The United States secretary of defense 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. 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 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.
The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The attorney general is also a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States and a member of the United States National Security Council. Additionally,the attorney general is seventh in the presidential line of succession.
The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secretary is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States,and is fourteenth in the presidential line of succession.
The under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere,or USC(OA),is a high-ranking official in the United States Department of Commerce and the principal advisor to the United States Secretary of Commerce on the environmental and scientific activities of the department. The under secretary is dual hatted as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the Commerce Department.
James Edwin McPherson is an American government official and retired United States Navy rear admiral. He served as the General Counsel of the Army from January 2,2018,to March 24,2020. He served as the United States Under Secretary of the Army from March 25,2020,to January 20,2021,and in acting capacity from July 23,2019,to March 24,2020. He served as Acting United States Secretary of the Navy from April 7,2020,to May 29,2020,following the resignation of Thomas Modly.
Donald Blessing Rice,Jr. is an American businessman and senior government official. He has been president and chief executive officer of several large companies including RAND Corporation,and has sat on numerous boards of directors,including Wells Fargo &Company. Rice also served as the 17th Secretary of the Air Force,from 1989 to 1993.
David Peter Pekoske is an American government official and retired U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral who served as the seventh administrator of the Transportation Security Administration in the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from 2017 to 2025. He served as the acting deputy secretary of homeland security from April to November 2019 and again from January to June 2021. From January 20,2021 to February 2,2021 he served as acting secretary of homeland security,during the Senate confirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas. Pekoske retired with 33 years of active military service in 2010 as the 26th vice commandant of the Coast Guard.
Donald Trump assumed office as the 45th president of the United States on January 20,2017,and his first term ended on January 20,2021. The president has the authority to nominate members of his Cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.
Richard Vaughn Spencer is an American politician and businessman who served as the 76th United States Secretary of the Navy from August 3,2017,to November 24,2019. While serving as Secretary of the Navy,he also briefly served as Acting United States Secretary of Defense and Acting United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. Spencer served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1976 to 1981 as a Marine Aviator. He was Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Intercontinental Exchange (IEX) from November 2001 to January 2008.
Danny Ray Brouillette is an American government official,lobbyist and businessman who served as the United States Secretary of Energy in the Donald Trump administration from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as the deputy secretary of energy from August 2017 to December 2019. In 2023,Brouillette was named president and chief executive officer elect of the Edison Electric Institute.
Elaine A. McCusker is an American government official who served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller),one of the offices of United States Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense,from 2017 to 2020.
Marshall Billingslea is a former Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing at the United States Department of the Treasury. He was the Trump administration's nominee to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs,and he previously served as a U.S. Senate staffer and as a Department of Defense official.
John W. Henderson is an American engineer,United States Army engineer officer,and government official. He served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force in the Trump administration. His nomination by President Donald Trump was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 15,2018. Prior to his nomination,Henderson most recently served in the U.S. Army as the Commander of the Omaha District,Army Corps of Engineers. He has over 23 years of active military experience as an Army engineer officer,including serving two combat tours to Iraq and one combat tour to Afghanistan as an engineer battalion task force commander.
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.
Joseph Leo Falvey Jr. is an American lawyer who serves as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Kathryn Lynn Wheelbarger is an American attorney and government official,who served as Principal Deputy and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 2018 to 2020.
Christopher Watson Grady is a United States Navy admiral who is currently serving as the 12th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 20 December 2021.
William Jordan Gillis is an American government official. He has served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment since March 2020. He previously served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations,Energy and Environment,and earlier as the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations,Energy and Environment from October 16,2017,until January 10,2019.
Dennis Vincent McGinn is a former American government official and retired United States Navy admiral. He served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy,Installations and Environment in the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017. A career naval aviator,McGinn was an officer in the United States Navy for 35 years,retiring as a vice admiral.
