As Vice President for National Strategies Support, Mr. James Player leads the operations of sixteen divisions providing products and services for clients in support of their roles and responsibilities in implementing national strategies. The divisions’ activities cover policy formulation, strategy development, planning implementation, operational execution, and more. They focus on mission needs that support national strategies intended to defend the United States, the American people, and our way of life. Particular emphasis is on supporting our nation’s ability to fight the war on terrorism, combat weapons of mass destruction, and conduct homeland defense missions. Mr. Player is also the corporate leader for ANSER’s support in advancing critical national priorities through our market segments Joint Operations, Intelligence, Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection, and Science and Technology as well as our focus on developing new ways to enhance our public service and public trust through emerging initiatives.

Mr. Player leads a multidisciplinary team of policy, operations, technical, and research analysts and manages projects supporting the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, combatant commands, the Air Force, the Army, Defense Agencies, and other federal departments such as Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Commerce. He has directed staff work and managed projects at all levels of military operations, including a joint combatant command, Air Force major command, and Air Force headquarters. He is experienced in intercontinental ballistic missile operations, war planning, and strategic long-range planning, strategy and concept development, and requirements analysis, and he is knowledgeable of arms control regimes, limitations, and force structure impacts. He directed military and civilian contractor staff in developing the Air Force initiative to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Mr. Player has over 27 years of comprehensive experience as a business leader and manager, defense senior policy analyst, and Air Force officer. Before becoming a corporate officer and Vice President for National Strategies Support, Mr. Player directed ANSER’s business operations in the Joint Operations market segment. He also managed ANSER’s International Security Division, providing support to Air Force major commands and headquarters and joint commands and headquarters.

Prior to his military retirement and subsequently joining the ANSER team, Mr. Player served with distinction as the Headquarters Air Force Chief of Strategy and Concepts in the Nuclear and Counterproliferation Directorate. In this role, Mr. Player led U.S. Air Force efforts to institutionalize mission tasks and requirements at all levels of command to counter the increasing threat of weapons of mass destruction. He led the development of a first-of-its-kind Counter Chemical and Biological Weapons Roadmap and Master Plan and provided expert advice and counsel to the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff.

Mr. Player also served as a key member of the U.S. Strategic Command Implementation Team and Provisional Headquarters. In this role, he planned and supervised activities required to establish the U.S. Strategic Command and its roles, missions, command relationships, and organization.

He edited the 1997 U.S. Air Force Counterproliferation Master Plan and co-authored a 1994 U.S. Strategic Command white paper, “Nuclear Forces … Strategies for Transition,” and the 1991 U.S. Strategic Command Implementation Plan.

Mr. Player holds a master of arts degree in human resources management and development from Chapman University and a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He received specialized training in Minuteman III missile combat operations and emergency war order operations and completed courses of study at the Squadron Officer School, from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the Air Command and Staff College, the Air Force Inspector General School, the Department of Energy Nuclear Non-Proliferation Course, and the Air Force Arms Control Course. Mr. Player has also completed the Developing the Strategic Leader executive course with the Center for Creative Leadership.