National Security Advisor

The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor (NSA) or at times informally termed the NSC Advisor, is a senior aide in the Executive Office of the President, based at the West Wing of the White House, who serves as the chief in-house advisor to the president of the United States on national security issues. The National Security Advisor is appointed by the president and does not require confirmation by the Senate, but an appointment of a three or four-star general to the role requires Senate reconfirmation of military rank.

The National Security Advisor participates in meetings of the National Security Council (NSC) and usually chairs meetings of the Principals Committee of the NSC with the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. The National Security Advisor is supported by NSC staff who produce research and briefings for the National Security Advisor to review and present, either to the National Security Council or directly to the president.

Within The Ryanverse

Novels

• James Cutter (1984 - 1988) - He serves as the NSA to the unnamed President during Clear and Present Danger.

• Charles Alden (1988 - 1991) - He serves as the NSA under President J. Robert Fowler during the beginning of The Sum of All Fears. Unfortunately, Elizabeth Elliot discovered his history of affairs and leaked this information to public so that Alden would resign and she could take his position. However, the reveal of his affair caused him to suffer a fatal stroke.

• Elizabeth Elliot (1991) - Formerly a key advisor to President J. Robert Fowler, she became the new NSA after secretly causing the death of Charles Alden in The Sum of All Fears. She later engages in a sexual relationship with Fowler and manipulates him into taking credit for Jack Ryan's Middle East Peace settlement. She then causes Fowler to make increasingly bad decisions which ultimately lead him to order a nuclear strike on Ayatollah Mahmoud Haji Daryaei's residence holy city of Qom. After Jack Ryan managed to avert the crisis, Fowler resigned in disgrace and Elliot was forcibly removed from her position through the 25th Amendment.

• Jack Ryan (1995 - 1996) - Former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence under President Fowler. In Debt of Honor, he is pulled from retirement and appointed NSA by President Roger Durling. Durling later nominates him to succeed Ed Kealty as the Vice President for successfully handling the crisis between the United States and Japan.

• Ben Goodley (1996 - 2001) - He is appointed NSA by President Jack Ryan who had succeeded Durling following his death during an attack on the U.S. Capitol Building. He continued to serve as NSA once Ryan won the 1996 Presidential Election and held the position until 2001.

• Colleen Hurst (2009 - Present) - She has served as the NSA for the duration of President Ryan's second term since 2009.

Films

• Jeffrey Pelt (1984) - Serves as NSA in the film, The Hunt for Red October

• James Cutter (1988) - Serves as NSA under President James Bennett in the film, Clear and Present Danger

• Gene Revell (2002) - Serves as NSA under President J. Robert Fowler in the film, The Sum of All Fears.