United States Secretary of Defense facts for kids

Quick facts for kids United States Secretary of Defense
Flag of the secretary
Seal of the department
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
Deputy	Deputy Secretary of Defense
Salary	Executive Schedule, level I

The United States Secretary of Defense (often called SecDef) is the leader of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). This department manages the U.S. Armed Forces. The Secretary of Defense is a very important member of the President's Cabinet.

This person's power over the military is second only to the President. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military. In many other countries, this job is called a "defense minister." The President chooses the Secretary of Defense. The Senate must then agree with the choice. By law, the Secretary of Defense is also part of the National Security Council.

To make sure civilians control the military, U.S. law has a special rule. The Secretary of Defense cannot have been an active military officer in the seven years before taking the job. For generals and admirals, this period is ten years. However, Congress can make an exception to this rule. This has happened three times for George C. Marshall Jr., James N. Mattis, and Lloyd J. Austin III.

The Secretary of Defense follows the President's orders. They are in charge of all parts of the Department of Defense. This includes the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force. The Coast Guard also falls under their command when it works with the Department of Defense.

Only the Secretary of Defense (or the President or Congress) can move forces between the different military departments. These departments are the Department of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. They also manage the eleven Unified Combatant Commands. Because the Secretary of Defense has so much power, some people call them the "deputy commander-in-chief." The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff gives military advice to the Secretary and the President. But the Chairman is not directly in the chain of command.

The Secretary of Defense is one of the four most important Cabinet members. The others are the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Attorney General. These jobs are important because their departments are very large and have big responsibilities.

The current Secretary of Defense is Pete Hegseth. President Donald Trump chose him for the job. The Senate approved him on January 25, 2025.

How the Job Started

Seal of the National Military Establishment (1947–1949)

The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were created in 1775. This was during the American Revolution. The War Department was set up in 1789. It was led by the Secretary of War. This department was in charge of both the Army and Navy. Later, in 1798, a separate Department of the Navy was created.

After World War II, people wanted to manage the military better. The Army wanted more central control. The Navy preferred to keep things separate. The National Security Act of 1947 was a compromise. It changed the name of the War Department to the Department of the Army. It also added the Army and Navy departments to a new group called the National Military Establishment (NME). The act also made the United States Air Force its own branch, separate from the Army.

The new leader of the NME was called the Secretary of Defense. At first, each military branch still had its own secretary in the Cabinet. The first Secretary of Defense was James Forrestal. He had been the Secretary of the Navy and didn't want this new job. He found it hard to control the other branches because his office had limited power.

To fix this, the National Security Act was changed in 1949. This change brought the military branches closer together. It helped reduce competition between them. The secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force now reported directly to the Secretary of Defense. The National Military Establishment was renamed the Department of Defense. This made it one big Executive Department. The job of Deputy Secretary of Defense was also created then. This person is the second-in-command.

Since 1949, the Department of Defense has become more centralized. This means more power has gone to civilian leaders and defense-wide groups. The last big change to the rules was the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. This act made it more important for officers to serve in different branches. It became almost a requirement for high-ranking officers.

As mentioned, the Secretary of Defense is a civilian. This means they are not an active military member. A secretary must have been retired from military service for at least seven years. Congress can waive this rule. This has only happened three times since 1947. It happened for Army General George Marshall in 1950, Marine Corps General Jim Mattis in 2017, and retired Army General Lloyd Austin in 2021.

What the Secretary of Defense Does

Department of Defense organizational chart (December 2013)

The Secretary of Defense is chosen by the President. The Senate must agree with the choice. By law, the Secretary is the head of the Department of Defense. They are the President's main helper for all defense matters. They have "authority, direction and control" over the entire department. The power of the Secretary comes from the Constitution. The Constitution gives military power to Congress and the President. Since they can't handle every detail, the Secretary of Defense and their team manage military matters.

As the head of the DoD, all officials, employees, and service members work "under" the Secretary of Defense. Some of the high-ranking officials include the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It also includes the chiefs of staff for each military branch. All these important jobs need Senate approval.

The Department of Defense includes many parts. These are the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and the Joint Staff (JS). It also has the Inspector General's Office. The Combatant Commands are also part of it. The military departments (Army, Navy, Air Force) are included too. There are also many Defense Agencies and other groups.

A document called Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 explains how the department is organized. It describes the main jobs of the department. The most recent version was signed in December 2010.

The Secretary's Office

The Secretary's main civilian staff is called the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). It includes the Deputy Secretary of Defense. There are also six under secretaries who handle different areas. These areas include buying equipment, research, money, intelligence, personnel, and policy. Many assistant secretaries and other directors also work here. The Secretary of Defense uses the Office of the Secretary of Defense to create the National Defense Strategy. This is a very important policy document.

The main military staff is called the Joint Staff (JS). It works under the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Awards and Honors

The Secretary of Defense gives out several awards to military personnel. These include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (DDSM) and the Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM). Other awards are the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM), the Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM), and the Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM). These are for service in joint duty assignments. The Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) is given to joint DoD groups.

The DDSM is the highest award given by the Secretary of Defense. Only the Secretary can approve it. Other awards can be approved by lower-ranking officials.

Recommendations for the Medal of Honor (MOH) go through the Secretary of Defense. The military department and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff must first support the recommendation. The Secretary of Defense must approve it before it goes to the President. The President is the final approver for the Medal of Honor.

The Secretary of Defense also approves the wearing of NATO medals. This is done with the agreement of the Secretary of State. These medals are given by the NATO Secretary General. They honor U.S. service members who meet NATO's requirements.

Working with Congress

As the head of the Department of Defense, the Secretary of Defense is the main person who talks to Congress. They speak to committees that watch over the department. The most important committees are the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC). There are also the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. These committees decide how much money the department gets.

For intelligence programs, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence are in charge.

Role in National Security

The Secretary of Defense is a required member of the National Security Council. They attend meetings with other important leaders. These include the Vice President, the Secretary of State, and the National Security Advisor. They help prepare and coordinate important issues. These issues are then brought to the full National Security Council meetings, led by the President.

Role in Military Justice

The Secretary of Defense is one of a few civilians who can act as a "convening authority" in the military justice system. This means they can start General Courts-Martial, Special Courts-Martial, and Summary Courts-Martial. The other civilians with this power are the President, the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the Secretary of Homeland Security (when the Coast Guard is under their department).

Salary

The Secretary of Defense earns a salary of US$246,400 per year. This is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule.

List of Secretaries of Defense

The person who served the longest as Secretary of Defense is Robert McNamara. He served for 7 years and 39 days. Donald Rumsfeld served the second longest, with two terms that added up to just ten days less than McNamara. The second-longest continuous term was by Caspar Weinberger, who served for 6 years and 306 days.

The shortest-serving Secretary of Defense was Elliot Richardson. He served for 114 days. He then became the U.S. Attorney General during the Watergate Scandal.

Before 1947, the military was managed by the Secretaries of the Navy and Secretaries of War.

Parties

      Democratic       Republican       Independent / Unknown

Status

     Denotes an acting secretary of defense

No.	Image	Name	Start	End	Duration	Party		Home State	President(s)
1		Forrestal, JamesJames Forrestal	September 17, 1947	March 28, 1949	1 year, 192 days		Democratic	New York		Truman, Harry S.Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
2		Johnson, Louis A.Louis A. Johnson	March 28, 1949	September 19, 1950	1 year, 175 days		Democratic	West Virginia
3		Marshall, George C.George C. Marshall	September 21, 1950	September 12, 1951	356 days		Independent	Pennsylvania
4		Lovett, Robert A.Robert A. Lovett	September 17, 1951	January 20, 1953	1 year, 125 days		Republican	New York
5		Wilson, Charles ErwinCharles Erwin Wilson	January 28, 1953	October 8, 1957	4 years, 253 days		Republican	Michigan		Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
6		McElroy, Neil H.Neil H. McElroy	October 9, 1957	December 1, 1959	2 years, 53 days		Republican	Ohio
7		Gates Jr., Thomas S.Thomas S. Gates Jr.	December 2, 1959	January 20, 1961	1 year, 49 days		Republican	Pennsylvania
8		McNamara, RobertRobert McNamara	January 21, 1961	February 29, 1968	7 years, 39 days		Republican	Michigan		Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
										Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
9		Clifford, ClarkClark Clifford	March 1, 1968	January 20, 1969	325 days		Democratic	Maryland		Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
10		Laird, MelvinMelvin Laird	January 22, 1969	January 29, 1973	4 years, 7 days		Republican	Wisconsin		Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (1969–1974)
11		Richardson, ElliotElliot Richardson	January 30, 1973	May 24, 1973	114 days		Republican	Massachusetts
–		Clements, BillBill Clements Acting	May 24, 1973	July 2, 1973	39 days		Republican	Texas
12		Schlesinger, James R.James R. Schlesinger	July 2, 1973	November 19, 1975	2 years, 140 days		Republican	Virginia		Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (1969–1974)
										Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (1974–1977)
13		Rumsfeld, DonaldDonald Rumsfeld	November 20, 1975	January 20, 1977	1 year, 61 days		Republican	Illinois		Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (1974–1977)
14		Brown, HaroldHarold Brown	January 20, 1977	January 20, 1981	4 years, 0 days		Democratic	California		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (1977–1981)
15		Weinberger, CasparCaspar Weinberger	January 21, 1981	November 23, 1987	6 years, 306 days		Republican	California		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (1981–1989)
16		Carlucci, FrankFrank Carlucci	November 23, 1987	January 20, 1989	1 year, 58 days		Republican	Virginia
–		Taft IV, William HowardWilliam Howard Taft IV Acting	January 20, 1989	March 21, 1989	60 days		Republican	Ohio		Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
17		Cheney, DickDick Cheney	March 21, 1989	January 20, 1993	3 years, 305 days		Republican	Wyoming
18		Aspin, LesLes Aspin	January 20, 1993	February 3, 1994	1 year, 14 days		Democratic	Wisconsin		Clinton, BillBill Clinton (1993–2001)
19		Perry, WilliamWilliam Perry	February 3, 1994	January 24, 1997	2 years, 356 days		Democratic	Pennsylvania
20		Cohen, WilliamWilliam Cohen	January 24, 1997	January 20, 2001	3 years, 362 days		Republican	Maine
21		Rumsfeld, DonaldDonald Rumsfeld	January 20, 2001	December 18, 2006	5 years, 332 days (7 years, 29 days total)		Republican	Illinois		Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2001–2009)
22		Gates, RobertRobert Gates	December 18, 2006	June 30, 2011	4 years, 194 days		Republican	Texas		Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2001–2009)
										Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2009–2017)
23		Panetta, LeonLeon Panetta	July 1, 2011	February 26, 2013	1 year, 240 days		Democratic	California		Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2009–2017)
24		Hagel, ChuckChuck Hagel	February 27, 2013	February 17, 2015	1 year, 355 days		Republican	Nebraska
25		Carter, AshAsh Carter	February 17, 2015	January 20, 2017	1 year, 338 days		Democratic	Massachusetts
26		Mattis, JimJim Mattis	January 20, 2017	January 1, 2019	1 year, 345 days		Independent	Washington		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2017–2021)
–		Shanahan, Patrick M.Patrick M. Shanahan Acting	January 1, 2019	June 23, 2019	173 days		Independent	Washington
–		Esper, MarkMark Esper Acting	June 24, 2019	July 15, 2019	21 days		Republican	Virginia
–		Spencer, Richard V.Richard V. Spencer Acting	July 15, 2019	July 23, 2019	8 days		Republican	Wyoming
27		Esper, MarkMark Esper	July 23, 2019	November 9, 2020	1 year, 109 days		Republican	Virginia
–		Miller, Christopher C.Christopher C. Miller Acting	November 9, 2020	January 20, 2021	72 days		Republican	Iowa
–		Norquist, DavidDavid Norquist Acting	January 20, 2021	January 22, 2021	2 days		Republican	Massachusetts		Biden, JoeJoe Biden (2021–2025)
28		Austin, LloydLloyd Austin	January 22, 2021	January 20, 2025	3 years, 364 days		Independent	Georgia
–		Salesses, Robert G.Robert G. Salesses Acting	January 20, 2025	January 25, 2025	5 days		Independent	Rhode Island		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2025–present)
29		Hegseth, PetePete Hegseth	January 25, 2025	Incumbent	183 days		Republican	Tennessee

Who Takes Over the Job

Presidential Succession

The Secretary of Defense is sixth in line to become President. This is called the presidential line of succession. They follow the Secretary of the Treasury. They come before the Attorney General.

Secretary's Succession

On December 10, 2020, President Donald Trump changed the order of who takes over if the Secretary of Defense cannot do their job. This order is:

Related Topics

See also

In Spanish: Secretario de Defensa de los Estados Unidos para niños