Secord graduated from the Naval War College in June 1972. He then moved to Washington, D.C., serving in various capacities in the United States Department of Defense. His initial assignment was desk officer for Laos, Thailand and Vietnam under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. While serving in this post, Secord claims to have been involved in planning the Christmas bombing of North Vietnam. During this period, on 1 April 1973, he was promoted to colonel far ahead of his contemporaries.