United States Secretaries of Defense

United States Secretaries of Defense
Name	United States Secretaries of Defense
Department	United States Department of Defense
Style	Mr. Secretary
Member of	United States Cabinet, National Security Council
Reports to	President of the United States
Seat	The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia
Appointer	President of the United States
Appointer qualifications	with United States Senate advice and consent
Formation	National Security Act of 1947
First	James Forrestal
Deputy	Deputy Secretary of Defense

United States Secretaries of Defense lead the United States Department of Defense as principal civilian defense officials and serve as primary defense advisers to the President of the United States and members of the United States Cabinet. The office, created by the National Security Act of 1947, succeeded the Secretary of War and consolidated authority over United States Army, United States Navy, and later the United States Air Force. Secretaries have shaped policy during crises including the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, Kosovo War, War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and the Iraq War.

History and Establishment

The office was established by the National Security Act of 1947 alongside the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, and the United States Air Force, succeeding roles such as the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy. Early incumbents like James Forrestal navigated post-World War II demobilization and the onset of the Cold War, interacting with institutions such as the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the United Nations. During the Korean War and Vietnam War the office interfaced extensively with the Department of State, the Central Intelligence Agency, and congressional committees including the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee on force structure, procurement, and strategy. Reforms such as the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 modified civil-military relations and clarified operational chains between the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and combatant commands like United States Central Command and United States European Command.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Secretary serves as the principal defense policy advisor to the President of the United States and is a statutory member of the National Security Council and the United States Cabinet. Responsibilities include oversight of the United States Armed Forces components—United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Air Force, and United States Space Force—and management of the Defence acquisition process, interactions with the Defense Logistics Agency, and coordination with combatant commands such as United States Indo-Pacific Command. The Secretary oversees budget submissions to the United States Congress, testifies before the Congressional Budget Office and congressional committees including the Senate Appropriations Committee, implements statutes like the Armed Forces Procurement Act (historical examples), and enforces policies derived from the National Security Strategy and Quadrennial Defense Review. The Secretary also works with agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Department of Energy on issues including nuclear enterprise stewardship tied to National Nuclear Security Administration responsibilities and treaties like the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Appointment and Confirmation Process

The Secretary is nominated by the President of the United States and must be confirmed by the United States Senate under advice and consent provisions enshrined in the United States Constitution. Nominees typically undergo hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee and may face questions regarding prior service with institutions like the Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, or private sector contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon Technologies. Legal considerations include statutory waivers for recent United States Armed Forces retirees seeking appointment, as in the case of General James Mattis whose appointment required congressional relief. The confirmation process involves scrutiny by interest groups including veteran organizations such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and oversight by inspectors general like the Department of Defense Inspector General.

List of Secretaries by Administration

Secretaries have served under presidents from Harry S. Truman to Joe Biden, with notable transitions during administrations such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Early holders included James Forrestal, George C. Marshall, Robert A. Lovett, and Louis A. Johnson; Cold War-era figures include Charles Erwin Wilson, Neil H. McElroy, and Melvin Laird; late 20th-century and early 21st-century Secretaries include Caspar Weinberger, Frank C. Carlucci, Dick Cheney, William Cohen, William S. Cohen, Les Aspin, William Perry, William J. Perry, William J. Clinton administration? (note: please consult canonical lists), Donald Rumsfeld, Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, Ash Carter, Jim Mattis, Mark Esper, Lloyd Austin, among others. These officials engaged with events such as the Tet Offensive, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, NATO intervention in Libya, and policy frameworks like the Bush Doctrine and the Obama administration's Afghanistan strategy.

Notable Secretaries and Major Policies

Several Secretaries are associated with landmark policies: Robert S. McNamara with organizational reforms and the Vietnam War era escalation; Caspar Weinberger with the Reagan administration military buildup and Operation Urgent Fury; Dick Cheney for influence on force posture debates preceding the Gulf War; Donald Rumsfeld for transformation initiatives and the prosecution of the Iraq War and counterinsurgency adaptations; Robert Gates for continuity across George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations and drawdown policies; Leon Panetta for leadership during the Death of Osama bin Laden operation overseen by United States Special Operations Command; Ash Carter for technology modernization including cyber policy linked to United States Cyber Command; and Lloyd Austin for oversight during ongoing War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) transitions and engagements with partners such as NATO and United Nations missions. Secretaries have steered acquisition programs such as the F-35 Lightning II and operations involving platforms from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) to Virginia-class submarine programs.

Office of the Secretary and Organizational Structure

The Office of the Secretary of Defense comprises officials such as the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and the General Counsel of the Department of Defense. The Secretary coordinates with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and interacts with combatant commanders leading organizations like United States European Command, United States Central Command, and United States Africa Command. Staff offices include the Defense Intelligence Agency liaison, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and entities such as the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. The organizational structure is influenced by statute, including the Goldwater–Nichols Act, and operational guidance from documents like the Unified Command Plan.

Succession, Acting Secretaries, and Vacancies

Succession is governed by statute and executive orders specifying an order including the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Secretaries of the Military Departments, and designated officials in the Office of the Secretary, consistent with laws governing vacancies such as the Vacancies Reform Act. Acting Secretaries have included officials appointed under the Presidential Succession Act and temporary appointees confirmed or designated, affecting continuity during transitions between administrations like those of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. Prolonged vacancies have led to reliance on acting officials and have prompted congressional attention via hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee and legislative proposals to clarify transition procedures.

Category:United States Department of Defense