Trump Appoints New Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Adviser

President Donald Trump appointed a new Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor Friday to replace Tom Bossert who was fired in April.

According to a statement by the White House, Trump chose Rear Admiral Douglas Fears to serve on the National Security Council which is led by National Security Advisor Ambassador John Bolton.

“Doug Fears brings more than three decades of experience across a range of vital homeland security areas including counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and disaster response to the NSC,” said National Security Advisor John Bolton. “Doug will serve as the President’s Homeland Security Advisor and my point person on an array of vital tasks ranging from overseeing the NSC Cybersecurity Directorate to coordinating the interagency efforts during disaster response.”

The position does not require confirmation from the U.S. Senate.

Bolton removed Bossert to restructure the NSC so that there would be a more efficient flow of information from the team to the president.

Previously, the Homeland Security Advisor reported to the president as a Deputy National Security Advisor, but Bolton downgraded the role to a deputy assistant who would report to him.

Fears had served as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Resilience Policy on the NSC and moved into the acting homeland security advisor role in May.

Rear Admiral Fears is an alumnus of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Naval War College, and Harvard University, with a B.S. in Government, an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies, and a Master in Public Administration.