Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 18, 2026

David B. Shear

David Bruce Shear is an American diplomat who was a career Foreign Service Officer. Shear served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs from July 2014 to June 2016. Prior to his nomination for this position, he served as United States Ambassador to Vietnam. He was also formerly deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the U.S. Department of State; he joined the State Department in 1982 and has served in Washington, Sapporo, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo.

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David Bruce Shear
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (acting)
In office
June 10, 2016 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byBrian P. McKeon
Succeeded byDavid Trachtenberg
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs
In office
July 17, 2014 – June 10, 2016
PresidentBarack Obama
DeputyClaire A. Pierangelo
Preceded byMark W. Lippert
Succeeded byRandall Schriver
United States Ambassador to Vietnam
In office
August 4, 2011 – August 8, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byVirginia E. Palmer
Succeeded byTed Osius
Personal details
Born (1954-05-24) May 24, 1954
EducationEarlham College (BA)
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (MA)

David Bruce Shear (born May 25, 1954)1 is an American diplomat who was a career Foreign Service Officer.2 Shear served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs from July 2014 to June 2016.3 Prior to his nomination for this position, he served as United States Ambassador to Vietnam.4 He was also formerly deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the U.S. Department of State;5 he joined the State Department in 1982 and has served in Washington, Sapporo, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo.5

Born in Cobleskill, New York, Shear attended Clayton A. Bouton High School, graduating in 1971. He is a graduate of Earlham College with a B.A. degree in 1975. Shear also has a M.A. degree in international affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1982, and was a Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.15 He served as United States Ambassador to Vietnam from 2011 until leaving office in 2014.

Personal life

Shear is a black belt in kendo.4 He and his wife Barbara have a daughter.4 He speaks Chinese and Japanese.6

References

References

  1. "Biographical and Financial Information Requested of Nominees". Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Second Session, 113th Congress (PDF). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 2015. pp. 402–404. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  2. David Bruce Shear (1954–)
  3. "ASD". U.S. Senate. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  4. "Ambassador". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved August 28, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. "Biography of David Shear". Bucknell University. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  6. "Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs: David B. Shear". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
External links

Media related to David B. Shear at Wikimedia Commons