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.
The Secretary of the Navy is a statutory officer and the head of the Department of the Navy,a military department within the United States Department of Defense.
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.
Raymond Edwin Mabus Jr. is an American politician and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party,he served as the 75th United States secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2017. Mabus previously served as the State auditor of Mississippi from 1984 to 1988,as the 60th governor of Mississippi from 1988 to 1992,and as the United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1994 to 1996.
James Edward "Hoss" Cartwright is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who last served as the eighth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from August 31,2007,to August 3,2011. He previously served as the Commander,U.S. Strategic Command,from September 1,2004,to August 10,2007,and as Acting Commander,U.S. Strategic Command from July 9,2004,to September 1,2004. He retired from the Marine Corps on August 3,2011,after nearly 40 years of service.
Michael Harold "Mike" Miller is a former vice admiral in the United States Navy,and was the first active-duty officer to direct the White House Military Office. He was the 61st Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy.
Robert Burns Pirie Jr. is a retired United States Navy officer and politician. Early in 2001,Pirie served as Acting Secretary of the Navy until the nomination and confirmation of an appointee by President George W. Bush.
James F. "Jim" Amos is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 35th commandant of the Marine Corps. As a naval aviator,Amos commanded the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing during the Iraq War in 2003 and 2006. He served as the 31st assistant commandant of the Marine Corps from 2008 to 2010,and was the first Marine Corps aviator to serve as commandant.
Joseph Devereux Kernan is a retired United States Navy vice admiral and the former under secretary of defense for intelligence. His last military assignment was serving as the military deputy commander of the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM),Miami,Florida,from May 23,2011,to September 2013. He was the second-in-command of one of nine unified commands under the Department of Defense.
John Collins Harvey Jr. is a former United States Navy four-star admiral who last served as the 31st Commander,United States Fleet Forces Command from July 24,2009 to September 14,2012. He previously served as Director,Navy Staff (N09B) from March 24,2008 to July 23,2009. Prior to that,he served as the 54th Chief of Naval Personnel and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (N1) from November 2005 to April 2008. He retired from the navy after more than 39 years of service.
Michael Bruce Donley is a United States government official who is the director of administration and management in the Office of the Secretary of Defense since May 2021,having served in the same position from 2005 to 2008. In the Bush and Obama administrations,Donley served as the 22nd secretary of the Air Force,amongst other positions. Donley has 30 years of experience in the national security community,including service on the staff of the United States Senate,White House and The Pentagon.
Robert F. Hale was the United States Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) from 2009 until 2014 and before that the Comptroller and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management. Hale has over thirty years of experience as a professional financial manager serving in a wide range of national defense related roles. In addition to his most recent position as Under Secretary of Defense and his previous appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force,Hale has also served in the National Security Division of the Congressional Budget Office and as Executive Director of the American Society of Military Comptrollers. Hale is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and a former member of the Defense Business Board. He was appointed to the National Commission on the Future of the Army by Representative Adam Smith (D-WA).
Jamie Michael Morin is a former senior official in the United States Department of Defense. He was a private sector economist and research consultant before earning a Doctorate degree in political science from Yale University. He then served as a professional staff member on the United States Senate Committee on the Budget. Morin was Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation at the Department of Defense. Previously,he was Assistant Secretary of the Air Force,and served concurrently as Acting Under Secretary of the Air Force from 3 July 2012 to 28 April 2013. He joined The Aerospace Corporation in 2017 as executive director of the Center for Space Policy and Strategy and vice president of Defense Systems Operations.
The United States Navy dog handler hazing scandal was a pattern of misconduct engaged in by members of the United States Navy at Naval Support Activity Bahrain between 2004 and 2006. Naval investigators documented nearly 100 incidents of abuse committed against several members of a Military Working Dog (MWD) unit stationed at the United States military base at Juffair. Documented incidents of abuse include racial intimidation,sexual harassment,physical abuse and anti-gay harassment. One sailor,Master-At-Arms 3rd Class Joseph Rocha,suffered post-traumatic stress disorder because of his abuse at the hands of fellow sailors,and he alleges that another sailor committed suicide because of her treatment. The Navy investigated the allegations in 2007 and documented the abuse,but took little substantive action. However,Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak,a former Vice Admiral,demanded a new examination of the report's findings which led to the disciplining of Rocha's former superior,Chief Petty Officer Michael Toussaint. The scandal came to widespread public attention as United States President Barack Obama faced increased pressure to repeal the military's gay-exclusionary policy known as "don't ask,don't tell" (DADT).
Robert Orton Work is an American national security professional who served as the 32nd United States Deputy Secretary of Defense for both the Obama and Trump administrations from 2014 to 2017. Prior to that,Work was the United States Under Secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2013,and before that served as a colonel in the United States Marine Corps;Work retired in 2001 and worked as a civilian at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) and the George Washington University in various positions relating to military and strategic study. From 2013 to 2014,he was the CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). After his time as Deputy Secretary of Defense,he went on to serve on the board of Raytheon.
Gladys Lee Commons is the former United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
Charles P. Nemfakos was United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1998 to 2001.
Malcolm Ross O'Neill was the United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition,Logistics,and Technology,having been sworn into office by United States Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal on March 10,2010,and resigned June 3,2011.
Shawn Graham Skelly is a retired United States Navy officer,national security expert,and LGBT rights advocate who is currently serving as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness since July 27,2021.
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.
