JD Williams

Senior International and Defense Policy Researcher RAND Corporation

J.D. Williams is a senior defense policy researcher at RAND focusing on national security, intelligence, and military issues. His recent work encompasses investigation of new concepts for amphibious and naval warfare, Russian and Chinese military strategy, and intelligence tradecraft for employing publicly available information and conducting intelligence net assessments. He came to RAND from the National Intelligence Council where he served as the National Intelligence Officer for Military Issues, preparing national intelligence assessments on foreign military forces and strategies, ongoing conflicts, weapons systems, and future warfare.

Previously, he held senior positions in the intelligence community as the Research Director for the Defense Intelligence Agency's analytic directorate, the Chief of Intelligence Support for the Department of the Treasury, Director of Military Plans and Operations at the National Security Agency. He is also a retired Marine Corps colonel with 26 years of active duty as an intelligence and Russian Foreign Area Officer.