United States Secretary of Defense

Head of the US Department of Defense

United States Secretary of Defense

Seal of the department[1]

Flag of the secretary[2]

Incumbent
Pete Hegseth

since January 25, 2025

United States Department of Defense
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Style| Mr. Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
Abbreviation| SecDef
Member of| Cabinet
National Security Council
Reports to| President of the United States
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. § 113
Precursor| Secretary of War
Secretary of the Navy
Formation| September 17, 1947 (1947-09-17)
First holder| James Forrestal
Succession| Sixth[3]
Deputy| Deputy Secretary of Defense
Salary| Executive Schedule, level I[4]
Website| defense.gov

The United States secretary of defense (acronym: SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high-ranking member of the federal cabinet.[5][6][7] The secretary of defense's position of command and authority over the military is second only to that of the president of the United States, who is the commander-in-chief. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a defense minister in many other countries.[8] The president appoints the secretary of defense with the advice and consent of the Senate, and is by custom a member of the Cabinet and by law a member of the National Security Council.[9]

To ensure civilian control of the military, U.S. law provides that the secretary of defense cannot have served as an active-duty commissioned officer in the military in the preceding seven years except for generals and admirals, who cannot have served on active duty within the previous ten years. Congress can legislatively waive this restriction[10] and has done so three times, for George C. Marshall Jr., James N. Mattis, and Lloyd J. Austin III.

Subject only to the orders of the president, the secretary of defense is in the chain of command and exercises command and control, for both operational and administrative purposes, over all DoD-administered service branches  – the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force – as well as the Coast Guard when its command and control is transferred to the Department of Defense.[11][12][13][14][15] Only the secretary of defense (or the president or Congress) can authorize the transfer of operational control of forces between the three military departments (Department of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force) and the eleven Unified Combatant Commands.[11] Because the secretary of defense is vested with legal powers that exceed those of any commissioned officer, and is second only to the president in the military hierarchy, its incumbent has sometimes unofficially been referred to as "deputy commander-in-chief".[16][17][18] The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the secretary of defense and the president; while the chairman may assist the secretary and president in their command functions, the chairman is not in the chain of command.[19]

The secretary of state, the secretary of the treasury, the secretary of defense, and the attorney general are generally regarded as the four most important (and are officially the four most senior and oldest) cabinet officials because of the size and importance of their respective departments.[20]

The current secretary of defense is Pete Hegseth, who was nominated by President Donald Trump and was confirmed by the Senate on January 25, 2025.

## History

[edit]

Seal of the National Military Establishment (1947–1949)

An Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were established in 1775, in concurrence with the American Revolution. The War Department, headed by the secretary of war, was created by Act of Congress in 1789 and was responsible for both the Army and Navy until the founding of a separate Department of the Navy in 1798.

Donald Rumsfeld is sworn in as Secretary of Defense by Associate Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart as U.S. President Gerald R. Ford and Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General George S. Brown watch at The Pentagon on November 20, 1975.

Based on the experiences of World War II, proposals were soon made on how to more effectively manage the large combined military establishment. The Army generally favored centralization while the Navy had institutional preferences for decentralization and the status quo. The resulting National Security Act of 1947 was largely a compromise between these divergent viewpoints. It renamed the Department of War the Department of the Army, and added both it and the Department of the Navy to a newly established National Military Establishment (NME). The act also separated the Army Air Forces from the Army to become its own branch of service, the United States Air Force.

A new title was coined by the act for the head of the NME: Secretary of Defense. At first, each of the service secretaries maintained cabinet status. The first secretary of defense, James Forrestal, who in his previous capacity as the secretary of the Navy had opposed the creation of the new position, found it difficult to exercise authority over the other branches with the limited powers his office had at the time. To address this and other problems, the National Security Act was amended in 1949 to further consolidate the national defense structure in order to reduce interservice rivalry, directly subordinate the secretaries of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force to the secretary of defense in the chain of command, and rename the National Military Establishment as the Department of Defense, making it one Executive Department. The position of the deputy secretary of defense, the number two position in the department, was also created at this time.

The general trend since 1949 has been to further centralize management in the Department of Defense, elevating the status and authorities of civilian OSD appointees and defense-wide organizations at the expense of the military departments and the services within them. The last major revision of the statutory framework concerning the position was done in the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. In particular, it elevated the status of joint service for commissioned officers, making it in practice a requirement before appointments to general officer and flag officer grades could be made.

As the secretary of defense is a civilian position intended to be independent of the active-duty leadership, a secretary is required to have been retired from service for at least seven (originally ten) years unless a waiver is approved by Congress.[21] Since the creation of the position in 1947, such a waiver has been approved only three times, for Army general George Marshall in 1950, Marine Corps General Jim Mattis in 2017, and retired Army general Lloyd Austin in 2021.[22][23]

## Powers and functions

[edit]

Main article: Organizational structure of the United States Department of Defense

Department of Defense organizational chart (December 2013)

The secretary of defense, appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate, is by federal law (10 U.S.C. § 113) the head of the Department of Defense, "the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to Department of Defense", and has "authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense". Because the Constitution vests all military authority in Congress and the president, the statutory authority of the secretary of defense is derived from their constitutional authorities. Since it is impractical for either Congress or the president to participate in every piece of Department of Defense affairs, the secretary of defense and the secretary's subordinate officials generally exercise military authority.

As the head of DoD, all officials, employees and service members are "under" the secretary of defense. Some of those high-ranking officials, civil and military (outside of OSD and the Joint Staff) are: the secretary of the Army, secretary of the Navy, and secretary of the Air Force, Army chief of staff, commandant of the Marine Corps, chief of naval operations, Air Force chief of staff, chief of space operations, and chief of the National Guard Bureau and the combatant commanders of the Combatant Commands. All these high-ranking positions, civil and military, require Senate confirmation.

The Department of Defense is composed of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the Joint Staff (JS), Office of the Inspector General (DODIG), the Combatant Commands, the Military Departments (Department of the Army (DA), Department of the Navy (DON) & Department of the Air Force (DAF)), the Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities, the National Guard Bureau (NGB), and such other offices, agencies, activities, organizations, and commands established or designated by law, or by the president or by the secretary of defense.

Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 describes the organizational relationships within the department and is the foundational issuance for delineating the major functions of the department. The latest version, signed by former secretary of defense Robert Gates in December 2010, is the first major re-write since 1987.[24][25]

### Office of the Secretary of Defense

[edit]

Main article: Office of the Secretary of Defense

The secretary's principally civilian staff element is called the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and is composed of the deputy secretary of defense (DEPSECDEF) and six under secretaries of defense in the fields of acquisition & sustainment, research & engineering, comptroller/chief financial officer, intelligence, personnel & readiness, and policy; several assistant secretaries of defense; other directors and the staffs under them. The Secretary of Defense is issuing through the Office of the Secretary of Defense the National Defense Strategy, a major policy document.

The name of the principally military staff organization, organized under the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the Joint Staff (JS).

### Awards and decorations

[edit]

The Defense Distinguished Service Medal (DDSM), the Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM), the Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM) and the Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM) are awarded, to military personnel for service in joint duty assignments, in the name of the secretary of defense. In addition, there is the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA), which is the only ribbon (as in non-medal) and unit award issued to joint DoD activities, also issued in the name of the secretary of defense.

The DDSM is analogous to the distinguished services medals issued by the military departments (i.e. Army Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal & Air Force Distinguished Service Medal), the DSSM corresponds to the Legion of Merit, the DMSM to the Meritorious Service Medal, the JSCM to the service commendation medals, and the JSAM to the achievement medals issued by the services. While the approval authority for DSSM, DMSM, JSCM, JSAM and JMUA is delegated to inferior DoD officials: the DDSM can be awarded only by the secretary of defense.

Recommendations for the Medal of Honor (MOH), formally endorsed in writing by the secretary of the military department concerned and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are processed through the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and such recommendations be must approved by the secretary of defense before it can be handed over to the president, who is the final approval authority for the MOH, although it is awarded in the name of Congress.

The secretary of defense, with the concurrence of the secretary of state, is the approval authority for the acceptance and wear of NATO medals issued by the secretary general of NATO and offered to the U.S. permanent representative to NATO in recognition of U.S. servicemembers who meet the eligibility criteria specified by NATO.[26]

### Congressional committees

[edit]

As the head of the department, the secretary of defense is the chief witness for the congressional committees with oversight responsibilities over the Department of Defense. The most important committees, with respect to the entire department, are the two authorizing committees, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), and the two appropriations committees, the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.

For the DoD intelligence programs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence have the principal oversight role.

### National Security Council

[edit]

The secretary of defense is a statutory member of the National Security Council.[27] As one of the principals, the secretary along with the vice president, secretary of state and the assistant to the president for national security affairs participates in biweekly Principals Committee (PC) meetings, preparing and coordinating issues before they are brought before full NSC sessions chaired by the president.

### Role in the military justice system

[edit]

The secretary is one of only five or six civilians – the others being the president, the three "service secretaries" (the secretary of the Army, secretary of the Navy, and secretary of the Air Force), and the secretary of homeland security (when the United States Coast Guard is under the United States Department of Homeland Security and has not been transferred to the Department of the Navy under the Department of Defense) – authorized to act as convening authority in the military justice system for General Courts-Martial (10 U.S.C. § 822: article 22, UCMJ), Special Courts-Martial (10 U.S.C. § 823: article 23, UCMJ), and Summary Courts-Martial (10 U.S.C. § 824: article 24 UCMJ).

## Salary

[edit]

The secretary of defense is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule,[4] thus earning a salary of US$246,400, as of October 2024.[28]

## List of secretaries of defense

[edit]

The longest-serving secretary of defense is Robert McNamara, who served for a total of 7 years, 39 days. Combining his two non-sequential services as the secretary of defense, the second-longest serving is Donald Rumsfeld, who served just ten days fewer than McNamara. The second-longest unbroken tenure was Caspar Weinberger's, at 6 years, 306 days.

The shortest-serving secretary of defense is Elliot Richardson, who served 114 days and then was appointed U.S. attorney general amid the resignations of the Watergate Scandal. (This is not counting deputy secretaries of defense William P. Clements and William Howard Taft IV, who each served a few weeks as temporary/acting secretary of defense).

For precursors to this position prior to the establishment of the Department of Defense, see the lists of secretaries of the Navy and secretaries of war prior to 1947.

Parties

Democratic   Republican   Independent / Unknown

Status

Denotes an acting secretary of defense

No.  | Image  | Name  | Start  | End  | Duration  | Party  | Home State  | President(s)

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  | James Forrestal[29] | September 17, 1947 | March 28, 1949 | 1 year, 192 days  |  | Democratic |  New York |  | Harry S. Truman
(1945–1953)
2  |  | Louis A. Johnson[30] | March 28, 1949 | September 19, 1950 | 1 year, 175 days  |  | Democratic |  West Virginia
3  |  | George C. Marshall[31] | September 21, 1950 | September 12, 1951 | 356 days  |  | Independent |  Pennsylvania
4  |  | Robert A. Lovett[32] | September 17, 1951 | January 20, 1953 | 1 year, 125 days  |  | Republican |  New York
5  |  | Charles Erwin Wilson[33] | January 28, 1953 | October 8, 1957 | 4 years, 253 days  |  | Republican |  Michigan |  | Dwight D. Eisenhower
(1953–1961)
6  |  | Neil H. McElroy[34] | October 9, 1957 | December 1, 1959 | 2 years, 53 days  |  | Republican |  Ohio
7  |  | Thomas S. Gates Jr.[35] | December 2, 1959 | January 20, 1961 | 1 year, 49 days  |  | Republican |  Pennsylvania
8  |  | Robert McNamara[36] | January 21, 1961 | February 29, 1968 | 7 years, 39 days  |  | Republican |  Michigan |  | John F. Kennedy
(1961–1963)
Lyndon B. Johnson
(1963–1969)
9  |  | Clark Clifford[37] | March 1, 1968 | January 20, 1969 | 325 days  |  | Democratic |  Maryland |  | Lyndon B. Johnson
(1963–1969)
10  |  | Melvin Laird[38] | January 22, 1969 | January 29, 1973 | 4 years, 7 days  |  | Republican |  Wisconsin |  | Richard Nixon
(1969–1974)
11  |  | Elliot Richardson[39] | January 30, 1973 | May 24, 1973 | 114 days  |  | Republican |  Massachusetts
–  |  | Bill Clements
Acting[40] | May 24, 1973 | July 2, 1973 | 39 days  |  | Republican |  Texas
12  |  | James R. Schlesinger[41] | July 2, 1973 | November 19, 1975 | 2 years, 140 days  |  | Republican |  Virginia |  | Richard Nixon
(1969–1974)
Gerald Ford
(1974–1977)
13  |  | Donald Rumsfeld[42] | November 20, 1975 | January 20, 1977 | 1 year, 61 days  |  | Republican |  Illinois |  | Gerald Ford
(1974–1977)
14  |  | Harold Brown[43] | January 20, 1977 | January 20, 1981 | 4 years, 0 days  |  | Democratic |  California |  | Jimmy Carter
(1977–1981)
15  |  | Caspar Weinberger[44] | January 21, 1981 | November 23, 1987 | 6 years, 306 days  |  | Republican |  California |  | Ronald Reagan
(1981–1989)
16  |  | Frank Carlucci[45] | November 23, 1987 | January 20, 1989 | 1 year, 58 days  |  | Republican |  Virginia
–  |  | William Howard Taft IV
Acting[46] | January 20, 1989 | March 21, 1989 | 60 days  |  | Republican |  Ohio |  | George H. W. Bush
(1989–1993)
17  |  | Dick Cheney[47] | March 21, 1989 | January 20, 1993 | 3 years, 305 days  |  | Republican |  Wyoming
18  |  | Les Aspin[48][49][50] | January 20, 1993 | February 3, 1994 | 1 year, 14 days  |  | Democratic |  Wisconsin |  | Bill Clinton
(1993–2001)
19  |  | William Perry[51][49][52] | February 3, 1994 | January 24, 1997 | 2 years, 356 days  |  | Democratic |  Pennsylvania
20  |  | William Cohen[53] | January 24, 1997 | January 20, 2001 | 3 years, 362 days  |  | Republican |  Maine
21  |  | Donald Rumsfeld[54] | January 20, 2001 | December 18, 2006 | 5 years, 332 days
(7 years, 29 days total) |  | Republican |  Illinois |  | George W. Bush
(2001–2009)
22  |  | Robert Gates[55][49] | December 18, 2006 | June 30, 2011 | 4 years, 194 days  |  | Republican |  Texas |  | George W. Bush
(2001–2009)
| Barack Obama
(2009–2017)
23  |  | Leon Panetta[56] | July 1, 2011 | February 26, 2013 | 1 year, 240 days  |  | Democratic |  California |  | Barack Obama
(2009–2017)
24  |  | Chuck Hagel[57] | February 27, 2013 | February 17, 2015 | 1 year, 355 days  |  | Republican |  Nebraska
25  |  | Ash Carter[58][49] | February 17, 2015 | January 20, 2017 | 1 year, 338 days  |  | Democratic |  Massachusetts
26  |  | Jim Mattis[59] | January 20, 2017 | January 1, 2019 | 1 year, 345 days  |  | Independent |  Washington |  | Donald Trump
(2017–2021)
–  |  | Patrick M. Shanahan
Acting[60] | January 1, 2019 | June 23, 2019 | 173 days  |  | Independent |  Washington
–  |  | Mark Esper
Acting[61] | June 24, 2019 | July 15, 2019 | 21 days  |  | Republican |  Virginia
–  |  | Richard V. Spencer
Acting[62] | July 15, 2019 | July 23, 2019 | 8 days  |  | Republican |  Wyoming
27  |  | Mark Esper[61] | July 23, 2019 | November 9, 2020 | 1 year, 109 days  |  | Republican |  Virginia
–  |  | Christopher C. Miller
Acting[61] | November 9, 2020 | January 20, 2021 | 72 days  |  | Republican |  Iowa
–  |  | David Norquist
Acting[63] | January 20, 2021 | January 22, 2021 | 2 days  |  | Republican |  Massachusetts |  | Joe Biden
(2021–2025)
28  |  | Lloyd Austin[64] | January 22, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | 3 years, 364 days  |  | Independent |  Georgia
–  |  | Robert G. Salesses
Acting | January 20, 2025 | January 25, 2025 | 5 days  |  | Independent |  Rhode Island |  | Donald Trump
(2025–present)
29  |  | Pete Hegseth | January 25, 2025 | Incumbent  | 162 days  |  | Republican |  Tennessee

## Succession

[edit]

### Presidential succession

[edit]

The secretary of defense is sixth in the presidential line of succession, following the secretary of the treasury and preceding the attorney general.[65]

### Secretary succession

[edit]

On December 10, 2020, President Donald Trump modified the order of succession for the office of Secretary of Defense in Executive Order 13963. The order of succession is:[66]

#  | Office

|

1  | Deputy Secretary of Defense
2*  | Secretary of the Army
Secretary of the Navy
Secretary of the Air Force
3  | Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
4  | Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
\-  | Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense**
5  | Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
6  | Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
7  | Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
8  | Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
9  | Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
10  | Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security;
11  | Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment;
12  | Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
13  | Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
14  | Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
15*  | General Counsel of the Department of Defense
Assistant Secretaries of Defense
Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation
Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense
16*  | Under Secretary of the Army
Under Secretary of the Navy
Under Secretary of the Air Force
17*  | Assistant Secretaries of the Army
Assistant Secretaries of the Navy
Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force
General Counsel of the Army
General Counsel of the Navy
General Counsel of the Air Force
| *Order of Succession is determined by the seniority of officials in their role.[a]
| **Office dissolved on January 1, 2021.[b]

#### Notes

[edit]

1. ^ According to the Executive Order precedence states – in layman’s terms – that appointees designated the same succession number are determined by the order in which the date they were appointed (senate confirmed) to their position. However appointees designated the same succession number and have the same appointment (senate confirmed) date shall be determined by the order in which they have taken the oath to serve in that office.
2. ^ Congress disestablished the CMO position with the passage of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 effective 1 January 2021.[67]

## See also

[edit]

* Base Realignment and Closure Commission
* Boeing E-4
* Challenge coin
* Combat Exclusion Policy
* Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States
* Continuity of Operations Plan
* CONPLAN 8022-02
* Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee
* Defense Support of Civil authorities
* Department of Defense Directive 2310
* Designated survivor
* Emergency Action Message
* Global Command and Control System
* Gold Codes
* Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
* Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System
* Key West Agreement
* McCarran Internal Security Act
* Military Commissions Act of 2006
* Military operation plan
* National Command Authority (United States)
* National Industrial Security Program
* National Security Strategy (United States)
* Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
* Packard Commission
* Permissive Action Link
* Presidential Successor Support System
* Quadrennial Defense Review
* Rules of engagement
* Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award
* Single Integrated Operational Plan
* State secrets privilege
* Stop-loss policy
* Two-man rule
* Unconventional warfare (United States Department of Defense doctrine)
* United States Foreign Military Financing
* US Commission on National Security/21st Century

## References

[edit]

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ Trask & Goldberg: p. 177.
2. ^ "Positional Colors for the Department of Defense". United States Army Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
3. ^ "3 U.S. Code § 19 – Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act". Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
4. ^ a b 5 U.S.C. § 5312
5. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 113.
6. ^ DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a
7. ^ 5 U.S.C. § 101.
8. ^ "NATO – member countries". NATO. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
9. ^ 50 U.S.C. § 402.
10. ^ See 10 U.S.C. § 113. The National Security Act of 1947 originally required an interval of ten years after relief from active duty, which was reduced to seven years by Sec. 903(a) of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. In 1950 Congress passed special legislation (Pub. Law 81-788) to allow George C. Marshall to serve as Secretary of Defense while remaining a commissioned officer on the active list of the Army (Army regulations kept all five-star generals on active duty for life), but warned:

> It is hereby expressed as the intent of the Congress that the authority granted by this Act is not to be construed as approval by the Congress of continuing appointments of military men to the office of Secretary of Defense in the future. It is hereby expressed as the sense of the Congress that after General Marshall leaves the office of Secretary of Defense, no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved.

Defenselink bio Archived November 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved February 8, 2010; and Marshall Foundation bio Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved February 8, 2010.

11. ^ a b 10 U.S.C. § 162
12. ^ Joint Publication 1: II-9, II-10 & II-11.
13. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 3011
14. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 5011
15. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 8011
16. ^ Trask & Goldberg: pp.11 & 52
17. ^ Cohen: p.231.
18. ^ Korb, Lawrence J.; Ogden, Pete (October 31, 2006). "Rumsfeld's Management Failures". Center for American Progress. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
19. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 152
20. ^ Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch (1997). Congressional Quarterly. p. 87.
21. ^ Peters, Heidi M. (December 1, 2016). "Waiver of Statutory Qualifications Relating to Prior Military Service of the Secretary of Defense". UNT Digital Library. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
22. ^ "Why Generals Need Congressional Waivers To Become Defense Secretary". NPR.org. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
23. ^ Youssef, Nancy A. (January 21, 2021). "Lloyd Austin Receives Waiver Allowing Him to Become Defense Chief". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
24. ^ Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 Functions of the Department of Defense and Its Major Components
25. ^ DoDD 5100.1: p.1.
26. ^ DoDM 1348.33, Vol 3: p.39 (Enclosure 3)
27. ^ 50 U.S.C. § 402
28. ^ "Salary Table No. 2024-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 23, 2021.
29. ^ "James V. Forrestal – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
30. ^ "Louis A. Johnson – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
31. ^ "George C. Marshall – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
32. ^ "Robert A. Lovett – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
33. ^ "Charles E. Wilson – Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
34. ^ "Neil H. McElroy – Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
35. ^ "Thomas S. Gates, Jr. – Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
36. ^ "Robert S. McNamara – John F. Kennedy / Lyndon Johnson Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
37. ^ "Clark M. Gifford – Lyndon Johnson Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
38. ^ "Melvin R. Laird – Richard Nixon Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
39. ^ "Elliot L. Richardson – Richard Nixon Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
40. ^ Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: A History of the Air Force Reserve 1946–1994. DIANE Publishing. p. 252\. ISBN 9781428991620. "In June 1973, Representative O. C. Fisher complained to William P. Clements, Jr., acting Secretary of Defense, that the authority, responsibility, and, consequently, effectiveness of the chiefs of the various reserve components seemed to be eroding."
41. ^ "James R. Schlesinger – Richard Nixon / Gerald Ford Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
42. ^ "Donald H. Rumsfeld – Gerald Ford Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
43. ^ "Harold Brown – James Carter Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
44. ^ "Caspar W. Weinberger – Ronald Reagan Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
45. ^ "Frank C. Carlucci – Ronald Reagan Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
46. ^ "II. Secretaries of Defense" (PDF). Washington Headquarters Services – Pentagon Digital Library. p. 9\. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017. "(Deputy Secretary of Defense William H. Taft served as acting secretary of defense from 20 January 1989 until 21 March 1989)."
47. ^ "Richard B. Cheney – George H.W. Bush Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
48. ^ "Leslie Aspin – William J. Clinton Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
49. ^ a b c d Department of Defense Key Officials September 1947 – February 2019
50. ^ "Les Aspin Serves One Year As Defense Secretary". Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
51. ^ "William J. Perry – William J. Clinton Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
52. ^ "II. Secretaries of Defense" (PDF). Washington Headquarters Services – Pentagon Digital Library. p. 10\. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017. "Sworn in as secretary of defense on 3 February 1994 and served until 24 January 1997."
53. ^ "William S. Cohen – William J. Clinton Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
54. ^ "Donald H. Rumsfeld – George W. Bush Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
55. ^ "Robert M. Gates – George W. Bush / Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
56. ^ "Leon E. Panetta – Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
57. ^ "Chuck Hagel – Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
58. ^ "Ashton B. Carter – Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
59. ^ "James N. Mattis – Donald Trump Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 12, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
60. ^ "PN583 – Patrick M. Shanahan – Department of Defense". Congress.gov. Library of Congress. July 18, 2017. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
61. ^ a b c "Dr. Mark T. Esper – Acting Secretary of Defense". United States Department of Defense. June 24, 2019. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
62. ^ "Letter from Acting Secretary of Defense Richard V. Spencer to Pentagon". USNI News. July 15, 2019. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
63. ^ "Trump administration official Norquist sworn in as acting Pentagon chief". The Hill. January 20, 2021. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
64. ^ "Senate confirms Lloyd Austin to be first Black defense secretary". cnn.com. January 22, 2021. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
65. ^ 3 U.S.C. § 19.
66. ^ "Executive Order on Providing an Order of Succession within the Department of Defense". December 10, 2020. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
67. ^ "Department of Defense Implements Section 901 of the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act". Retrieved January 28, 2021.

### General sources

[edit]

#### Federal law

[edit]

* Title 10 of the United States Code
* Title 50 of the United States Code

#### Directives, regulations and manuals

[edit]

* Department of Defense Directive 5100.1: Functions of the Department of Defense and Its Major Components (PDF). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. December 21, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
* Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 1: Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: General Information, Medal of Honor, and Defense/Joint Decorations and Awards (PDF). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. March 7, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2011.
* Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 2: Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: General Information, Medal of Honor, and Defense/Joint Decorations and Awards (PDF). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. May 31, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2011.
* Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 3: Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: General Information, Medal of Honor, and Defense/Joint Decorations and Awards (PDF). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. November 23, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
* Joint Publication 1 – Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States (PDF). Joint Publications. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. March 25, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 27, 2011.
* Joint Publication 1-04 – Legal Support to Military Operations (PDF). Joint Publications. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Defense. August 17, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 13, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Cohen, Eliot A. (2003). Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen and Leadership in Wartime. New York: Anchor Books. ISBN 978-1-4000-3404-8.
* Cole, Alice C.; Goldberg, Alfred; Tucker, Samuel A.; et al., eds. (1978). The Department of Defense: Documents on Establishment and Organization 1944–1978 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense/U.S. Government Printing Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2014.
* Department of Defense Key Officials September 1947 – February 2019 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense. January 30, 2019.
* Huntington, Samuel P. (1957). The Soldier and the State. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-81736-2. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
* King, Archibald (1960) [1949]. Command of the Army (PDF). Military Affairs. Charlottesville, Virginia: The Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 31, 2008.
* Mahan, Erin R., and Jeffrey A. Larsen, eds. (2012). "Evolution of the Secretary of Defense in the Era of Massive Retaliation: Charles Wilson, Neil McElroy, and Thomas Gates, 1953–1961", Cold War Foreign Policy Series: Special Study 3 (September 2012), vii–41.
* Stevenson, Charles A. (2006). SECDEF: The Nearly Impossible Job of Secretary of Defense. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books. ISBN 1-57488-794-7.
* Trask, Roger R.; Goldberg, Alfred (1997). The Department of Defense 1997–1947: Organization and Leaders (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense/U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0-16-049163-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2014.

### Primary historical sources

[edit]

* Cheney, Dick; Cheney, Liz (2011). In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-7619-1.
* Rumsfeld, Donald (2011). Known and Unknown: A Memoir. New York: Sentinel. ISBN 978-1-59523-067-6.

#### Online sources

[edit]

* "Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 Functions of the Department of Defense and Its Major Components". Office of the Secretary Defense, Director of Administration and Management, Directorate for Organizational & Management Planning. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
* Farkas, Evelyn (April 22, 2025). "Secretary of defense has massive responsibilities for troops, weapons, advising the president and working with Congress". Times Union. Retrieved April 23, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Secretary of Defense.

* Official website

U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)

Preceded by

Scott Bessent

as Secretary of the Treasury |  Order of precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Defense | Succeeded by

Pam Bondi

as Attorney General
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by

Secretary of the Treasury
Scott Bessent

|  6th in line  | Succeeded by

Attorney General
Pam Bondi

Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

United States secretaries of defense

* Forrestal
* Johnson
* Marshall
* Lovett
* Wilson
* McElroy
* T. Gates
* McNamara
* Clifford
* Laird
* Richardson
* Schlesinger
* Rumsfeld
* Brown
* Weinberger
* Carlucci
* Cheney
* Aspin
* Perry
* Cohen
* Rumsfeld
* R. Gates
* Panetta
* Hagel
* Carter
* Mattis
* Esper
* Austin
* Hegseth

* v
* t
* e

Senior officials in the United States Department of Defense

Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth

Deputy Secretary of Defense
Steve Feinberg

Secretaries of the military departments

Secretary of the Army: Daniel P. Driscoll
Secretary of the Navy: John Phelan
Secretary of the Air Force: Troy Meink

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Gen Dan Caine, USAF

Under secretaries of defense for

Acquisition and Sustainment: Steven J. Morani (acting)
Research and Engineering: Emil Michael
Policy: Elbridge Colby
Comptroller/Chief Financial Officer: Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell (acting)
Personnel and Readiness: Jules W. Hurst III (acting)
Intelligence: Dustin Gard-Weiss (acting)

Under secretaries of the military departments

Under Secretary of the Army: David R. Fitzgerald (acting)
Under Secretary of the Navy: Victor Minella (acting)
Under Secretary of the Air Force: Edwin Oshiba (acting)

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 James W. Kilby (acting)
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: LTG William J. Hartman, USA (acting)
European: Gen Alexus G. Grynkewich, USAF
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

* Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
* Steve Feinberg, 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 (Comptroller)|

* Defense Contract Audit Agency
* Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition and Sustainment|

* Defense Contract Management Agency
* Defense Logistics Agency
* Defense Threat Reduction Agency
* Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation
* Defense Acquisition University
* Defense Acquisition Board
* Defense Microelectronics Activity

Under Secretary of Defense
for Intelligence and Security|

* 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

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 Policy|

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

Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs|

* Defense Media Activity
* American Forces Network
* Defense Information School
* Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
* Stars and Stripes

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

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)

Reports directly|

* Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs

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 Programs
* 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 (Energy, Installations and Environment)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition)
* 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, Technology and Logistics)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management & Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment & Energy)
* 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

Defense Intelligence Agency

Subordinate organizations|

* Defense Clandestine Service
* Defense Attaché System
* Defense Cover Office
* Missile and Space Intelligence Center
* National Center for Medical Intelligence
* National Media Exploitation Center
* Joint Intelligence Operations Center Europe Analytic Center/Joint Intelligence Center
* National Intelligence University
* Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Projects, operations, and programs|

* Project Socrates
* Stargate Project
* Able Danger
* Iraq Survey Group
* Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System
* Soviet Military Power

Oversight|

* United States Secretary of Defense
* Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
* Military Intelligence Board
* Director of National Intelligence
* United States Intelligence Community
* United States Department of Defense
* SSCI
* HPSCI

People|

* Robert McNamara
* Directors

Facilities|

* Defense Intelligence Agency Headquarters
* The Pentagon
* DIA Memorial Wall

* 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
* CG
* 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

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

* v
* t
* e

United States presidential line of succession

* Succession Clause of Article II, Section I (1788)
* 12th Amendment (1804)
* 20th Amendment (1933)
* 25th Amendment (1967)
* Presidential Succession Act

Current line|

1. Vice President (JD Vance)
2. Speaker of the House of Representatives (Mike Johnson)
3. President pro tempore of the Senate (Chuck Grassley)
4. Secretary of State (Marco Rubio)
5. Secretary of the Treasury (Scott Bessent)
6. Secretary of Defense (Pete Hegseth)
7. Attorney General (Pam Bondi)
8. Secretary of the Interior (Doug Burgum)
9. Secretary of Agriculture (Brooke Rollins)
10. Secretary of Commerce (Howard Lutnick)
11. Secretary of Labor (Lori Chavez-DeRemer)
12. Secretary of Health and Human Services (Robert F. Kennedy Jr.)
13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Scott Turner)
14. Secretary of Transportation (Sean Duffy)
15. Secretary of Energy (Chris Wright)
16. Secretary of Education (Linda McMahon)
17. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Doug Collins)
18. Secretary of Homeland Security (Kristi Noem)

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