Brent T. Christensen is the Foreign Policy Advisor (POLAD) to the Commander of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) since August 2022. In this role, Mr. Christensen provides advice to the Commander and command staff on the foreign policy implications of USSTRATCOM’s global responsibilities.
A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Christensen previously served as Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 2019-2021. At Embassy Dhaka, he advised the Ambassador on all aspects of the U.S.-Bangladesh relationship and, among other responsibilities, provided oversight for a $500 million refugee assistance program, the Department of State’s third-largest counterterrorism programs, and an $11 billion commercial advocacy portfolio. From 2016-2019, he served as Deputy Director, Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the Department of State in Washington where he oversaw regional security issues and more than $40 billion in annual defense trade for Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
Mr. Christensen was a Pearson Fellow on detail to the U.S. Congress from 2015-2016, serving on the majority staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. His other assignments include Special Assistant to the Special Representative for North Korea Policy, Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs Cyber Coordinator, Deputy Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Deputy Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, Bangladesh Country Officer in the Office of Pakistan and Bangladesh Affairs at the Department of State, Economic Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, and Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. In addition to his work at the Department of State, from 2018-2021 Mr. Christensen served as one of two career Foreign Service members of the Foreign Service Impasses Disputes Panel, part of the U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority.
A Distinguished Graduate of the National War College, Mr. Christensen earned a Master of Science in National Security Strategy in 2022. Mr. Christensen likewise holds a Master of Science in Statistics from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Managerial Studies from Rice University. He speaks Spanish, French, and Vietnamese. Before joining the Foreign Service in 2002, he worked as a management consultant in Houston and New York City.
(Current as of July 2022)