Shear, David Bruce, 1954-

<p>David Bruce Shear (1954–)<br>
Career Foreign Service Officer<br>
State of Residence: Michigan</p>

<p>Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Vietnam)<br>
Appointed: August 4, 2011<br>
Presentation of Credentials: August 29, 2011<br>
Termination of Mission: Left post on August 8, 2014</p>

<p>David Bruce Shear (born 1954) 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. Shear 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, Tokyo, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Sapporo.</p>

<p>Shear is a graduate of Earlham College. He also has a master's degree in international affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and was a Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.</p>

<p>Shear is a black belt in kendo. He and his wife Barbara have a daughter. He speaks Chinese and Japanese.</p>

<p>David B. Shear, Senior Advisor, advises clients on matters throughout Asia.</p>

<p>He previously served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs from 2014 to 2016, when he performed the duties of Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.</p>

<p>Prior to 2014, Ambassador Shear served for 32 years in the US Foreign Service, most recently as the US Ambassador to Vietnam. He has also served in Sapporo, Beijing, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur. In Washington, Ambassador Shear has served in the Offices of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Affairs and as the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. He was Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs in 2008-2009 and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs in 2009-2011.</p>

<p>Ambassador Shear was a Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy from 1998-1999. He is the recipient of the State Department’s Superior Honor Award and the Defense Department’s Civilian Meritorious Service Award for his work in US-Japan defense relations.</p>

<p>Ambassador Shear graduated from Earlham College and has a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has attended Waseda University, Tai-wan National University, and Nanjing University, and he speaks Chinese and Japanese.</p>