J. Daniel Howard Carlucci and his deputy, General Colin Powell. Howard focussed on arms control issues and remained through the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in January 1988. He also dealt with many issues associated with the Iran–Contra affair. On December 21, 1987, President Reagan nominated Howard to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) and Howard would hold this post from February 1988 through May 1989. He worked for Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci and dealt with the aftermath of the shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655 by the U.S.S. "Vincennes" and the explosion of a gun mount
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment 5134.1 in February 1987. As part of this act, the position of "Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering" (USD(R&E)) was redesignated as the "Director of Defense Research and Engineering" (DDR&E), a lower-ranking position which reported to the new USD(A). The title of USD(A) was changed to "Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology" (USD(A&T)) by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994, and the position was later redesignated as the "Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics" (USD(AT&L)) by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000. The USD(AT&L) served as the