DASW for Special Operations Analysis, Resources, and Capabilities (SOARC)
Carmella “Cara” Teeter
Ms. Carmella “Cara” Teeter currently serves as the DASW for Special Operations Analysis, Resources, and Capabilities in the Secretariat for Special Operations (SSO). She advocates for Special Operations Forces (SOF) enterprise equipping and resourcing equities throughout the Department of War. In this role, she oversees the Center for Special Operations Analysis, provides authoritative policy-driven budget analysis, oversees more than $15B in annual SOF enterprise programs, and conducts acquisition oversight of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Additionally, she directs a rapid-prototyping office that leverages burden-sharing co-development agreements with six partner nations, totaling more than $250M annually.
A fifth-generation military veteran, Ms. Teeter served as an intelligence officer in the Air Force and Air National Guard (ANG). After deploying in support of contingency operations in the Middle East and Pacific as an all-source analyst, she transitioned from active duty to serve as the officer in charge of the ANG’s first intelligence analysis support team for a USCYBERCOM Combat Mission Team
During her time in the ANG, Ms. Teeter assisted the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in establishing their tactical cyber operator training program, oversaw augmentee analysts supporting USSOCOM, and served on active-duty orders leading analysis support for Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) airborne SIGINT and Direct Threat Warning missions. Shortly thereafter, she was activated as the first Deputy Director of Cyber Forces for AFSOC, where she established the command’s CITRUS capabilities.
After ten years in uniform, Ms. Teeter entered the Civil Service at AFSOC, serving as the command’s Acting Chief of Intelligence Operations. She oversaw six critical mission areas and streamlined legacy staff processes to rapidly integrate new multi-domain capabilities onto AFSOC platforms. Ms. Teeter was recognized as the 2021 AFSOC Senior Civilian of the Year.
Prior to her political appointment to SO/LIC, Ms. Teeter was the Program Manager for the Army Research Lab (ARL)’s flagship Electronic Warfare Essential Research Program. Her work accelerated the Army’s applied research portfolio, resulting in direct integration with warfighters in two theaters. Toward the end of her tenure at ARL, she served as a Product Manager for a priority rapid acquisition effort to field a critical non-kinetic counter-unmanned system capability for the U.S. Army
Ms. Teeter holds a B.S. in Military and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an M.S. in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University. She and her husband, SFC Jonathan Teeter, U.S. Army Special Forces (Retired), have twin children and are avid cave divers.
Principal Director, Special Operations Analysis, Resources, and Capabilities
Vincent L. Fisher
Vincent L. Fisher is the Principal Director for Special Operations Analysis, Resources, and Capabilities (SOARC) and serves as the deputy to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War (DASW) responsible for advocating for Special Operations Forces (SOF) resourcing, equipping, and capability development in the legally mandated Secretariat for Special Operations (SSO). He assists in the oversight and development of more than $15 billion in SOF resources and programs, the analytic priorities for the Center for Special Operations Analysis, and the strategy for rapid-prototyping and SOF acquisition, allowing the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASW(SO/LIC)) to fulfill his responsibilities to exercise authority, direction, and control of all special operations-peculiar administrative matters.
Mr. Fisher previously served as the Director for Operations in the Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller) (OUSW(C)), serving as the advisor to the Deputy Comptroller (Program/Budget) on all budgetary aspects of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) appropriations and defense-wide activities of the Department of War. He was responsible for overseeing, reviewing, and formulating approximately 41 percent of the Department of War budget, including the Military Departments and Defense Agencies/Field Activities O&M budgets and related programs, contingency operations, emergency and disaster-related requests, and security cooperation requirements.
Mr. Fisher entered the Senior Executive Service in July 2017 as the Associate Director for Contingency and International Programs in the OUSW(C), where he formulated short- and long-range budgetary plans to address war- and contingency-related, disaster assistance-related, and security cooperation-related requirements. He then served as Associate Director for Military Operations, where he provided oversight of the O&M accounts of the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, including 11 separate Active, Reserve, and National Guard forces, including over $200 billion in resources for training, organic and depot maintenance, supplies and equipment, civilian workforce, facilities and installation support, and operations that build and sustain the readiness of the Military Departments and the Combatant Commands.
Before entering Senior Executive Service, Mr. Fisher served as a Senior Budget Analyst in the Operations Directorate of the OUSW(C) and was directly responsible for implementing several Presidential initiatives, including the European Reassurance Initiative, the Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund, and the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund. Mr. Fisher also served in the Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment Directorate, Joint Staff J8, as Deputy Branch Chief and lead Budget Analyst in the Program and Budget Analysis Division where he conducted strategic budget analysis, managed congressional appropriations affairs, spearheaded budget policy development, and developed vital budget messaging for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Mr. Fisher is a Presidential Rank Award winner, a two-time recipient of the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award, and a two-time recipient of the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award. He holds a B.S. in Economics and a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Tech.
Kevin Kuss
Acting Director, Requirements
Requirements oversees special operations-peculiar requirements generation and validation and advocates for SOF equities across the Joint Force Requirements Process.
Leah Tanyag
Acting Director, Capability Development and Innovation (CD&I)
CD&I oversees and executes rapid research, development, experimentation, and acquisition for the SOF enterprise.
William Preaskorn
Director, Programs and Resources
Programs and Resources sets strategic direction and provides civilian oversight for special operations-peculiar resourcing, programming, budgeting, execution oversight, and investment accountability.
Michael Cusack
Acting Director, Center for Special Operations Analysis (CSOA)
CSOA provides the analytic backbone to inform SOF force management, capability development, force generation, and resourcing.