After his Southeast Asian service, Secord commanded the 603rd Special Operations Squadron and underwent further advanced military education at the Naval War College. He then served on staff duty in the Department of Defense from June 1972 through September 1975. His next posting returned him to Iran, this time managing all U. S. military assistance to the Iranians. He was involved in the Iran–Contra affair, making $2 million on the arms transactions and charged with lying to Congress about it but acquitted. Secord went into business in the private sector after his retirement from the USAF.