Pentagon IT veteran installed as acting NSC chief

Retired Lt. Gen. Joseph Keith Kellogg, Jr. was named by President Donald Trump as acting national security adviser following the resignation of Lt. Gen.  Michael Flynn. 

Kellogg had been serving as Flynn's chief of staff at the National Security Council before being elevated. As an early supporter of the Trump's presidential bid, Kellogg appeared at campaign rallies.

In addition to a career as a combat general, Kellogg also has a background in IT in the military and as a contractor.

Kellogg served with the Army from 1967 to 2003. With two tours of duty in Vietnam, he earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal.  He also served as the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division from 1997 to 1998. 

Prior to retiring in 2003, Kellogg was director of the Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Directorate under the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

During his tenure with the Joint Chiefs, Kellogg was an outspoken advocate for IT as part of an overall push to give Joint Forces Command more control of joint operations and to support interoperability among systems fielded by the military services.

After retiring from the Army, Kellogg moved to the contractor side of the IT world.

Kellogg joined Oracle in 2003, as its senior vice president of homeland security solutions. At the time he didn't have an extensive background in technology, but he said he recognized the importance of technology to the military services, especially when it contributes to operations in the area of joint command and control.

In 2004, Kellogg took a leave of absence to serve as chief operating officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, returning from Baghdad in March 2004.

In 2005, he joined professional services and IT company CACI, heading up the company’s business unit that provides intelligence, IT and logistics support for Defense Department clients in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The White House named Kellogg along with former CIA chief and retired Army Gen. David Petraeus and retired Navy Vice Adm. Robert Harward as leading candidates for the national security adviser post.