The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense,the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces,and is a high-ranking member of the federal cabinet. 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. The secretary of defense is appointed by the president 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.
Michael Luis Dominguez retired as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness within the United States Department of Defense. He has held that position since his confirmation by the United States Senate on July 11,2006.
Robert Leon Wilkie Jr. is an American lawyer and government official who served as the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2018 to 2021,during the Trump administration. He was previously Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness during the Trump administration,from November 2017 to July 2018. A Naval intelligence officer in the Reserve,he was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs in the administration of President George W. Bush.
Bernard Daniel Rostker was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1977 to 1979;Director of the United States Selective Service System from 1979 to 1981;Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1994 to 1998;Under Secretary of the Army from 1998 to 2000;and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in 2000–2001. From 1996 to 2001,he also served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses.
Clifford Lee Stanley was the United States Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness,having resigned that office in 2011.
The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs),abbreviated as ASA(M&RA),is a civilian official in the United States Department of the Army.
In the United States military,the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs(ASD ),formerly Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs(ASD ) serves as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense,Deputy Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness,with responsibility for "overall policies and procedures of [U.S.] Total Force manpower,personnel and reserve affairs," including the Army National Guard,Army Reserve,Navy Reserve,Marine Corps Reserve,Air National Guard,Air Force Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve. The ASD (M&RA) reports directly to the Under Secretary of Defense (P&R) and exercises authority,direction,and control over the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. On September 16,2022,President Biden announced his intent to nominate Ronald Keohane to the position.
Craig William Duehring was United States Assistant Secretary of the Air Force from 2007 to 2009.
Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many high-level executive positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the U.S. Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary of Defense title is junior to Under Secretary of Defense. Reorganization Plan No. 6 of 30 June 1953 increased the number of assistant secretaries. The list of Assistant Secretaries of Defense includes:
Judd Henry Lyons is a retired Army National Guard officer. After retiring from the military the rank of major general,he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service on August 7,2017. Since 2018,he has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. In this role,he is the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs in support of the ASD's role of providing overall supervision of manpower and reserve affairs for the Department of Defense. He is responsible for both the integration of reserve affairs across the United States Department of Defense and strategic engagement on all Reserve Component matters.
John F. Kirby is a retired United States Navy rear admiral serving as Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House since late May 2022. He previously served as Pentagon Press Secretary for the first year and a half of the Biden administration,and worked as a military and diplomatic analyst for CNN from 2017 to 2021. He served in the Obama administration as the spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2015 to 2017.
Gina Marie Grosso is an American defense official and retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who is the Assistant Secretary of Veteran Affairs for Human Resources and Administration/Operations,Security and Preparedness since June 23,2021. In the Air Force,Grosso last served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower,Personnel and Services (A1),Headquarters U.S. Air Force from October 2015 to October 2018.
Mark Thomas Esper is an American politician and manufacturing executive who served as the 27th United States secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party,he had previously served as the 23rd U.S. secretary of the Army from November 2017 to July 2019.
Anthony Michael Kurta is a retired United States Navy Rear Admiral and government official. Having served as the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for most of 2017,he was President Donald Trump's nominee to become Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Kurta previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy and Director of Navy Flag Officer Management and Development.
Jon Christopher Kreitz is a retired United States Navy Rear Admiral and former Deputy Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. He is an Independent Director on the Board of Directors of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Surface Navy Association (SNA).
Earl G. Matthews is an American government official and attorney who held senior positions within the Department of the Army and at the White House during the administration of President Donald Trump. Matthews was a member of Trump's Department of Defense transition team and was appointed as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense,James N. Mattis on January 20,2017. Matthews was subsequently appointed as the Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Army on June 21,2019. He served as Acting General Counsel of the Army from June 21,2017,until James E. McPherson was sworn in as General Counsel on January 2,2018.
Patricia Mulcahy is a member of the Senior Executive Service and a retired United States Army colonel who served as the deputy chief of space Operations for personnel of the United States Space Force. Prior to that she was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Force Management Integration.
Todd A. Weiler is an American public servant,business executive and military veteran. He has also served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs under President Bill Clinton and as the Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Barack Obama.
Troy Edward Dunn is a United States Air Force major general who has served as special assistant and senior military advisor with duties at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness since June 2023. He most recently served as commander of the Air Force Personnel Center from 2022 to 2023.
United States 
