Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness
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| Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness | |
|---|---|
| Post | Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness |
| Body | United States Department of Defense |
| Incumbent | Vacant |
| Department | Office of the Secretary of Defense |
| Style | The Honorable |
| Reports to | United States Secretary of Defense |
| Seat | The Pentagon |
| Nominator | President of the United States |
| Appointer | President of the United States with United States Senate advice and consent |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Firstholder | William Perry (acting) |
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness is a civilian office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense responsible for policy oversight of force readiness, readiness reporting, installation resilience, and personnel readiness across the United States Armed Forces, including United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force. The office connects strategic direction from the United States Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council to operational requirements reflected in the National Defense Strategy, the National Military Strategy, and joint readiness assessments used by combatant commanders such as United States Central Command, United States Indo-Pacific Command, and United States European Command.
History
The position evolved from Cold War-era requirements established after World War II and the National Security Act of 1947 to consolidate readiness oversight across emerging services including the United States Space Force successor planning and legacy Air Force readiness programs. During the Vietnam War and later the Gulf War, emphasis on integrated readiness metrics increased, influenced by studies from Rand Corporation, directives from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and congressional oversight by the United States House Committee on Armed Services and the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. Reorganizations associated with the Goldwater-Nichols Act and subsequent Defense Authorization Act cycles repeatedly reshaped the office’s mandate, aligning it with expeditionary demands seen in operations such as Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Responsibilities and Functions
The office formulates policy for force readiness reporting, assessment, and improvement, coordinating metrics across the Joint Staff, Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Health Agency, and service readiness centers. It develops guidance linked to the Defense Readiness Reporting System and cross-references readiness to requirements from the Combatant Commanders and programmatic inputs from the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment. The office engages with interagency partners such as the Department of Homeland Security and international allies represented in forums like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Quadrilateral Security Dialogue to harmonize interoperability standards and mobilization frameworks.
Organizational Structure and Relations
Organizationally, the office sits under the Office of the Secretary of Defense and liaises with the Joint Staff J-1, Joint Staff J-4, and the four service readiness commands including U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Army Forces Command, Air Mobility Command, and Marine Corps Forces Command. It coordinates with the Defense Intelligence Agency for threat-informed readiness postures and with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for civil support missions. The office interacts with congressional staff offices, the Government Accountability Office, and think tanks such as Center for Strategic and International Studies and Brookings Institution for policy evaluations.
Officeholders
Officeholders have typically been senior civilian defense officials confirmed by the United States Senate or appointed in an acting capacity drawn from the Senior Executive Service or former service flag officers. Notable figures occupying adjacent readiness-related posts include William Perry, Les Aspin, Donald Rumsfeld, and Ash Carter in broader Department of Defense leadership roles; specific occupants of this assistant secretary portfolio have been career defense policy specialists, retired generals, and former congressional staffers who bridged operational experience with legislative requirements.
Policies and Initiatives
Key initiatives include development of standardized readiness metrics, integration of maintenance and supply-chain reforms post-Operation Iraqi Freedom, resilience building after lessons from Hurricane Katrina and pandemic-era mobilization tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, and modernization programs aligned with the National Defense Strategy priorities such as pacing challenges posed by People’s Republic of China and threats involving Russian Federation military activities. The office has advanced concepts like predictive maintenance enabled by the Internet of Things and data analytics partnerships with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University.
Budget and Resources
Funding for readiness oversight is drawn from appropriations managed through the Department of Defense Appropriations Act enacted by the United States Congress, with allocations impacting operations and maintenance (O&M), military personnel (MILPERS), and procurement accounts overseen by the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). Budget priorities influence readiness recovery initiatives after major contingency operations, depot maintenance investments with contractors including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and General Dynamics, and cooperative programs with allied defense industries in NATO member states and other partners.
Controversies and Criticism
The office and its programs have faced scrutiny over readiness metrics transparency, disputes during force drawdowns after Operation Enduring Freedom, questions raised by the Government Accountability Office about data quality in reporting systems, and congressional hearings prompted by readiness shortfalls tied to equipment maintenance backlogs and personnel retention challenges cited by service chiefs like General Mark Milley and Admiral John Richardson. Critics from policy centers such as Heritage Foundation and labor organizations have debated the balance between readiness investment and acquisition priorities, while litigation and Inspector General reports have occasionally examined implementation practices.