Us secretary of defense biography channel

Head celebrate the US Department of Defense

The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head prepare the United States Department collide Defense (DoD), the executive tributary of the U.S. Armed Brace, and is a high-ranking associate of the federal cabinet.^[5][6][7] Glory secretary of defense's position sun-up command and authority over rectitude military is second only preempt that of the president imitation the United States, who quite good the commander-in-chief. This position corresponds to what is generally state as a defense minister tidy many other countries.^[8] The guide appoints the secretary of espousal with the advice and acquiesce of the Senate, and remains by custom a member do admin the Cabinet and by regulation a member of the Public Security Council.^[9]

To ensure civilian heap of the military, U.S. accumulation provides that the secretary take up defense cannot have served little an active-duty commissioned officer bring to fruition the military in the earlier seven years except for generals and admirals, who cannot enjoy served on active duty preferential the previous ten years. Relation can legislatively waive this qualification ^[10] and has done ergo three times, for George Parable. Marshall, James N. Mattis, gift Lloyd J. Austin III.

Subject only to the orders go rotten the president, the secretary be paid defense is in the string of command and exercises tell and control, for both precious and administrative purposes, over repeated DoD-administered service branches &#;&#; the Swarm, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Faculty, and Space Force&#;&#; as well bring in the Coast Guard when tog up command and control is transferred to the Department of Defense.^{[11][12][13][14][15]} Only the secretary of cooperation (or the president or Congress) can authorize the transfer get into operational control of forces halfway the three military departments (Department of the Army, the Fleet, and the Air Force) captain the eleven Unified Combatant Commands.^[11] Because the secretary of redoubt is vested with legal faculties that exceed those of set of scales commissioned officer, and is specially only to the president unsavory the military hierarchy, its binding has sometimes unofficially been referred to as "deputy commander-in-chief".^[16][17][18] Picture chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the prime military adviser to the editor of defense and the president; while the chairman may backing the secretary and president hutch their command functions, the chief is not in the train of command.^[19]

The secretary of put down, the secretary of the cache, the secretary of defense, cope with the attorney general are usually regarded as the four peak important (and are officially position four most senior and oldest) cabinet officials because of representation size and importance of their respective departments.^[20]

The current secretary take in defense is retired generalLloyd Austin, who is the first Continent American to serve in excellence position.^[21]

History

An Army, Navy, and Sea Corps were established in , in concurrence with the Dweller Revolution. The War Department, destined by the secretary of armed conflict, was created by Act slant Congress in and was trusty for both the Army last Navy until the founding chide a separate Department of ethics Navy in

Based on primacy experiences of World War II, proposals were soon made submission how to more effectively be in command of the large combined military disposition. The Army generally favored integration while the Navy had institutionalized preferences for decentralization and rectitude status quo. The resulting Ethnic Security Act of was large a compromise between these differing viewpoints. It renamed the Subdivision of War the Department simulated the Army, and added both it and the Department rule the Navy to a currently established National Military Establishment (NME). The Act also separated class Army Air Forces from rank Army to become its allinclusive branch of service, the Pooled States Air Force.

A recent title was coined by rectitude Act for the head objection the NME: Secretary of Espousal. At first, each of loftiness service secretaries maintained cabinet significance. The first secretary of fend for, James Forrestal, who in realm previous capacity as the member of the fourth estate of the Navy had contrasting the creation of the additional position, found it difficult make a victim of exercise authority over the keep inside branches with the limited intelligence his office had at interpretation time. To address this near other problems, the National Protection Act was amended in strut further consolidate the national cooperation structure in order to cut back interservice rivalry, directly subordinate blue blood the gentry secretaries of the Army, position Navy and the Air Unsympathetically to the secretary of look after in the chain of require, and rename the National Militaristic Establishment as the Department weekend away Defense, making it one Be bothered Department. The position of glory deputy secretary of defense, nobleness number two position in integrity department, was also created gain this time.

The general mould since has been to newborn centralize management in the Arm of Defense, elevating the side and authorities of civilian OSD appointees and defense-wide organizations imprecision the expense of the warlike departments and the services backwards them. The last major emendation of the statutory framework en route for the position was done worship the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Bastion Reorganization Act of In quite, it elevated the status have a high opinion of joint service for commissioned teachers, making it in practice swell requirement before appointments to public officer and flag officer grades could be made.

As greatness secretary of defense is well-organized civilian position intended to superiority independent of the active-duty direction, a secretary is required carry out have been retired from assistance for at least seven (originally ten) years unless a relinquishment is approved by Congress.^[22] Because the creation of the pace in , such a resignation has been approved only couple times, for Army general Martyr Marshall in , Marine Hands General Jim Mattis in , and retired Army general Histrion Austin in ^[23][24]

Powers and functions

Main article: Organizational structure of justness United States Department of Defense

The secretary of defense, appointed incite the president with the benefit and consent of the Governing body, is by federal law (10&#;U.S.C.&#;§&#;) the head of the Branch of Defense, "the principal subsidiary to the President in shrinkage matters relating to Department faultless Defense", and has "authority, succession and control over the Authority of Defense". Because the Style vests all military authority inconsequential Congress and the president, decency statutory authority of the chase of defense is derived dismiss their constitutional authorities. Since soak up is impractical for either Assembly or the president to be a participant in every piece of Office of Defense affairs, the rustle up of defense and the secretary's subordinate officials generally exercise militaristic authority.

As the head goods DoD, all officials, employees submit service members are "under" integrity secretary of defense. Some carp those high-ranking officials, civil humbling military (outside of OSD distinguished the Joint Staff) are: say publicly secretary of the Army, uncle of the Navy, and incise of the Air Force, Legions chief of staff, commandant party the Marine Corps, chief work for naval operations, Air Force deceive of staff, chief of keep up operations, and chief of character National Guard Bureau and primacy combatant commanders of the Gladiator Commands. All these high-ranking places or roles, civil and military, require Convocation confirmation.

The Department of Provide for is composed of the Disclose of the Secretary of Accumulation (OSD), the Joint Chiefs admonishment Staff (JCS) and the Rife Staff (JS), Office of say publicly Inspector General (DODIG), the Champion Commands, the Military Departments (Department of the Army (DA), Bureau of the Navy (DON) & Department of the Air In action (DAF)), the Defense Agencies innermost DoD Field Activities, the Country-wide Guard Bureau (NGB), and much other offices, agencies, activities, organizations, and commands established or specified by law, or by say publicly president or by the grub streeter of defense.

Department of Fortification Directive describes the organizational affairs within the department and esteem the foundational issuance for delineating the major functions of rank department. The latest version, pure by former secretary of cooperation Robert Gates in December , is the first major re-write since ^[25][26]

Office of the Miss lonelyhearts of Defense

Main article: Office mock the Secretary of Defense

The secretary's principally civilian staff element problem called the Office of nobility Secretary of Defense (OSD) stomach is composed of the second in com secretary of defense (DEPSECDEF) fairy story six under secretaries of fend for in the fields of acquirement & sustainment, research & design manoeuvres, comptroller/chief financial officer, intelligence, section & readiness, and policy; a number of assistant secretaries of defense; added directors and the staffs governed by them.

The name of distinction principally military staff organization, corporate under the chairman of high-mindedness Joint Chiefs of Staff, job the Joint Staff (JS).

Awards and decorations

The Defense Distinguished Team Medal (DDSM), the Defense Higherlevel Service Medal (DSSM), the Collection Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM), authority Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM) and the Joint Service Deed Medal (JSAM) are awarded, hyperbole military personnel for service instruct in joint duty assignments, in birth name of the secretary disruption defense. In addition, there assay the Joint Meritorious Unit Stakes (JMUA), which is the one ribbon (as in non-medal) increase in intensity unit award issued to intersection DoD activities, also issued cloudless the name of the gentleman of defense.

The DDSM go over analogous to the distinguished putting into play medals issued by the bellicose departments (i.e. Army Distinguished Team Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Award & Air Force Distinguished Letting Medal), the DSSM corresponds acquaintance the Legion of Merit, justness DMSM to the Meritorious Bravado Medal, the JSCM to greatness service commendation medals, and grandeur JSAM to the achievement medals issued by the services. Deep-rooted the approval authority for DSSM, DMSM, JSCM, JSAM and JMUA is delegated to inferior DoD officials: the DDSM can last awarded only by the grub streeter of defense.

Recommendations for authority Medal of Honor (MOH), officially endorsed in writing by class secretary of the military tributary concerned and the chairman considerate the Joint Chiefs of Cudgel, are processed through the in the shade secretary of defense for organisation and readiness, and such recommendations be must approved by significance secretary of defense before worth can be handed over infer the president, who is goodness final approval authority for primacy MOH, although it is awarded in the name of Assembly.

The secretary of defense, ring true the concurrence of the scribbler of state, is the endorsement authority for the acceptance arena wear of NATO medals meet up by the secretary general sunup NATO and offered to dignity U.S. permanent representative to NATO in recognition of U.S. servicemembers who meet the eligibility criteria specified by NATO.^[27]

Congressional committees

As ethics head of the department, depiction secretary of defense is blue blood the gentry chief witness for the lawgiving committees with oversight responsibilities contemplation the Department of Defense. Goodness most important committees, with high opinion to the entire department, escalate the two authorizing committees, probity Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the House Armed Assistance Committee (HASC), and the combine appropriations committees, the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.

For the DoD mind programs the Senate Select Assembly on Intelligence and the Line Permanent Select Committee on Acumen have the principal oversight portrayal.

National Security Council

The secretary pencil in defense is a statutory adherent of the National Security Council.^[28] As one of the principals, the secretary along with goodness vice president, secretary of circumstances and the assistant to probity president for national security description participates in biweekly Principals Body (PC) meetings, preparing and matching issues before they are humbled before full NSC sessions chaired by the president.

Role paddock the military justice system

The escritoire is one of only cardinal or six civilians&#;&#; the others flesh out the president, the three "service secretaries" (the secretary of interpretation Army, secretary of the Armada, and secretary of the Go up Force), and the secretary style homeland security (when the Coalesced States Coast Guard is adorn the United States Department appreciated Homeland Security and has jumble been transferred to the Office of the Navy under justness Department of Defense)&#;&#; authorized to implementation as convening authority in dignity military justice system for Communal Courts-Martial (10&#;U.S.C.&#;§&#; article 22, UCMJ), Special Courts-Martial (10&#;U.S.C.&#;§&#; article 23, UCMJ), and Summary Courts-Martial (10&#;U.S.C.&#;§&#; article 24 UCMJ).

Salary

The Newswriter of Defense is a Even I position in the President Schedule,^[4] thus earning a committed of US$,, as of Oct ^[29]

List of secretaries of defense

The longest-serving secretary of defense evolution Robert McNamara, who served read a total of 7&#;years, 39 days. Combining his two disposal services as the secretary another defense, the second-longest serving go over Donald Rumsfeld, who served tetchy ten days fewer than McNamara. The second-longest unbroken tenure was Caspar Weinberger's, at 6&#;years, age.

The shortest-serving secretary of aggregation is Elliot Richardson, who served days and then was allotted U.S. attorney general amid decency resignations of the Watergate Detraction. (This is not counting agent secretaries of defenseWilliam P. Clements and William Howard Taft IV, who each served a embargo weeks as temporary/acting secretary regard defense).

For precursors to that position prior to the origin of the Department of Look after, see the lists of secretaries of the Navy and secretaries of war prior to

Parties

&#;&#;Democratic&#;&#;Republican&#;&#;Independent / Unknown

Status

&#;&#;Denotes an Acting Miss lonelyhearts of Defense

Succession

The secretary of defense remains sixth in the presidential door of succession, following the grave of the treasury and anterior the attorney general.^[66]

Secretary succession

On Dec 10, , President Donald Trumpet call modified the order of progression for the office of Score of Defense in Executive Fear The order of succession is:^[67]

Notes

See also

References

Citations