Military

            Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld hosted a formal welcome ceremony today for Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Tina W. Jonas. 

Jonas was nominated to be the Pentagon's comptroller by President Bush on March 11, 2004, and confirmed by the Senate on July 22.  She was officially sworn in on July 28 during a brief ceremony at the Pentagon. 

            Jonas previously served as an assistant director and chief financial officer of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a position she held since August 2002.  In that position, she was responsible for the FBI's budgetary and fiscal matters, financial planning, and property and procurement activities.

            Prior to that, Jonas served as the deputy under secretary of defense for financial management at the Department of Defense.  In that capacity, she was the principal adviser to the department's chief financial officer and other senior officials for accounting, financial reform, and fiscal matters.  Evaluating more than 1,100 financial and feeder systems, Jonas served as the focal point for automated and process reform within the Department of Defense, providing the financial and analytical services necessary for effective and efficient use of the Defense Department's resources.

            Jonas holds a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University and a master's degree from Georgetown University.  She is the recipient of the Defense Department's medal for distinguished public service.

            The undersecretary of defense (comptroller) is the principal advisor to the secretary and deputy secretary of defense for budgetary and fiscal matters.  She also serves as the chief financial officer of the Department of Defense.