SCOTT COUTURE

Mr. Scott Couture is Principal Advisor for Nuclear Plans and Policies to the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for contributing to the development of policy, strategy and architecture solutions for nuclear weapon and force application programs. These include operations, force protection, security, sustainment and modernization. He also functions as an executive advocate of the Air Force nuclear mission and positions to senior government levels, including the military services, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, State Department, Congress, defense agencies, scientific and academic communities, and the public.

From 2009 until his current assignment, Mr. Couture served as a Senior Technical Director at U.S. Strategic Command, providing advice on the adequacy of stockpile and infrastructure plans and budgets to implement New START and the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review. He participated in all aspects of Command advocacy, including analysis of NNSA Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plans, President's Budget Requests, stockpile and infrastructure requirements and capabilities, and weapon surety and life extension options. He frequently served as STRATCOM's interface to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, National Nuclear Security Administration, and the services.

Prior to joining STRATCOM, Mr. Couture spent over 30 years working at Department of Energy weapon design and production facilities in areas of nuclear weapons design, manufacturing and surveillance, including development and qualification of manufacturing and surveillance equipment and processes; remote handling and processing of nuclear materials; design and qualification of plutonium shipping packages; management and oversight of annual stockpile system assessments; and, transformation of the surveillance program.

EDUCATION
1982 Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Magna Cum Laude, In Honors; Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Graduate of 1982
1985 Master of Science in mechanical engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. Sep 1978 - Jun 1982, Student intern, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
2. Jun 1982 - Jul1985, Development Engineer, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
3. Jul 1985 - Jul 1986, Research Associate, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md.
4. Jul 1986 - Oct 1989, Development Staff Member, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
5. Oct 1989 - Jan 1992, Robotics Program Manager, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
6. Jan 1992 - May 1994, Robotics Section Leader, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.
7. Mar 1992 - Jul 1992, DOE Environmental Management Strategic Planning Task Force, Germantown, Md.
8. May 1994 - Dec 1996, Project Engineer, Mixed Waste Management Facility, LLNL, Livermore, Calif.
9. Jan 1997 - Feb 2000, Crystal Finishing Group Leader, National Ignition Facility, LLNL, Livermore, Calif.
10. Feb 2000 - Aug 2009, Surveillance Engineer and Pit Subject Matter Expert, LLNL, Livermore, Calif.
11. Oct 2003 - Aug 2009, Core Surveillance Project Leader and Stockpile Systems Group Leader, LLNL, Livermore, Calif.
12. Jan 2006 - Feb 2007, B83 System Manager, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.
13. Sep 2009 - Mar 2012, Senior Technical Director, Global Strike Capabilities Div, US Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
14. May 2012 - present, Principal Advisor for Nuclear Plans and Policies to the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.

(Current as of June 2012)