About Us

• About Us • Board of Directors • Board of Regents • Staff • GSA Schedule • Credentials • Areas of Expertise • Site Map•

Staff

Mr. Daniel Gallington, Senior Fellow

Daniel J. Gallington is a Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in Arlington, Virginia. At Potomac he leads and supports various national security policy studies related to intelligence, special operations, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, homeland defense and security, including projects related to the dynamics between technology, privacy and national security.

In this context, Mr. Gallington leads PROJECT GUARDIAN: Maintaining Civil Liberties in the Information Age. The GUARDIAN project endeavors to provide practical and workable recommendations to law and policy makers accomplishing both the protection of civil liberties and the enabling of new technology to enhance the aggressive pursuit of terrorists. The GUARDIAN proposals have also suggested many new and creative ways for policy makers to increase public confidence and Congressional oversight of new information technologies. Many of these ideas have been incorporated into new legislation and Executive Orders. As part of the GUARDIAN project, Mr. Gallington has testified before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Technical and Policy Advisory Committee for the Department of Defense, has led numerous panels of distinguished experts, and published a series of thoughtful articles and papers on many different aspects of the tensions between privacy and security in the war on terrorism.

Mr. Gallington’s other writings on United States policy and responses to the covert support of terrorism and the growing dangers of nuclear weapons proliferation have appeared in The Washington Times and The Washington Examiner, where he is a regular “Op Ed” contributor. In addition, Mr. Gallington served on the 2003 Defense Science Board Summer Study on Department of Defense roles and missions in homeland defense, security and civil support, and as a member of the 2003 Fall Study of current counter intelligence issues, sponsored by the Institute of World Politics and the McCormick-Tribune Foundation. In 2004-2005, he participated as an advisor to the Transportation Security Agency on the Secure Flight program.

Mr. Gallington most recently served in government as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Territorial Security in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. During this period, he also served as Special Assistant for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. During the transition of government in 2001, Mr. Gallington served for several months as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Policy Matters; as such, he performed the spectrum of duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and later performed the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (SOLIC). Recognizing this service, Mr. Gallington was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, and in 2005, he was awarded the Secretary of Defense Outstanding Unit Award for his subsequent service to the Secretary of Defense.

From 2000 to 2001, Mr. Gallington was Chief Counsel to the National Commission for the Review of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the nation’s primary agency for remote sensing for national security purposes. The Commission conducted a comprehensive review of the NRO's organization, business practices, authorities, roles and missions, relationships with other government agencies and ability to develop and field innovative technologies for space reconnaissance.

From 1997 to 1999, Mr. Gallington served as bi-partisan General Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. As General Counsel, Mr. Gallington advised the entire Committee in its legislative oversight of intelligence activities and programs; in addition, he was responsible for the committee's legislative program and the annual intelligence community authorization act. During Mr. Gallington's tenure, the Committee reported out significant legislative reforms in counterintelligence and counter terrorism including several major amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Mr. Gallington also led the Committee's Staff investigation into the activities of the Peoples Republic of China to influence the U.S. political process during the 1996 election cycle.

From 1991 to 1997, Mr. Gallington was Deputy Counsel for Intelligence Policy at the Department of Justice, where he advised the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General on matters relating to national security and represented the Department of Justice on a variety of National Security Council committees, including the coordination of covert action. A career member of the Senior Executive Service, Mr. Gallington also served as adviser to various client agencies, including the CIA, FBI and the Defense and State Departments concerning questions of law, regulation and guidelines, as well as the legality of worldwide intelligence operations and activities.

From 1990 to 1991, Mr. Gallington was Legal Adviser for Intelligence Oversight in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he monitored sensitive intelligence operations, activities, and relationships for compliance with laws, executive orders, and regulations.

From 1988 to 1990, Mr. Gallington served as Executive Director for the Defense Policy Board, a group of distinguished national security policy leaders serving as personal advisors to the Secretary of Defense. Mr. Gallington directed the Board's studies on U.S. strategic force policy, the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, the reunification of Germany and the resulting realignment of U.S. forces overseas.

From 1985 through 1988, Mr. Gallington served through eleven rounds of negotiations in Geneva as the Secretary of Defense Representative and Member of the U.S. Delegation to the Nuclear and Space Talks with the (former) Soviet Union.

From 1982 to 1985, he was a Senior Adviser to multilateral arms control negotiations, including the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, the Environmental Modification Treaty Review, the U.N. Conference on the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. During this period, Mr. Gallington also served as a member of the National Security Council Subgroup for Nuclear Export Coordination.

A former Air Force Officer, Mr. Gallington served several tours of duty in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and with the Strategic Air Command. While on active duty, Mr. Gallington received two awards of the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, three awards of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, two awards of the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Chinese Remembrance Medal (ROC) and the Air Force Recognition Ribbon. He is also a recipient of the Department of the Air Force's Kuhfeld Award, and a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force’s Command and Staff College and War Colleges.