United States Deputy Secretary of Defense

Second highest-ranking DoD official

United States Deputy Secretary of Defense

Seal of the Department

Flag of the Deputy Secretary

Incumbent
Kathleen Hicks

since February 8, 2021

Department of Defense
Office of the Secretary
Style| Madam Deputy Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
Status| Chief operating officer
Reports to| Secretary
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. § 132
Formation| 1949[1]
First holder| Stephen Early[1]
May 2, 1949
Succession| 1st in SecDef succession
Salary| Executive Schedule, level II[2]
Website| www.defense.gov

The deputy secretary of defense (acronym: DepSecDef) is a statutory office (10 U.S.C. § 132) and the second-highest-ranking official in the Department of Defense of the United States of America.

The deputy secretary is the principal civilian deputy to the secretary of defense, and is appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The deputy secretary, by statute, is designated as the DoD chief management officer and must be a civilian, at least seven years removed from service as a commissioned officer on active-duty at the date of appointment.[3]

The current deputy secretary of defense is Kathleen Hicks, effective February 8, 2021. Hicks is the first woman to serve in this role.

## History

[edit]

Public Law 81–36, April 2, 1949, originally established this position as the under secretary of defense, however Public Law 81-2 16, August 10, 1949, a.k.a. the 1949 Amendments to the National Security Act of 1947, changed the title to deputy secretary of defense. Former assistant to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Stephen Early, became the first officer holder when he was sworn in on May 2, 1949.[1]

Public Law 92-596, October 27, 1972, established a second deputy secretary of defense position, with both deputies performing duties as prescribed by the secretary of defense. The second deputy position was not filled until December 1975. Robert Ellsworth, serving from December 23, 1975, until January 10, 1977, was the only one to ever hold that office. Public Law 95-140, October 21, 1977, established two Under Secretaries of Defense and abolished the second deputy position.[1]

## Responsibilities

[edit]

By delegation, the deputy secretary of defense has full power and authority to act for the secretary of defense and to exercise the powers of the secretary of defense on any and all matters for which the secretary is authorized to act pursuant to statute or executive order.[1] The deputy secretary is first in the line of succession to the secretary of defense.

The typical role of the deputy secretary of defense is to oversee the day-to-day business and lead the internal management processes of the $500-billion-plus Department of Defense budget, that is as its chief operating officer; while the secretary of defense as the chief executive officer focuses on the big issues of the day, ongoing military operations, high-profile congressional hearings, attending meetings of the National Security Council, and directly advising the president on defense issues.

Prior to February 1, 2018, the deputy secretary of defense also served as the department's chief management officer, to whom the deputy chief management officer reported, but those responsibilities were split into a new chief management officer of the Department of Defense position (disestablished on 1 January 2021).[4]

The deputy secretary, among the office's many responsibilities, chairs the Senior Level Review Group (SLRG), before 2005 known as Defense Resources Board (DRB), which provides department-wide budgetary allocation recommendations to the Secretary and the President. Traditionally, the deputy secretary has been the civilian official guiding the process of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR).

The deputy secretary of defense chairs the Special Access Program Oversight Committee (SAPOC), which has oversight responsibilities and provides recommendations with respect to changes in status of the Department's Special Access Programs, for either the deputy secretary defense or the secretary of defense to make.

As James Mattis was selecting officials as Donald Trumps first Secretary of Defense, Michèle Flournoy talked with Trump-affiliated officials about joining as deputy secretary. She did not in the end do so.

## List of deputy secretaries of defense

[edit]

No.  | Image  | Name  | Term of office  | Serving under
Secretaries of Defense | Appointed by
President

|
|
|
|
|

Began  | Ended  | Time in office
1  |  | Stephen Early | May 2, 1949
August 10, 1949[1] | August 9, 1949[a]
September 30, 1950[b][1] | 1 year, 151 days  | Louis A. Johnson
George C. Marshall | Harry S. Truman
2  |  | Robert A. Lovett | October 4, 1950  | September 16, 1951  | 316 days  | George C. Marshall
3  |  | William Chapman Foster | September 24, 1951  | January 20, 1953  | 1 year, 118 days  | Robert A. Lovett
4  |  | Roger M. Kyes | February 2, 1953  | May 1, 1954  | 1 year, 88 days  | Charles Erwin Wilson | Dwight D. Eisenhower
5  |  | Robert B. Anderson | May 3, 1954  | August 4, 1955  | 1 year, 93 days
6  |  | Reuben B. Robertson Jr. | August 5, 1955  | April 25, 1957  | 1 year, 263 days
7  |  | Donald A. Quarles | May 1, 1957  | May 8, 1959  | 2 years, 7 days  | Charles Erwin Wilson
Neil H. McElroy
8  |  | Thomas S. Gates Jr. | June 8, 1959  | December 1, 1959  | 176 days  | Neil H. McElroy
9  |  | James H. Douglas Jr. | December 11, 1959  | January 24, 1961  | 1 year, 44 days  | Thomas S. Gates Jr.
Robert McNamara
10  |  | Roswell Gilpatric | January 24, 1961  | January 20, 1964  | 2 years, 361 days  | Robert McNamara | John F. Kennedy
11  |  | Cyrus Vance | January 28, 1964  | June 30, 1967  | 3 years, 153 days  | Lyndon B. Johnson
12  |  | Paul Nitze | July 1, 1967  | January 20, 1969  | 1 year, 203 days  | Robert McNamara
Clark Clifford
13  |  | David Packard | January 24, 1969  | December 13, 1971  | 2 years, 323 days  | Melvin Laird | Richard Nixon
14  |  | Kenneth Rush | February 23, 1972  | January 29, 1973  | 341 days
15  |  | Bill Clements | January 30, 1973  | January 20, 1977  | 3 years, 356 days  | Elliot Richardson
James R. Schlesinger
Donald Rumsfeld
16  |  | Robert Ellsworth | December 23, 1975[5] | January 10, 1977[5] | 1 year, 18 days  | Donald Rumsfeld | Gerald Ford
17  |  | Charles Duncan Jr. | January 31, 1977  | July 26, 1979  | 2 years, 176 days  | Harold Brown | Jimmy Carter
18  |  | W. Graham Claytor Jr. | August 24, 1979  | January 16, 1981  | 1 year, 145 days
19  |  | Frank Carlucci | February 4, 1981  | December 31, 1982  | 1 year, 330 days  | Caspar Weinberger | Ronald Reagan
20  |  | W. Paul Thayer | January 12, 1983  | January 4, 1984  | 357 days
21  |  | William Howard Taft IV | February 3, 1984  | April 22, 1989  | 5 years, 78 days  | Caspar Weinberger
Frank Carlucci
Dick Cheney
22  |  | Donald J. Atwood Jr. | April 24, 1989  | January 20, 1993  | 3 years, 271 days  | Dick Cheney | George H. W. Bush
23  |  | William Perry | March 5, 1993  | February 3, 1994  | 335 days  | Les Aspin | Bill Clinton
24  |  | John M. Deutch | March 11, 1994  | May 10, 1995  | 1 year, 60 days  | William Perry
25  |  | John P. White | June 22, 1995  | July 15, 1997  | 2 years, 23 days  | William Perry
William Cohen
26  |  | John Hamre | July 29, 1997  | March 31, 2000  | 2 years, 246 days  | William Cohen
27  |  | Rudy de Leon | March 31, 2000[6] | March 1, 2001[6] | 335 days  | William Cohen
Donald Rumsfeld
28  |  | Paul Wolfowitz | March 2, 2001[7] | May 13, 2005[7] | 4 years, 72 days  | Donald Rumsfeld | George W. Bush
29  |  | Gordon R. England | May 13, 2005
January 4, 2006[7] | January 3, 2006[c]
February 11, 2009[7] | 236 days
1134  | Donald Rumsfeld
Robert Gates
30  |  | William J. Lynn III | February 12, 2009[7] | October 5, 2011[7] | 2 years, 235 days  | Robert Gates
Leon Panetta | Barack Obama
31  |  | Ash Carter | October 6, 2011[7] | December 4, 2013[7] | 2 years, 58 days  | Leon Panetta
Chuck Hagel
—  |  | Christine Fox
Acting | December 5, 2013[7] | May 1, 2014[7] | 149  | Chuck Hagel
32  |  | Robert O. Work | May 1, 2014  | July 14, 2017  | 3 years, 74 days  | Chuck Hagel
Ash Carter
Jim Mattis
33  |  | Patrick M. Shanahan | July 19, 2017  | June 23, 2019[8] | 1 year, 339 days  | Jim Mattis
Himself (acting)  | Donald Trump
—  |  | David Norquist
Acting | January 1, 2019  | July 23, 2019  | 203 days  | Patrick M. Shanahan (acting)
Mark Esper (acting)
Richard V. Spencer (acting)
—  |  | Richard V. Spencer
Acting | July 23, 2019  | July 31, 2019  | 8 days  | Mark Esper
34  |  | David Norquist | July 31, 2019  | February 8, 2021  | 1 year, 192 days  | Mark Esper
Lloyd Austin
35  |  | Kathleen Hicks | February 8, 2021  | Incumbent | 3 years, 324 days  | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden

## See also

[edit]

* Defense Acquisition Board
* Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee
* Deputy's Advisory Working Group, a panel chaired by the deputy secretary of defense
* Packard Commission

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ As "Under Secretary of Defense"
2. ^ As "Deputy Secretary of Defense"
3. ^ Served as Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense

## References

[edit]

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Department of Defense Key Officials 1947–2015: p. 15.
2. ^ 5 U.S.C. § 5313.
3. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 132.
4. ^ "Report to Congress: Restructuring the Department of Defense Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Organization and Chief Management Officer Organization" (PDF). August 1, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
5. ^ a b Department of Defense Key Officials 1947–2015: p. 16.
6. ^ a b Department of Defense Key Officials 1947–2015: p. 17.
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Department of Defense Key Officials 1947–2015: p. 18.
8. ^ "Acting Secretary of Defense will Resign as Deputy Secretary of Defense". United States Department of Defense. June 18, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.

### Sources

[edit]

* 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2011.
* Department of Defense Key Officials 1947–2015 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Office of the Secretary of Defense, Historical Office. 2015.
* deputy secretary of defense position profile at Prunes Online

## External links

[edit]

* defense.gov

Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

United States Deputy Secretaries of Defense

* Early
* Lovett
* Foster
* Kyes
* Anderson
* Robertson
* Quarles
* Gates
* Douglas
* Gilpatric
* Vance
* Nitze
* Packard
* Rush
* Clements
* Ellsworth
* Duncan
* Claytor
* Carlucci
* Thayer
* Taft
* Atwood
* Perry
* Deutch
* White
* Hamre
* de Leon
* Wolfowitz
* England
* Lynn
* Carter
* Work
* Shanahan
* Norquist
* Hicks

* v
* t
* e

Senior officials in the United States Department of Defense

Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin

Deputy Secretary of Defense
Kathleen Hicks

Secretaries of the Military Departments

Secretary of the Army: Christine Wormuth
Secretary of the Navy: Carlos Del Toro
Secretary of the Air Force: Frank Kendall III

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Gen Charles Q. Brown Jr., USAF

Under Secretaries of Defense for

Acquisition and Sustainment: William A. LaPlante
Research and Engineering: Heidi Shyu
Policy: Amanda J. Dory (acting)
Comptroller/Chief Financial Officer: Michael J. McCord
Personnel and Readiness: Ashish Vazirani (acting)
Intelligence: Milancy Harris (acting)

Under Secretaries of the Military Departments

Under Secretary of the Army: Gabe Camarillo
Under Secretary of the Navy: Thomas Mancinelli (acting)
Under Secretary of the Air Force: Melissa Dalton

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
ADM Christopher W. Grady, USN

Chiefs of the Military Services

Chief of Staff of the Army: GEN Randy A. George
Commandant of the Marine Corps: Gen Eric M. Smith
Chief of Naval Operations: ADM Lisa M. Franchetti
Chief of Staff of the Air Force: Gen David W. Allvin
Chief of Space Operations: Gen B. Chance Saltzman

Chief of the National Guard Bureau
Gen Steven S. Nordhaus, USAF

Unified Combatant Command Commanders

Africa: Gen Michael E. Langley, USMC
Central: GEN Michael E. Kurilla, USA
Cyber: Gen Timothy D. Haugh, USAF
European: GEN Christopher G. Cavoli, USA
Indo-Pacific: ADM Samuel J. Paparo Jr., USN
Northern: Gen Gregory M. Guillot, USAF
Southern: ADM Alvin Holsey, USN
Space: Gen Stephen N. Whiting, USSF
Special Operations: GEN Bryan P. Fenton, USA
Strategic: Gen Anthony J. Cotton, USAF
Transportation: Gen Randall Reed, USAF

a \- Acting

* v
* t
* e

United States Department of Defense

* Headquarters: The Pentagon

* Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense
* Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense

Office of the Secretary of Defense
(including defense agencies and DoD field activities)

| Deputy Secretary of Defense|

* Deputy's Advisory Working Group
* Office of Net Assessment
* Special Access Program Oversight Committee

|

Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition and Sustainment|

* Defense Contract Management Agency
* Defense Logistics Agency
* Defense Threat Reduction Agency
* Office of Economic Adjustment
* Defense Acquisition University
* Defense Acquisition Board
* Defense Microelectronics Activity

Under Secretary of Defense
for Research and Engineering|

* Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
* Defense Innovation Unit
* Defense Technical Information Center
* Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center
* Missile Defense Agency

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy|

* Defense Security Cooperation Agency
* Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
* Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee

Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)|

* Defense Contract Audit Agency
* Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Under Secretary of Defense
for Personnel and Readiness|

* Defense Commissary Agency
* Department of Defense Education Activity
* Defense Human Resources Activity
* Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
* Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute
* Defense Travel Management Office
* Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service
* Defense Health Agency
* Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Under Secretary of Defense
for Intelligence|

* Defense Intelligence Agency
* Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
* Defense Information Systems Agency (White House Communications Agency)
* National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
* National Reconnaissance Office
* National Security Agency/Central Security Service (Director/Chief)

Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs|

* Defense Media Activity (American Forces Press Service, American Forces Radio and Television Service, Stars and Stripes, The Pentagon Channel)

General Counsel of the Department of Defense|

* Defense Legal Services Agency (Office of Military Commissions)

Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense|

* Pentagon Force Protection Agency
* Washington Headquarters Services (White House Military Office)

Military Departments

| Department of the Army|

* Secretary of the Army
The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Army
* Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology
* Assistant Secretary for Civil Works
* Assistant Secretary (Financial Management and Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment
* Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
* General Counsel of the Army
* The Administrative Assistant
The Army Staff: Chief of Staff of the Army
* Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
* Sergeant Major of the Army
* Deputy Chief of Staff G-8
* Chief of Chaplains
* Judge Advocate General
* Provost Marshal General
* Surgeon General
U.S. Army field organizations: see Structure of the United States Army

|

Department of the Navy|

* Secretary of the Navy
The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Navy
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisitions)
* General Counsel of the Navy
* Judge Advocate General
* Naval Criminal Investigative Service
* Naval Inspector General
Headquarters Marine Corps: Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
* Chaplain
U.S. Marine Corps field organizations: see Organization of the United States Marine Corps
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations: Chief of Naval Operations
* Vice Chief of Naval Operations
* Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
* Director of Naval Reactors
* Chief of Chaplains
* Chief of Naval Personnel
* Surgeon General
United States Navy field organizations: see Structure of the United States Navy

Department of the Air Force|

* Secretary of the Air Force
The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Air Force
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management & Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment & Logistics)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
* General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force
* Air Force Office of Special Investigations
The Air Staff: Chief of Staff of the Air Force
* Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force
* Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
* Chief of Chaplains
* Chief of Safety
* Chief Scientist
* Judge Advocate General
* Surgeon General
U.S. Air Force field organizations: Major Commands
* Direct Reporting Units
* Field Operating Agencies
Space Staff: Chief of Space Operations
* United States Space Force field organizations

Joint Chiefs of Staff

* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
* Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
* Joint Requirements Oversight Council
* Director of the Joint Staff
* Joint Staff
* National Military Command Center
* Alternate National Military Command Center
* National Defense University
* Joint Personnel Recovery Agency

Combatant Commands

* Africa Command
* Central Command
* European Command
* Northern Command
* Indo-Pacific Command
* Southern Command
* Space Command
* Cyber Command
* Special Operations Command
* Strategic Command
* Transportation Command

National Guard Bureau

* Chief of the National Guard Bureau
* Air National Guard
* Army National Guard

Office of the Inspector General

* Defense Criminal Investigative Service

* v
* t
* e

United States Armed Forces

Legend
A = Army
MC = Marine Corps
N = Navy
AF = Air Force
SF = Space Force
CG = Coast Guard

Leadership|

* President of the United States
* Secretary of Defense
* Deputy Secretary of Defense
* Secretary of Homeland Security
* Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
* Joint Chiefs of Staff:
* Chairman
* Vice Chairman
* Committees on Armed Services
* Senate
* House
* Active duty four-star officers
* Active duty three-star officers
* United States military seniority
* National Security Act of 1947
* Goldwater–Nichols Act

Components|

| Military departments|

* Department of Defense
* Secretary
* Department of the Army
* Secretary
* Department of the Navy
* Secretary
* Department of the Air Force
* Secretary
* Department of Homeland Security
* Secretary

|

Service branches and heads|

* Chief of Staff of the United States Army
* Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Chief of Naval Operations
* Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
* Chief of Space Operations
* Commandant of the Coast Guard

Reserve components|

* Reserves:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG
* National Guard:
* A
* AF

Civilian auxiliaries|

* Military Auxiliary Radio System
* Marine Corps Cyber Auxiliary
* Merchant Marine
* Civil Air Patrol
* Coast Guard Auxiliary

Unified combatant command|

* Africa
* Central
* European
* Indo-Pacific
* Northern
* Southern
* Space
* Cyber
* Special Operations
* Strategic
* Transportation

Structure|

* United States Code
* Title 10
* Title 14
* Title 32
* Title 50
* The Pentagon
* Installations
* Units:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Logistics
* Media
* Unit mottoes

Operations
and history|

* Budget
* Current deployments
* Conflicts
* Wars
* Civil affairs

History|

* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Timeline|

* Colonial
* World War II

Demographics|

* African Americans
* Asian Americans
* Buddhist Americans
* Jewish Americans
* Muslim Americans
* Sikh Americans
* Hispanic Americans
* Civil War
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Marine Corps
* Navy
* Academy

History centers|

* Army Center of Military History
* Marine Corps History Division
* Naval History and Heritage Command
* Air Force Historical Research Agency

War artists|

* Army Art Program
* Air Force Art Program

Personnel|

| Training|

* Service academies:
* A (prep)
* MC/N (prep)
* AF/SF (prep)
* CG
* Merchant Marine
* ROTC
* A
* MC/N
* AF/SF
* Officer candidate/training school:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF/SF
* Warrant officer:
* A
* MEPS
* ASVAB
* The Basic School (MC)
* Enlisted recruit training:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF/SF
* CG
* Other education

|

Uniforms|

* Uniforms:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* Awards & decorations:
* Inter-service
* A
* MC/N
* AF/SF
* CG
* Foreign
* International
* Devices
* Badges:
* Identification
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Ranks|

* Officer:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Warrant officers
* Enlisted:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Other|

* Oath:
* Enlistment
* Officer
* Creeds & Codes:
* Code of Conduct
* NCO
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG
* Service numbers:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG
* Military Occupational Specialty/Rating/Air Force Specialty Code
* Pay
* Uniform Code of Military Justice
* Judge Advocate General's Corps
* Military Health System/Tricare
* Separation
* Veterans Affairs
* Conscription
* Chiefs of Chaplains:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG

Equipment|

* A (Designations)
* MC:
* vehicles
* weapons
* other
* N
* AF
* CG

| Land|

* Individual weapons
* Crew-served weapons
* Vehicles (active)

|

Sea|

* All watercraft
* Ships:
* A
* N
* active
* future
* AF
* CG
* MSC
* Weapons:
* N
* Reactors

Air|

* Aircraft
* World War I
* active
* future
* Aircraft designation
* Helicopter arms

Other|

* WWII equipment
* Nuclear football
* Electronics (designations)
* Flags:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Ensign
* Jack
* Guidons
* Food
* WMDs:
* Nuclear
* Biological
* Chemical

* Category
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Navboxes
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

* v
* t
* e

Deputy leaders of the United States federal executive departments

Current|

* Agriculture
* Commerce
* Defense
* Education
* Energy
* Health and Human Services
* Homeland Security
* Housing and Urban Development
* Interior
* Justice
* Labor
* State
* Transportation
* Treasury
* Veterans Affairs

Past|

* Commerce and Labor
* Health, Education, and Welfare
* Navy
* Post Office
* War

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