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The '''[[United States]] Secretary of [[Defense (military)|Defense]]''' ('''SECDEF''') is the head of the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]] (DoD), concerned with the [[Military of the United States|armed services]] and [[Military of the United States|military matters]]. The role of the Secretary of Defense is to be the principal defense policy advisor to the [[President of the United States|President]] and is responsible for the formulation of general defense policy and policy related to all matters of direct and primary concern to the DoD, and for the execution of approved policy[http://www.dod.mil/odam/omp/pubs/GuideBook/DoD.htm#Secretary%20of%20Defense]. The Secretary is appointed by the [[President of the United States|President]] by and with the approval of the [[United States Senate|Senate]], and is a member of the [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]]. By statute the secretary must be a civilian who has not served in the active component of the [[Military of the United States|armed forces]] for at least 10 years (10 [[United States Code|USC]] Sec. 113 - Note that [[United States Congress|Congress]] had passed a law to allow [[George Marshall]] to be appointed in 1950 despite having only been a civilian since 1945). The Secretary of Defense is sixth in the [[United States presidential line of succession|presidential line of succession]].
The '''[[United States]] Secretary of [[Defense (military)|Defense]]''' ('''SECDEF''') is the head of the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]] (DoD), concerned with the [[Military of the United States|armed services]] and [[Military of the United States|military matters]]. The role of the Secretary of Defense is to be the principal defense policy advisor to the [[President of the United States|President]] and is responsible for the formulation of general defense policy and policy related to all matters of direct and primary concern to the DoD, and for the execution of approved ihasabucket noooo
they be stealin my bucket
policy[http://www.dod.mil/odam/omp/pubs/GuideBook/DoD.htm#Secretary%20of%20Defense]. The Secretary is appointed by the [[President of the United States|President]] by and with the approval of the [[United States Senate|Senate]], and is a member of the [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]]. By statute the secretary must be a civilian who has not served in the active component of the [[Military of the United States|armed forces]] for at least 10 years (10 [[United States Code|USC]] Sec. 113 - Note that [[United States Congress|Congress]] had passed a law to allow [[George Marshall]] to be appointed in 1950 despite having only been a civilian since 1945). The Secretary of Defense is sixth in the [[United States presidential line of succession|presidential line of succession]].


==History==
==History==

Revision as of 18:59, 12 May 2008

United States Secretary of Defense

Official seal
Incumbent:
Robert Gates
First:
James Forrestal
Formation:
September 17, 1947
Presidential Line of Succession:
Sixth

The United States Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) is the head of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), concerned with the armed services and military matters. The role of the Secretary of Defense is to be the principal defense policy advisor to the President and is responsible for the formulation of general defense policy and policy related to all matters of direct and primary concern to the DoD, and for the execution of approved ihasabucket noooo they be stealin my bucket policy[1]. The Secretary is appointed by the President by and with the approval of the Senate, and is a member of the Cabinet. By statute the secretary must be a civilian who has not served in the active component of the armed forces for at least 10 years (10 USC Sec. 113 - Note that Congress had passed a law to allow George Marshall to be appointed in 1950 despite having only been a civilian since 1945). The Secretary of Defense is sixth in the presidential line of succession.

History

The position was created in 1947 when the Navy, Army, and newly created Air Force were merged into the new National Military Establishment. In the same massive reorganization, the Secretary of War was replaced by the Secretary of the Army and, along with the Secretary of the Navy and the new Secretary of the Air Force, became a non-Cabinet position placed under the Secretary of Defense. In 1949, the National Military Establishment was renamed the Department of Defense, which remains the current name of the department.

Organization

Within the U.S. Armed Forces, the Secretary of Defense is often referred to as SecDef.

The SecDef and the President together constitute the National Command Authority (NCA), which has sole authority to launch strategic nuclear weapons. All nuclear weapons are governed by the two-man rule, even at the highest levels in government. Both individuals must concur before a strategic nuclear strike may be ordered.

The SecDef, as the head of the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense, is assisted by a Deputy Secretary and five Under Secretaries in the fields of Acquisition, Technology & Logistics; Comptroller/Chief Financial Officer; Intelligence; Personnel & Readiness; and arguably the most important, Policy. All of these positions require Senate confirmation.

The Secretary of Defense also supervises the six members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commanders of the ten Combatant Commands.

Along with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense is generally regarded as one of the "Big Four" important cabinet officials.

List of Secretaries of Defense

# Picture Name Term of Office President(s) served under
Start End
1 James Forrestal James Vincent Forrestal September 17, 1947 March 28, 1949 Harry S. Truman
2 Louis A. Johnson Louis Arthur Johnson March 28, 1949 September 19, 1950 Harry S. Truman
3 George C. Marshall General George Catlett Marshall, Jr. September 21, 1950 September 12, 1951 Harry S. Truman
4 Robert A. Lovett Robert Abercrombie Lovett September 17, 1951 January 20, 1953 Harry S. Truman
5 Charles E. Wilson Charles Erwin Wilson January 28, 1953 October 8, 1957 Dwight D. Eisenhower
6 Neil H. McElroy Neil Hosler McElroy October 9, 1957 December 1, 1959 Dwight D. Eisenhower
7 Thomas S. Gates Thomas Sovereign Gates December 2, 1959 January 20, 1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower
8 Robert McNamara Robert Strange McNamara January 21, 1961 February 29, 1968 John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
9 Clark M. Clifford Clark McAdams Clifford March 1, 1968 January 20, 1969 Lyndon B. Johnson
10 Melvin R. Laird Melvin Robert Laird January 22, 1969 January 29, 1973 Richard Nixon
11 Elliot L. Richardson Elliot Lee Richardson January 30, 1973 May 24, 1973 Richard Nixon
12 Schlesinger James Rodney Schlesinger July 2, 1973 November 19, 1975 Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford
13 Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld November 20, 1975 January 20, 1977 Gerald Ford
14 Harold Brown Harold Brown January 21, 1977 January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter
15 Caspar W. Weinberger Caspar Willard Weinberger January 21, 1981 November 23, 1987 Ronald Reagan
16 Carlucci Frank Charles Carlucci III November 23, 1987 January 20, 1989 Ronald Reagan
17 Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney March 21, 1989 January 20, 1993 George H. W. Bush
18 Les Aspin Leslie Aspin, Jr. January 21, 1993 February 3, 1994 Bill Clinton
19 William J. Perry William James Perry February 3, 1994 January 24, 1997 Bill Clinton
20 William S. Cohen William Sebastian Cohen January 24, 1997 January 20, 2001 Bill Clinton
21 Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld January 20, 2001 December 18, 2006 George W. Bush
22 Gates Robert Michael Gates December 18, 2006 Incumbent George W. Bush

Line of succession

In an Executive Order of December 22, 2005, President George W. Bush modified the line of succession regarding who would act as Secretary of Defense in the event of a vacancy or incapacitation as follows:

  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 Deputy

Trivia

Despite being second only to the President in military affairs, the position has only once being held by a professional General.

References

  • "Histories of the Secretaries of Defense". U.S. Department of Defense. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  • "Executive Order: Providing An Order of Succession Within the Department of Defense". Office of the Press Secretary. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  • "The Department of Defense Organizational Structure". U.S. Department of Defense. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)