Mr. Chris Henry was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2021 as the Deputy Director, Naval Warfare for the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), Office of the Secretary of Defense. In this capacity, he is directly responsible for assessing the adequacy of operational and live fire testing and evaluation for naval warfare systems, including submarines, warships, unmanned vehicles, missiles, and torpedoes, within the Department of Defense. His responsibilities include overseeing the conduct of major weapons system assessments and reporting to the Secretary of Defense and Congress.
Mr. Henry received a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Commissioned as a naval officer in 1991, he instructed at the Naval Nuclear Power School. In 1994, he transitioned to the submarine force and served on four fast attack submarines, including USS Trepang (SSN 674), USS Albuquerque (SSN 706), USS Los Angeles (SSN 688), and USS Buffalo (SSN 705). He served his final two years conducting operational test and evaluation of naval warfare systems at Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation. He retired from the Navy in 2012 with 22 years of service.
Mr. Henry began his civilian service at DOT&E in 2012. He completed eight years as the primary analyst for undersea warfare programs, including airborne, surface, and subsurface systems. He oversaw operational test programs for 14 military acquisition systems. He also directed the Joint Test and Evaluation Program from 2021 to 2022.