United States Secretary of Defense

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The United States Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) is the civilian official with direct authority over all the military and civilian personnel of the United States Department of Defense, from the creation of that departent, in 1947.[1]

Originally, the United States had a separate Secretary of War and Secretary of the Navy, heading separate cabinet-level departments.

With the passage of the National Security Act of 1947, the Department superseded the War Department and Department of the Navy.[2] This Act created the Office of the Secretary of Defense, moved the heads of the War and Navy Departments to rank equivalent to Assistant Secretary of Defense, and created a Secretary of the Air Force.

On September 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, renaming the official to "Secretary of War".[1] The New York Times pointed out that only the Congress has the authority to officially rename the position.[3] It pointed out that the nominal renaming confused allies.

As of February 2026 Pete Hegseth is the current Secretary.[3]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Erica L. Green. Trump to Sign Order Renaming the Defense Department as the Department of War, The New York Times, 2025-09-04. “President Trump will sign an executive order on Friday renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, the White House said, fulfilling the president’s pledge to realign the mission of the armed forces by reverting to a name used for over 150 years until shortly after World War II.”
2. ↑ National Security Act of 1947. Retrieved on 2026-02-10
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Erica L. Green. President of Peace, Department of War. A New Name Sends Mixed Signals., The New York Times, 2025-09-06.