Christopher C. Miller is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and former Acting Secretary of Defense who held senior counterterrorism roles in the Trump administration.
In a 2023 podcast interview he remarked that he should have sought a UAP briefing during his tenure and questioned why one was never provided.
- Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, November 9, 2020 – January 20, 2021.
- Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, August–November 2020.
- Retired U.S. Army Colonel after 31 years, including command in 5th Special Forces Group.
- Commented on missing UAP briefing in 2023 interview with Ross Coulthart.
- No sworn testimony, congressional appearance, or public claims of recovered non-human technology.
- United StatesBorn and served
- United States ArmyColonel, 1983–2014, 5th Special Forces Group
- Department of DefenseActing Secretary of Defense 2020–2021
- National Counterterrorism CenterDirector 2020
- National Security CouncilSenior Director 2018–2019
Background
Christopher Charles Miller was born October 15, 1965, in Platteville, Wisconsin, and raised in Iowa City, Iowa. He enlisted in the Army Reserve as an infantryman in 1983 before commissioning as a second lieutenant through ROTC in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in history from George Washington University.
Miller joined Special Forces in 1993 and served in the 5th Special Forces Group. He deployed for the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, holding command and staff positions in counterterrorism and unconventional warfare.
He earned a Master of Arts in national security studies from the Naval War College and graduated from the Naval College of Command and Staff and the Army War College. Miller retired from the Army as a colonel in 2014 after 31 years of service.
After retirement Miller worked as a defense contractor providing clandestine special operations and intelligence expertise to the Under Secretaries of Defense for Intelligence and Policy. In 2018 he joined the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism and Transnational Threats.
In January 2020 Miller was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism. He later performed the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict before Senate confirmation as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in August 2020.
President Trump named Miller Acting Secretary of Defense on November 9, 2020, following the dismissal of Mark Esper. He oversaw the Department of Defense through the final weeks of the administration until January 20, 2021.
In a December 2023 interview Miller stated he should have requested a UAP briefing while serving as Acting Secretary of Defense and expressed surprise that none was offered. The remark is the only publicly recorded comment by Miller on the topic.
No additional statements, books, interviews, or testimony from Miller address UAP encounters, non-human technology, or government programs. Searches of official records and news coverage yield no further disclosures.
Where They Are Now
As of October 2025 Miller serves on the board of Albers Aerospace. He previously worked at Highpoint Global and remains a private citizen focused on national security and counterterrorism issues.
Last updated 25 October 2026