C. Eddy Mentzer

C. Eddy Mentzer brings more than three decades of personal and professional experience in supporting military families through a variety of roles across the DoD and Federal Government. Having worked within the Office of the Secretary of Defense since 2010, he joined Military Community Support Programs in April of 2020, assuming the duties of associate director. In this role, he leads a team focused on emerging opportunities to support Service members and their families across the military lifecycle. Mr. Mentzer serves as the Department’s Program Manager for the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program. Previous roles include leading the Department’s Family Readiness System and Child Care and Youth Programs policy efforts.

Prior to his work in the DoD’s Office of the Secretary of Defense, from 2004 to 2010 Mr. Mentzer served as a National Program Leader within the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture where he managed multiple global programs in support of military children, youth and families. From 1992 to 2004 he was a Department of the Air Force Civilian, overseeing a variety of child, youth, education, and family support programs at a variety of levels throughout Europe.

In addition to growing-up in a military family, Mr. Mentzer is married to an Active Duty Air Force Colonel and the parent of a military child. This combination of both professional and personal experience allows Mr. Mentzer to bring a unique perspective to the programs that he oversees. He is a recognized speaker on the challenges faced by military families and the resources in place to assist them; having participated in numerous radio, television and face-to-face events.

The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy is directly responsible for programs and policies, which establish and support community quality-of-life programs for service members and their families worldwide. This office also serves as the focal point for coordination for a broad range of quality-of-life issues within the Department of Defense.