Under Secretary of Defense for Policy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Flag of an under secretary of defense
Seal of the Department of Defense
Incumbent Elbridge Colby since 15 April 2025
United States Department of Defense Office of the Secretary of Defense
Style	Mr. Under Secretary
Reports to	Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense
Appointer	The president with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Formation	1978
First holder	Stanley Rogers Resor
Succession	5th in SecDef succession
Deputy	Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Salary	Executive Schedule, level III

The United States Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (often called USDP) is a very important civilian leader in the United States Department of Defense. This person helps the top defense leaders, like the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense, make big decisions about how the country stays safe. They focus on creating plans and rules for national security and defense. The President chooses this person, and the Senate must agree.

Understanding the Under Secretary's Role

The office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is like a main team that helps the Secretary of Defense. They work on creating important plans, managing resources, and checking how well defense programs are doing. The Under Secretary is a high-ranking position in the government.

Key Teams and Responsibilities

The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy leads several important teams. Each team focuses on different parts of keeping the country safe and working with other nations.

Planning for the Future

The assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities (ASD(SPC)) helps create the main plans for national security and defense. This includes thinking about new ways to protect the country and working with other nations on security.

• The deputy assistant for force development helps decide how the military should be built and trained to meet future challenges.
• The deputy assistant for global partnerships works on building strong relationships with other countries to improve security together.
• The deputy assistant for plans and posture helps decide where military forces should be located around the world and how they should plan their operations.
• The deputy assistant for strategy helps create the overall defense plan for the country and makes sure money is spent to support this plan.

Working with Other Countries

The assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs (ASD (ISA)) focuses on defense plans and working with countries in different parts of the world. This includes Europe, the NATO, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa.

• The deputy assistant for African affairs works on defense plans and cooperation with countries in Sub-Sahara Africa.
• The deputy assistant for the Middle East focuses on defense plans and cooperation with countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
• The deputy assistant for Europe and NATO works on defense plans and cooperation with countries in Europe and the NATO.
• The deputy assistant for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia works on defense plans and cooperation with countries in those regions.
• There are also special representatives who work with international groups like the U.S. Mission to NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Protecting the Homeland

The assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs (ASD(HD&HA)) is in charge of plans and actions to protect the United States at home. This includes dealing with dangerous weapons, digital attacks, and supporting local authorities during emergencies.

• The deputy assistant for countering dangerous weapons works on plans to protect against and stop the spread of very harmful weapons (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear).
• The deputy assistant for homeland defense integration helps coordinate how different groups work together to protect the country and support local communities.
• The deputy assistant for defense continuity makes sure the government can keep working and important missions can continue even during major emergencies.

Special Missions and Challenges

The assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low-intensity conflict (ASD(SO/LIC)) handles special military missions and smaller conflicts. This includes fighting terrorism, special reconnaissance, and helping other countries with their defense.

• The deputy assistant for counternarcotics and global threats works on plans to deal with drug issues and other worldwide dangers.
• The deputy assistant for stability and humanitarian affairs focuses on helping areas in conflict and providing aid to people in need.
• The deputy assistant for special operations and combating terrorism works on plans for special forces, fighting terrorism, and influencing public opinion.

Security in Asia and the Pacific

The assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs (ASD(IPSA)) focuses on defense plans and working with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

• The deputy assistant for East Asia works on defense cooperation with countries like Taiwan, Mongolia, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea.
• The deputy assistant for China focuses on defense relations with China, including Hong Kong.
• The deputy assistant for South and Southeast Asia works on defense cooperation with countries like India, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand.
• The deputy assistant for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia works on defense cooperation with countries in that region.

Space and Advanced Technologies

The assistant secretary of defense for space policy (ASD(SP)) is responsible for defense plans related to space, nuclear weapons, digital attacks, and missile defense. This person also advises the Secretary of Defense on digital defense.

• The deputy assistant for nuclear and dangerous weapons policy helps create plans for nuclear deterrence and stopping the spread of dangerous weapons.
• The deputy assistant for cyber policy helps set the rules for digital defense and works with other government groups and allies on digital security.
• The deputy assistant for space and missile defense advises on plans to protect against attacks from space and missiles.
• The deputy principal cyber advisor helps guide military digital forces and activities.

Finding Missing Service Members

The director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is responsible for finding and bringing home U.S. military personnel who were listed as prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA) from past wars and conflicts.

Helping Allies with Defense

The director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency helps friendly nations by providing financial and technical support, defense equipment, and training. They also encourage military-to-military connections.

Protecting Defense Technology

The director of the Defense Technology Security Administration is responsible for creating and enforcing rules to protect important defense-related goods, services, and technologies when they are shared internationally.

Past Under Secretaries of Defense for Policy

Many important people have held the role of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy since it was created in 1978. Here are some of them:

No.	Portrait	Under Secretary	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Secretary of Defense	President	Ref(s)
1		Stanley Rogers Resor	14 August 1978	1 April 1979	230 days	Harold Brown	Jimmy Carter	-
2		Robert Komer	24 October 1979	20 January 1981	1 year, 88 days	Harold Brown	Jimmy Carter	-
3		Fred Iklé	2 April 1981	19 February 1988	6 years, 323 days	Caspar Weinberger Frank Carlucci	Ronald Reagan	-
12		Colin Kahl	28 April 2021	17 July 2023	2 years, 80 days	Lloyd Austin	Joe Biden	-
-		Sasha Baker Acting	18 July 2023	26 April 2024	283 days	Lloyd Austin	Joe Biden	-
-		Amanda J. Dory Acting	27 April 2024	22 January 2025	270 days	Lloyd Austin	Joe Biden	-
-		Alexander Velez-Green Acting	22 January 2025	15 April 2025	83 days	Pete Hegseth	Donald Trump	-
13		Elbridge Colby	15 April 2025	Incumbent	124 days	Pete Hegseth	Donald Trump	-

Principal Deputy Under Secretary

The Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is the main helper to the Under Secretary. This role was created to give advice and support to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Under Secretary on national security and defense plans.

No.	Portrait	Deputy Under Secretary	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Secretary of Defense	President	Ref(s)
1		I. Lewis Libby	12 August 1992	10 January 1993	151 days	Paul Wolfowitz Dick Cheney	George H. W. Bush	-
2		Walter B. Slocombe	1 June 1993	14 September 1994	1 year, 105 days	Les Aspin William J. Perry	Bill Clinton	-
3		Jan M. Lodal	3 October 1994	30 September 1998	3 years, 362 days	William J. Perry William S. Cohen	Bill Clinton	-
-		Melissa Dalton Acting	26 April 2024	29 May 2024	33 days	Lloyd Austin	Joe Biden	-
-		Cara L. Abercrombie Acting	29 May 2024	20 January 2025	236 days	Lloyd Austin	Joe Biden	-
-		Amanda J. Dory Acting	22 January 2025	17 March 2025	54 days	Pete Hegseth	Donald Trump	-
-		Austin Dahmer Acting	17 March 2025	Incumbent	153 days	Pete Hegseth	Donald Trump	-