Doug Lute

Ambassador Doug Lute

Ambassador Douglas Lute is the former United States Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s standing political body. Appointed by President Obama, he assumed the Brussels-based post in 2013 and served until 2017. During this period he was instrumental in designing and implementing the 28-nation Alliance’s responses to the most severe security challenges in Europe since the end of the Cold War. He received the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award. A career Army officer, in 2010 Lute retired from active duty as a lieutenant general after 35 years of service. Across these two Administrations, he served a total of six years in the White House.

Before being assigned to the White House, General Lute served as Director of
Operations (J3) on the Joint Staff, overseeing US military operations worldwide. Through his military career, he received numerous honors and awards, including three awards of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal.

General Lute holds degrees from the United States Military Academy at West Point and from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a charter member of the Flag Officer Advisory Group of the United States Institute of Peace.