United States Secretary of Defense



Leader of the United States armed forces following the President


































































United States Secretary of Defense

United States Department of Defense Seal.svg
Seal of the Department[1]


Flag of the United States Secretary of Defense.svg

Flag of the Secretary[2]


Patrick Shanahan (cropped).jpg

Incumbent
Patrick M. Shanahan
Acting

since January 1, 2019

United States Department of Defense
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Style Mr. Secretary
Status Leader and chief executive
Member of
Cabinet
National Security Council
Reports to President of the United States
Seat
The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia
Appointer The President
with Senate advice and consent
Term length No fixed term
Constituting instrument
10 U.S.C. § 113
50 U.S.C. § 401
Formation September 17, 1947 (1947-09-17)
First holder James Forrestal
Succession
Sixth[3]
Deputy Deputy Secretary of Defense
Salary
Executive Schedule, level I[4]
Website www.defense.gov

The Secretary of Defense (SecDef) is the leader and chief executive officer of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the Armed Forces of the U.S.[5][6][7] The Secretary of Defense's position of command and authority over the U.S. military is second only to that of the President and Congress, respectively.[8] This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in many other countries.[9] The Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, and is by custom a member of the Cabinet and by law a member of the National Security Council.[10]


Secretary of Defense is a statutory office, and the general provision in 10 U.S.C. § 113 provides that the Secretary of Defense has "authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense", and is further designated by the same statute as "the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of Defense".[11] To ensure civilian control of the military, no one may be appointed as Secretary of Defense within seven years of serving as a commissioned officer of a regular (i.e., non-reserve) component of an armed force.[12]


Subject only to the orders of the President, the Secretary of Defense is in the chain of command and exercises command and control, for both operational and administrative purposes, over all Department of Defense forces — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force — as well as the U.S. Coast Guard when its command and control is transferred to the Department of Defense.[13][14][15][16][17] Only the Secretary of Defense (or the president or Congress) can authorize the transfer of operational control of forces between the three Military Departments (the departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force) and the 10 Combatant Commands (Africa Command, Central Command, European Command, Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command, Southern Command, Cyber Command, Special Operations Command, Strategic Command, Transportation Command).[13] Because the Office of Secretary of Defense is vested with legal powers which exceed those of any commissioned officer, and is second only to the President in the military hierarchy, its incumbent has sometimes unofficially been referred to as a de facto "deputy commander-in-chief".[18][19][20] (The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the Secretary of Defense and the President, and while the Chairman may assist the Secretary and President in their command functions, the Chairman is not in the chain of command.[21])


The Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of the Treasury are generally regarded as heading the four most important departments.[22]


Since January 1, 2019, the Secretary of Defense has been Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan, serving in an acting capacity.[23] His predecessor, Jim Mattis, resigned on December 20, 2018, effective February 2019, after failing to persuade President Donald Trump to reconsider a decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.[24][25] A few days later, Trump announced that Mattis would leave at the end of December.[26]




Contents






  • 1 History


  • 2 Powers and functions


    • 2.1 Office of the Secretary of Defense


    • 2.2 Awards and decorations


    • 2.3 Congressional committees


    • 2.4 National Security Council


    • 2.5 Role in the military justice system




  • 3 Amenities


    • 3.1 Salary




  • 4 List of Secretaries of Defense


  • 5 Succession


    • 5.1 Presidential succession


    • 5.2 Secretary of Defense succession




  • 6 Living former Secretaries of Defense


  • 7 See also


  • 8 References


    • 8.1 Footnotes


    • 8.2 Sources


      • 8.2.1 Federal law


      • 8.2.2 Directives, regulations and manuals






  • 9 Further reading


    • 9.1 Primary historical sources


      • 9.1.1 Online sources






  • 10 External links




History




Seal of the National Military Establishment (1947–1949), which was reorganized into the Department of Defense.


An Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were established in 1775, in concurrence with the American Revolution. The War Department, headed by the Secretary of War, was created by Act of Congress in 1789 and was responsible for both the Army and Navy until the founding of a separate Department of the Navy in 1798.


Based on the experiences of World War II, proposals were soon made on how to more effectively manage the large combined military establishment. The Army generally favored centralization while the Navy had institutional preferences for decentralization and the status quo. The resulting National Security Act of 1947 was largely a compromise between these divergent viewpoints. The Act split the Department of War into the Department of the Army and Department of the Navy and established the National Military Establishment (NME), presided over by the Secretary of Defense. The Act also separated the Army Air Forces from the Army to become its own branch of service, the United States Air Force. At first, each of the service secretaries maintained cabinet status. The first Secretary of Defense, James Forrestal, who in his previous capacity as Secretary of the Navy had opposed creation of the new position, found it difficult to exercise authority over the other branches with the limited powers his office had at the time. To address this and other problems, the National Security Act was amended in 1949 to further consolidate the national defense structure in order to reduce interservice rivalry, directly subordinate the Secretaries of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force to the Secretary of Defense in the chain of command, and rename the National Military Establishment as the Department of Defense, making it one Executive Department. The position of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the number two position in the department, was also created at this time.


The general trend since 1949 has been to further centralize management in the Department of Defense, elevating the status and authorities of civilian OSD appointees and defense-wide organizations at the expense of the military departments and the services within them. The last major revision of the statutory framework concerning the position was done in the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. In particular, it elevated the status of joint service for commissioned officers, making it in practice a requirement before appointments to general officer and flag officer grades could be made.


Powers and functions




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The Secretary of War [now Secretary of Defense] is the regular constitutional organ of the President for the administration of the military establishment of the nation; and rules and orders publicly promulgated through him must be received as the acts of the executive, and as such, be binding upon all within the sphere of his legal and constitutional authority. Such regulations cannot be questioned or denied because they may be thought unwise or mistaken.

United States v. Eliason, 41 U.S. 291 (1842)





Nor is it necessary for the Secretary of War [now Secretary of Defense] in promulgating such rules or orders to state that they emanate from the President, for the presumption is that the Secretary is acting with the President's approbation and under his direction.

In re Brodie, 128 Fed. 668 (CCA 8th 1904)





Department of Defense organizational chart (December 2013)


The Secretary of Defense, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is by federal law (10 U.S.C. § 113) the head of the Department of Defense, "the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to Department of Defense", and has "authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense". Because the Constitution vests all military authority in Congress and the President, the statutory authority of the Secretary of Defense is derived from their constitutional authorities. Since it is impractical for either Congress or the President to participate in every piece of Department of Defense affairs, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary's subordinate officials generally exercise military authority.


As the head of DoD, all officials, employees and service members are "under" the Secretary of Defense. Some of those high-ranking officials, civil and military (outside of OSD and the Joint Staff) are: the Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, and Secretary of the Air Force, Army Chief of Staff, Commandant of the Marine Corps, Chief of Naval Operations, and Air Force Chief of Staff, Chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Combatant Commanders of the Combatant Commands. All of these high-ranking positions, civil and military, require Senate confirmation.


The Department of Defense is composed of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the Joint Staff (JS), Office of the Inspector General (DODIG), the Combatant Commands, the Military Departments (Department of the Army (DA), Department of the Navy (DON) & Department of the Air Force (DAF)), the Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities, the National Guard Bureau (NGB), and such other offices, agencies, activities, organizations, and commands established or designated by law, or by the President or by the Secretary of Defense.


Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 describes the organizational relationships within the Department, and is the foundational issuance for delineating the major functions of the Department. The latest version, signed by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in December 2010, is the first major re-write since 1987.[27][28]


Office of the Secretary of Defense



The Secretary's principally civilian staff element is called the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and is composed of the Deputy Secretary of Defense (DEPSECDEF) and five Under Secretaries of Defense in the fields of Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, Comptroller/Chief Financial Officer, Intelligence, Personnel & Readiness, and Policy; several Assistant Secretaries of Defense; other directors and the staffs under them.


The name of the principally military staff organization, organized under the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the Joint Staff (JS).


Awards and decorations


The Defense Distinguished Service Medal (DDSM), the Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM), the Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM) and the Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM) are awarded, to military personnel for service in joint duty assignments, in the name of the Secretary of Defense. In addition, there is the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA), which is the only ribbon (as in non-medal) and unit award issued to joint DoD activities, also issued in the name of the Secretary of Defense.


The DDSM is analogous to the distinguished services medals issued by the military departments (i.e. Army Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal & Air Force Distinguished Service Medal), the DSSM corresponds to the Legion of Merit, the DMSM to the Meritorious Service Medal, the JSCM to the service commendation medals, and the JSAM to the achievement medals issued by the services. While the approval authority for DSSM, DMSM, JSCM, JSAM and JMUA is delegated to inferior DoD officials: the DDSM can only be awarded by the Secretary of Defense.


Recommendations for the Medal of Honor (MOH), formally endorsed in writing by the Secretary of the Military Department concerned and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are processed through the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and such recommendations be must approved by the Secretary of Defense before it can be handed over to the President, who is the final approval authority for the MOH, although it is awarded in the name of Congress.


The Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, is the approval authority for the acceptance and wear of NATO medals issued by the Secretary General of NATO and offered to the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO in recognition of U.S. Service members who meet the eligibility criteria specified by NATO.[29]


Congressional committees


As the head of the department, the Secretary of Defense is the chief witness for the congressional committees with oversight responsibilities over the Department of Defense. The most important committees, with respect to the entire department, are the two authorizing committees, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), and the two appropriations committees, the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.


For the DoD intelligence programs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence have the principal oversight role.


National Security Council


The Secretary of Defense is a statutory member of the National Security Council.[30] As one of the principals, the Secretary along with the Vice President, Secretary of State and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs participates in biweekly Principals Committee (PC) meetings, preparing and coordinating issues before they are brought before full NSC sessions chaired by the President.


Role in the military justice system


The Secretary is one of only five or six civilians—the others being the President, the three "service secretaries" (the Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, and Secretary of the Air Force), and the Secretary of Homeland Security (when the United States Coast Guard is under the United States Department of Homeland Security and has not been transferred to the Department of the Navy under the Department of Defense)—authorized to act as convening authority in the military justice system for General Courts-Martial (10 U.S.C. § 822: article 22, UCMJ), Special Courts-Martial (10 U.S.C. § 823: article 23, UCMJ), and Summary Courts-Martial (10 U.S.C. § 824: article 24 UCMJ).


Amenities


Salary


Secretary of Defense is a Level I position of the Executive Schedule,[4] and thus earns a salary of $210,700 per year as of January 2018.


List of Secretaries of Defense


The longest-serving Secretary of Defense is Robert McNamara, who served for a total of 7 years, 39 days. Combining his two non-sequential services as Secretary of Defense, the second-longest serving is Donald Rumsfeld, who served just ten days fewer than McNamara. The second-longest unbroken tenure was Caspar Weinberger's, at 6 years, 306 days.


The shortest-serving Secretary of Defense is Elliot Richardson, who served 114 days and then was appointed U.S. Attorney General amid the resignations of the Watergate Scandal. (This is not counting Deputy Secretary of Defense William P. Clements and William Howard Taft IV, who each served a few weeks as temporary/acting Secretary of Defense).


Parties

  Democratic
  Republican
  Political Independent / Unknown


Status


  Denotes an Acting Secretary of Defense












































































































































































































































































































































































Secretary of Defense Took office Left office Time in office Party State of residence
President
serving under
Ref
1

James Forrestal


Forrestal, JamesJames Forrestal
(1892–1949)
September 17, 1947 March 28, 1949
7002558000000000000♠1 year, 192 days
Democratic New York
Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Dem)
[31]
2

Louis A. Johnson


Johnson, LouisLouis A. Johnson
(1891–1966)
March 28, 1949 September 19, 1950
7002540000000000000♠1 year, 175 days
Democratic West Virginia
Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Dem)
[32]
3

George Marshall


Marshall, GeorgeGeorge Marshall
(1880–1959)
September 21, 1950 September 12, 1951
7002356000000000000♠356 days
Independent Pennsylvania
Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Dem)
[33]
4

Robert A. Lovett


Lovett, RobertRobert A. Lovett
(1895–1986)
September 17, 1951 January 20, 1953
7002491000000000000♠1 year, 125 days
Republican New York
Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Dem)
[34]
5

Charles Erwin Wilson


Wilson, CharlesCharles Erwin Wilson
(1890–1961)
January 28, 1953 October 8, 1957
7003171400000000000♠4 years, 253 days
Republican Michigan
Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Rep)
[35]
6

Neil H. McElroy


McElroy, NeilNeil H. McElroy
(1904–1972)
October 9, 1957 December 1, 1959
7002783000000000000♠2 years, 53 days
Republican Ohio
Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Rep)
[36]
7

Thomas S. Gates Jr.


Gates, ThomasThomas S. Gates Jr.
(1906–1983)
December 2, 1959 January 20, 1961
7002415000000000000♠1 year, 49 days
Republican Pennsylvania
Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Rep)
[37]
8

Robert McNamara


McNamara, RobertRobert McNamara
(1916–2009)
January 21, 1961 February 29, 1968
7003259500000000000♠7 years, 39 days
Republican Michigan
Kennedy, JohnJohn F. Kennedy (Dem)
Lyndon B. Johnson (Dem)
[38]
9

Clark Clifford


Clifford, ClarkClark Clifford
(1906–1998)
March 1, 1968 January 20, 1969
7002325000000000000♠325 days
Democratic Maryland
Johnson, LyndonLyndon B. Johnson (Dem)
[39]
10

Melvin R. Laird


Laird, MelvinMelvin R. Laird
(1922–2016)
January 22, 1969 January 29, 1973
7003146800000000000♠4 years, 7 days
Republican Wisconsin
Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Rep)
[40]
11

Elliot Richardson


Richardson, ElliotElliot Richardson
(1920–1999)
January 30, 1973 May 24, 1973
7002114000000000000♠114 days
Republican Massachusetts
Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Rep)
[41]

Bill Clements


Clements, BillBill Clements
(1917–2011)
Acting
May 24, 1973 July 2, 1973[citation needed]

7001390000000000000♠39 days
Republican Texas
Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Rep)
[42]
12

James R. Schlesinger


Schlesinger, JamesJames R. Schlesinger
(1929–2014)
July 2, 1973 November 19, 1975
7002403000000000000♠1 year, 38 days
Republican Virginia
Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Rep)
Gerald Ford (Rep)
[43]
13

Donald Rumsfeld


Rumsfeld, DonaldDonald Rumsfeld
(born 1932)
November 20, 1975 January 20, 1977
7002427000000000000♠1 year, 61 days
Republican Illinois
Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (Rep)
[44]
14

Harold Brown


Brown, HaroldHarold Brown
(1917–2019)
January 20, 1977 January 20, 1981
7003146100000000000♠4 years, 0 days
Independent California
Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (Dem)
[45]
15

Caspar Weinberger


Weinberger, CasparCaspar Weinberger
(1917–2006)
January 21, 1981 November 23, 1987
7003249700000000000♠6 years, 306 days
Republican California
Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Rep)
[46]
16

Frank Carlucci


Carlucci, FrankFrank Carlucci
(1930–2018)
November 23, 1987 January 20, 1989
7002424000000000000♠1 year, 58 days
Republican Virginia
Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Rep)
[47]

William Howard Taft IV


Taft, WilliamWilliam Howard Taft IV
(born 1945)
Acting
January 20, 1989 March 21, 1989
7001600000000000000♠60 days
Republican Ohio
Bush, GeorgeGeorge H. W. Bush (Rep)
[48]
17

Dick Cheney


Cheney, DickDick Cheney
(born 1941)
March 21, 1989 January 20, 1993
7003140100000000000♠3 years, 305 days
Republican Wyoming
Bush, GeorgeGeorge H. W. Bush (Rep)
[49]
18

Leslie Aspin


Aspin, LesLeslie Aspin
(1938–1995)
January 20, 1993[50][51]
February 3, 1994
7002379000000000000♠1 year, 14 days
Democratic Wisconsin
Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Dem)
[52]
19

William Perry


Perry, WilliamWilliam Perry
(born 1927)
February 3, 1994 January 23, 1997[53] / January 24, 1997[50][54]

7003108600000000000♠2 years, 356 days
Independent Pennsylvania
Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Dem)
.
20

William Cohen


Cohen, WilliamWilliam Cohen
(born 1940)
January 24, 1997 January 20, 2001
7003145700000000000♠3 years, 362 days
Republican Maine
Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Dem)
[55]
21

Donald Rumsfeld


Rumsfeld, DonaldDonald Rumsfeld
(born 1932)
January 20, 2001 December 18, 2006
7003215800000000000♠5 years, 332 days
(7 years, 29 days total)
Republican Illinois
Bush, George W.George W. Bush (Rep)
[56]
22

Robert Gates


Gates, RobertRobert Gates
(born 1943)
December 18, 2006 June 30, 2011[57] / July 1, 2011[50]

7003165500000000000♠4 years, 194 days
Republican Texas
Bush, George W.George W. Bush (Rep)
Barack Obama (Dem)
.
23

Leon Panetta


Panetta, LeonLeon Panetta
(born 1938)
July 1, 2011 February 26, 2013
7002606000000000000♠1 year, 240 days
Democratic California
Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Dem)
[58]
24

Chuck Hagel


Hagel, ChuckChuck Hagel
(born 1946)
February 27, 2013 February 17, 2015
7002720000000000000♠1 year, 355 days
Republican Nebraska
Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Dem)
[59]
25

Ash Carter


Carter, AshAsh Carter
(born 1954)
February 17, 2015 January 19, 2017
7002702000000000000♠1 year, 337 days
Democratic Massachusetts
Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Dem)

[60][50]
26

Jim Mattis


Mattis, JimJim Mattis
(born 1950)
January 20, 2017 December 31, 2018
7002710000000000000♠1 year, 345 days
Independent Washington
Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep)
[61]

Patrick M. Shanahan


Shanahan, PatrickPatrick M. Shanahan
(born 1962)
Acting
January 1, 2019 Incumbent
7002106000000000000♠106 days
Independent Washington
Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep)
[62]

Succession


Presidential succession


The Secretary of Defense is sixth in the presidential line of succession, following the Secretary of the Treasury and preceding the Attorney General.[63]


Secretary of Defense succession


In Executive Order 13533 of March 1, 2010, President Barack Obama modified the line of succession regarding who would act as Secretary of Defense in the event of a vacancy or incapacitation, thus reversing the changes made by President George W. Bush in Executive Order 13394 as to the relative positions of the Secretaries of the Military Departments. All of the officials in the line of succession are civilians appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate:






Executive Order 13533 (March 1, 2010 – present)























































































#
Office


Secretary of Defense
1

Deputy Secretary of Defense
2

Secretary of the Army
3

Secretary of the Navy
4

Secretary of the Air Force
5

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
6

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
7

Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
8

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
9

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
10
Deputy Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense
11
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
12
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
13
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
14
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
15
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
16

Director of Defense Research and Engineering
17

General Counsel of the Department of Defense
Assistant Secretaries of Defense
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation
Director of Operational Energy Plans and Programs
and the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation
18

Under Secretary of the Army
Under Secretary of the Navy
and the Under Secretary of the Air Force
19

Assistant Secretaries of the Army
Assistant Secretaries of the Navy
Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force
General Counsel of the Army
General Counsel of the Navy
and the General Counsel of the Air Force


Executive Order 13394 (December 22, 2005 – March 1, 2010)































































#
Office


Secretary of Defense
1

Deputy Secretary of Defense
2

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
3

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
4

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
5

Secretary of the Army
6

Secretary of the Air Force
7

Secretary of the Navy
8

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
and the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
9
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
and the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
10

General Counsel of the Department of Defense
Assistant Secretaries of Defense
and the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation
11
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Material Readiness
and the Director of Defense Research and Engineering
12

Under Secretary of the Army
Under Secretary of the Navy
and the Under Secretary of the Air Force
13

Assistant Secretaries of the Army
Assistant Secretaries of the Navy
Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force
General Counsel of the Army
General Counsel of the Navy
and the General Counsel of the Air Force


Living former Secretaries of Defense



As of April 2019, there are nine living former Secretaries of Defense, the oldest being William Perry (1994–1997, born 1927). The most recent Secretary of Defense to die was Harold Brown (1977–1981), on January 4, 2019.





















































Name
Term of office
Date of birth (and age)

Donald Rumsfeld
1975–1977, 2001–2006

(1932-07-09) 9 July 1932 (age 86)

Dick Cheney
1989–1993

(1941-01-30) 30 January 1941 (age 78)

William Perry
1994–1997

(1927-10-11) 11 October 1927 (age 91)

William Cohen
1997–2001

(1940-08-28) 28 August 1940 (age 78)

Robert Gates
2006–2011

(1943-09-25) 25 September 1943 (age 75)

Leon Panetta
2011–2013

(1938-06-28) 28 June 1938 (age 80)

Chuck Hagel
2013–2015

(1946-10-04) 4 October 1946 (age 72)

Ash Carter
2015–2017

(1954-09-24) 24 September 1954 (age 64)

Jim Mattis
2017–2018

(1950-09-08) 8 September 1950 (age 68)

See also




  • Base Realignment and Closure Commission

  • Boeing E-4

  • Challenge coin

  • Combat Exclusion Policy

  • Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States

  • Continuity of Operations Plan

  • CONPLAN 8022-02

  • Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee

  • Defense Support of Civil authorities

  • Department of Defense Directive 2310

  • Designated survivor

  • Emergency Action Message

  • Global Command and Control System

  • Gold Codes

  • Hamdan v. Rumsfeld

  • Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System

  • Key West Agreement

  • McCarran Internal Security Act

  • Military Commissions Act of 2006

  • Military operation plan

  • National Command Authority

  • National Industrial Security Program

  • National Security Strategy (United States)

  • Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge

  • Packard Commission

  • Permissive Action Link

  • Presidential Successor Support System

  • Quadrennial Defense Review

  • Rules of engagement

  • Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award

  • Single Integrated Operational Plan

  • State secrets privilege

  • Stop-loss policy

  • Two-man rule

  • Unconventional warfare (United States Department of Defense doctrine)

  • United States Foreign Military Financing

  • US Commission on National Security/21st Century



References


Footnotes





  1. ^ Trask & Goldberg: p. 177.


  2. ^ http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/UniformedServices/Flags/Pos_Colors_DoD.aspx Archived May 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, accessed on January 4, 2012.


  3. ^ "3 U.S. Code § 19 – Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act"..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  4. ^ ab 5 U.S.C. § 5312.


  5. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 113.


  6. ^ DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a


  7. ^ 5 U.S.C. § 101.


  8. ^ Trask & Goldberg: p.11


  9. ^ "NATO – member countries". NATO. Retrieved January 4, 2012.


  10. ^ 50 U.S.C. § 402.


  11. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 113


  12. ^ The National Security Act of 1947 originally required an interval of ten years after relief from active duty, which was reduced to seven years by Sec. 903(a) of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. In 1950 Congress passed special legislation (Pub. Law 81-788) to allow George C. Marshall to serve as Secretary of Defense while remaining a commissioned officer on the active list of the Army (Army regulations kept all five-star generals on active duty for life), but warned:

    It is hereby expressed as the intent of the Congress that the authority granted by this Act is not to be construed as approval by the Congress of continuing appointments of military men to the office of Secretary of Defense in the future. It is hereby expressed as the sense of the Congress that after General Marshall leaves the office of Secretary of Defense, no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved.


    Defenselink bio, Retrieved February 8, 2010; and Marshall Foundation bio, Retrieved February 8, 2010.





  13. ^ ab 10 U.S.C. § 162


  14. ^ Joint Publication 1: II-9, II-10 & II-11.


  15. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 3011


  16. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 5011


  17. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 8011


  18. ^ Trask & Goldberg: pp.11 & 52


  19. ^ Cohen: p.231.


  20. ^ Korb, Lawrence J.; Ogden, Pete (2006-10-31). "Rumsfeld's Management Failures". Center for American Progress. Retrieved January 6, 2012.


  21. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 152


  22. ^ Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch (1997). Congressional Quarterly. p. 87.


  23. ^ "Patrick M. Shanahan – Acting Secretary of Defense". United States Department of Defense. January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019.


  24. ^ Cooper, Helene (December 20, 2018). "Jim Mattis, Marine General Turned Defense Secretary, Will Leave Pentagon in February". The New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2018.


  25. ^ O'Brien, Connor; Bender, Brien (December 20, 2018). "Mattis breaks with Trump in resignation letter". POLITICO. Retrieved December 20, 2018.


  26. ^ Trump, Donald J. (2018-12-23). "I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!". @realDonaldTrump. Retrieved 2019-01-27.


  27. ^ Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 Functions of the Department of Defense and Its Major Components


  28. ^ DoDD 5100.1: p.1.


  29. ^ DoDM 1348.33, Vol 3: p.39 (Enclosure 3)


  30. ^ 50 U.S.C. § 402


  31. ^ "James V. Forrestal – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  32. ^ "Louis A. Johnson – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  33. ^ "George C. Marshall – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  34. ^ "Robert A. Lovett – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  35. ^ "Charles E. Wilson – Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  36. ^ "Neil H. McElroy -Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  37. ^ "Thomas S. Gates, Jr. – Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  38. ^ "Robert S. McNamara – John F. Kennedy / Lyndon Johnson Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  39. ^ "Clark M. Gifford – Lyndon Johnson Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  40. ^ "Melvin R. Laird – Richard Nixon Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  41. ^ "Elliot L. Richardson – Richard Nixon Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  42. ^ Cantwell, Gerald T. Citizen Airmen: A History of the Air Force Reserve 1946–1994. DIANE Publishing. p. 252. In June 1973, Representative O. C. Fisher complained to William P. Clements, Jr., acting Secretary of Defense, that the authority, responsibility, and, consequently, effectiveness of the chiefs of the various reserve components seemed to be eroding.


  43. ^ "James R. Schlesinger – Richard Nixon / Gerald Ford Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  44. ^ "Donald H. Rumsfeld – Gerald Ford Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  45. ^ "Harold Brown – James Carter Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  46. ^ "Caspar W. Weinberger – Ronald Reagan Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  47. ^ "Frank C. Carlucci – Ronald Reagan Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  48. ^ "II. Secretaries of Defense" (PDF). Washington Headquarters Services – Pentagon Digital Library. p. 9. (Deputy Secretary of Defense William H. Taft served as acting secretary of defense from 20 January 1989 until 21 March 1989).


  49. ^ "Richard B. Cheney – George H.W. Bush Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  50. ^ abcd Department of Defense Key Officials September 1947 – February 2019


  51. ^ "Les Aspin Serves One Year As Defense Secretary".


  52. ^ "Leslie Aspin – William J. Clinton Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  53. ^ "William J. Perry – William J. Clinton Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  54. ^ "II. Secretaries of Defense" (PDF). Washington Headquarters Services – Pentagon Digital Library. p. 10. Sworn in as secretary of defense on 3 February 1994 and served until 24 January 1997.


  55. ^ "William S. Cohen – William J. Clinton Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  56. ^ "Donald H. Rumsfeld – George W. Bush Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  57. ^ "Robert M. Gates – George W. Bush / Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  58. ^ "Leon E. Panetta – Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  59. ^ "Chuck Hagel – Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  60. ^ "Ashton B. Carter – Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  61. ^ "James N. Mattis – Donald Trump Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.


  62. ^ "PN583 — Patrick M. Shanahan — Department of Defense". United States Congress. July 18, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2019.


  63. ^ 3 U.S.C. § 19.



Sources


Federal law



  • Title 10 of the United States Code

  • Title 50 of the United States Code



Directives, regulations and manuals




  • Department of Defense Directive 5100.1: Functions of the Department of Defense and Its Major Components (PDF). Department of Defense Directive. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. December 21, 2010.


  • Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 1: Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: General Information, Medal of Honor, and Defense/Joint Decorations and Awards (PDF). Department of Defense Manual. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. March 7, 2013.


  • Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 2: Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: General Information, Medal of Honor, and Defense/Joint Decorations and Awards (PDF). Department of Defense Manual. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. May 31, 2013.


  • Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 3: Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: General Information, Medal of Honor, and Defense/Joint Decorations and Awards (PDF). Department of Defense Manual. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. November 23, 2010.


  • Joint Publication 1 – Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States (PDF). Joint Publications. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. March 25, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 27, 2011.


  • Joint Publication 1-04 – Legal Support to Military Operations (PDF). Joint Publications. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. August 17, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 13, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.


Further reading




  • Cohen, Eliot A. (2003). Supreme Command: soldiers, statesmen and leadership in wartime. New York: Anchor Books. ISBN 978-1-4000-3404-8.


  • Cole, Alice C.; Goldberg, Alfred; Tucker, Samuel A.; et al., eds. (1978). The Department of Defense: Documents on Establishment and Organization 1944–1978 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense/U.S. Government Printing Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2014.


  • Huntington, Samuel P. (1957). The Soldier and the State. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-81736-2.


  • King, Archibald (1960) [1949]. Command of the Army (PDF). Military Affairs. Charlottesville, Virginia: The Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army.

  • Mahan, Erin R., and Jeffrey A. Larsen, eds. (2012) "Evolution of the Secretary of Defense in the Era of Massive Retaliation: Charles Wilson, Neil McElroy, and Thomas Gates, 1953–1961," Cold War Foreign Policy Series: Special Study 3 (September 2012), vii–41.


  • Stevenson, Charles A. (2006). SECDEF: the nearly impossible job of Secretary of Defense. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books. ISBN 1-57488-794-7.


  • Trask, Roger R.; Goldberg, Alfred (1997). The Department of Defense 1997-1947: Organization and Leaders (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense/U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0-16-049163-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2014.


  • Department of Defense Key Officials September 1947 – February 2019 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense. January 30, 2019.


Primary historical sources




  • Cheney, Dick; Cheney, Liz (2011). In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-7619-1.


  • Rumsfeld, Donald (2011). Known and Unknown: A Memoir. New York: Sentinel. ISBN 978-1-59523-067-6.


Online sources



  • "Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 Functions of the Department of Defense and Its Major Components". Office of the Secretary Defense, Director of Administration and Management, Directorate for Organizational & Management Planning. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.

External links







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