OSHKOSH, Wis. — Oshkosh Corp. has elected John Hamre, Ph.D. to the company’s board of directors.

Hamre serves as president and chief executive officer for the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), a bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., that provides strategic insights and policy solutions to decision makers in government, international institutions, the private sector and civil society. He has been with the organization since 2000. Prior to joining CSIS, Hamre served as the 26th deputy secretary of defense from 1997 until 2000. From 1993 to 1997, he served as under secretary of defense (comptroller). In 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appointed Hamre to serve as chairman of the Defense Policy Board.

“We are very excited to have John join our board. His talent and years of experience will be a great benefit as our company continues to grow,” said Michael Grebe, presiding director and chairman of the Board’s Governance Committee.

“We’re pleased to welcome John to our Board. We expect that his substantial international, political and economic background will enhance the direction our Board provides for the corporation and our shareholders,” said Robert Bohn, Oshkosh Corp. chairman and chief executive officer.

Before working in the Department of Defense, Hamre worked for 10 years as a professional staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also served in the Congressional Budget Office from 1978 through 1984.

Hamre received his Ph.D., with distinction from the School of Advanced International studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. He received his. B.A. from Augustana College, South Dakota, and studied as a Rockefeller fellow at the Harvard Divinity School.