David Bruce Shear (born May 25, 1954)[1] is an American diplomat who was a career Foreign Service Officer.

[2] Shear served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs from July 2014 to June 2016.

[3] Prior to his nomination for this position, he served as United States Ambassador to Vietnam.

[4] He was also formerly deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the U.S. Department of State;[5] he joined the State Department in 1982 and has served in Washington, Sapporo, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo.

[5] Born in Cobleskill, New York, Shear attended Clayton A. Bouton High School, graduating in 1971.