses across the defense industrial base. He leads efforts to strengthen the role of small and nontraditional companies in meeting warfighting needs, advancing critical technologies, and building a resilient and competitive industrial base.

Mr. Mismash previously served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, a position he held since May 2025. In this role, he served as a principal advisor on defense industrial base matters, guiding enterprise-wide efforts and assisting in managing sensitive issues and special projects.

Mr. Mismash brings extensive experience in defense policy, acquisition reform, and industrial base development. He has shaped strategy and policy across the national security enterprise, integrating budget analysis, legislative insight, and acquisition planning to accelerate capability delivery. His work has supported key reforms that expand competition, modernize procurement tools, and energize critical technology sectors vital to America’s defense advantage.

He has been a driving force behind initiatives that expand opportunities for small and nontraditional firms, ensuring that acquisition and industrial base policies enable innovation, speed, and operational relevance. Mr. Mismash’s experience includes leading acquisition policy and contracting initiatives that accelerated the fielding of next-generation space capabilities and shaping policy priorities related to acquisition, innovation, and industrial base competitiveness in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Mismash is a graduate of The University of Texas, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in government and history with a focus on World War II and defense policy. He serves on the boards of the Texas State Society of Washington, D.C., and the Live Like Johnny Foundation.