United States Secretary of Defense

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United States Secretary of Defense
United States Department of Defense Seal.svg
Seal of the Department[1]
Flag of the United States Secretary of Defense.svg
United States Department of Defense
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Style Mr. Secretary
Status Leader and chief executive
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
50 U.S.C. § 401
Precursor Secretary of War
Secretary of the Navy
Formation September 17, 1947 (1947-09-17)
First holder James Forrestal
Succession Sixth[3]
Deputy Deputy Secretary of Defense
Salary Executive Schedule, level I[4]
Website www.defense.gov

The secretary of defense (SecDef) is the leader and chief executive officer of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the Armed Forces of the U.S.[5][6][7] The secretary of defense's position of command and authority over the U.S. military is second only to that of the president. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a defense minister in many other countries.[8] 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.[9]

The secretary of defense is a statutory office, and the general provision in 10 U.S.C. § 113 provides that "subject to the direction of the President", its occupant has "authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense". The same statute further designates the secretary as "the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of Defense".[10] To ensure civilian control of the military, no one may be appointed as the secretary of defense within seven years of serving as a commissioned officer of a regular (i.e., non-reserve) component of an armed force.[11]

Subject only to the orders of the president, the secretary of defense is in the chain of command and exercises command and control, for both operational and administrative purposes, over all Department of Defense forces – the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force – as well as the U.S. Coast Guard when its command and control is transferred to the Department of Defense.[12][13][14][15][16] Only the secretary of defense (or the president or Congress) can authorize the transfer of operational control of forces between the three military departments (the departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force) and the 10 Combatant Commands (Africa Command, Central Command, European Command, Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command, Southern Command, Cyber Command, Special Operations Command, Strategic Command, Transportation Command).[12] Because the Office of Secretary of Defense is vested with legal powers that exceed those of any commissioned officer, and is second only to the president in the military hierarchy, its incumbent has sometimes unofficially been referred to as a de facto "deputy commander-in-chief".[17][18][19] (The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the secretary of defense and the president, and while the chairman may assist the secretary and president in their command functions, the chairman is not in the chain of command.[20])

The secretary of defense, secretary of state, the attorney general, and the secretary of the treasury are generally regarded as heading the four most important departments.[21]

Since July 23, 2019, the secretary of defense has been Mark Esper, the 27th person to hold the office.[22]

History

Seal of the National Military Establishment (1947–1949), which was reorganized into the Department of Defense.

An Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were established in 1775, in concurrence with the American Revolution. The War Department, headed by the secretary of war, was created by Act of Congress in 1789 and was responsible for both the Army and Navy until the founding of a separate Department of the Navy in 1798.

Based on the experiences of World War II, proposals were soon made on how to more effectively manage the large combined military establishment. The Army generally favored centralization while the Navy had institutional preferences for decentralization and the status quo. The resulting National Security Act of 1947 was largely a compromise between these divergent viewpoints. The Act split the Department of War into the Department of the Army and Department of the Navy and established the National Military Establishment (NME), presided over by the secretary of defense. The Act also separated the Army Air Forces from the Army to become its own branch of service, the United States Air Force. At first, each of the service secretaries maintained cabinet status. The first secretary of defense, James Forrestal, who in his previous capacity as the secretary of the Navy had opposed creation of the new position, found it difficult to exercise authority over the other branches with the limited powers his office had at the time. To address this and other problems, the National Security Act was amended in 1949 to further consolidate the national defense structure in order to reduce interservice rivalry, directly subordinate the secretaries of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force to the secretary of defense in the chain of command, and rename the National Military Establishment as the Department of Defense, making it one Executive Department. The position of the deputy secretary of defense, the number two position in the department, was also created at this time.

The general trend since 1949 has been to further centralize management in the Department of Defense, elevating the status and authorities of civilian OSD appointees and defense-wide organizations at the expense of the military departments and the services within them. The last major revision of the statutory framework concerning the position was done in the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. In particular, it elevated the status of joint service for commissioned officers, making it in practice a requirement before appointments to general officer and flag officer grades could be made.

Powers and functions

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The Secretary of War [now Secretary of Defense] is the regular constitutional organ of the President for the administration of the military establishment of the nation; and rules and orders publicly promulgated through him must be received as the acts of the executive, and as such, be binding upon all within the sphere of his legal and constitutional authority. Such regulations cannot be questioned or denied because they may be thought unwise or mistaken.

United States v. Eliason, 41 U.S. 291 (1842)

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Nor is it necessary for the Secretary of War [now Secretary of Defense] in promulgating such rules or orders to state that they emanate from the President, for the presumption is that the Secretary is acting with the President's approbation and under his direction.

In re Brodie, 128 Fed. 668 (CCA 8th 1904)

Department of Defense organizational chart (December 2013)

The secretary of defense, appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate, is by federal law (10 U.S.C. § 113) the head of the Department of Defense, "the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to Department of Defense", and has "authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense". Because the Constitution vests all military authority in Congress and the president, the statutory authority of the secretary of defense is derived from their constitutional authorities. Since it is impractical for either Congress or the president to participate in every piece of Department of Defense affairs, the secretary of defense, and the secretary's subordinate officials generally exercise military authority.

As the head of DoD, all officials, employees and service members are "under" the secretary of defense. Some of those high-ranking officials, civil and military (outside of OSD and the Joint Staff) are: the secretary of the Army, secretary of the Navy, and secretary of the Air Force, Army chief of staff, commandant of the Marine Corps, chief of naval operations, and Air Force chief of staff, chief of the National Guard Bureau and the combatant commanders of the Combatant Commands. All of these high-ranking positions, civil and military, require Senate confirmation.

The Department of Defense is composed of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the Joint Staff (JS), Office of the Inspector General (DODIG), the Combatant Commands, the Military Departments (Department of the Army (DA), Department of the Navy (DON) & Department of the Air Force (DAF)), the Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities, the National Guard Bureau (NGB), and such other offices, agencies, activities, organizations, and commands established or designated by law, or by the president or by the secretary of defense.

Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 describes the organizational relationships within the Department, and is the foundational issuance for delineating the major functions of the Department. The latest version, signed by former secretary of defense Robert Gates in December 2010, is the first major re-write since 1987.[23][24]

Office of the Secretary of Defense

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The secretary's principally civilian staff element is called the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and is composed of the deputy secretary of defense (DEPSECDEF) and five under secretaries of defense in the fields of acquisition, technology & logistics, comptroller/chief financial officer, intelligence, personnel & readiness, and policy; several assistant secretaries of defense; other directors and the staffs under them.

The name of the principally military staff organization, organized under the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the Joint Staff (JS).

Awards and decorations

The Defense Distinguished Service Medal (DDSM), the Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM), the Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM) and the Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM) are awarded, to military personnel for service in joint duty assignments, in the name of the secretary of defense. In addition, there is the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA), which is the only ribbon (as in non-medal) and unit award issued to joint DoD activities, also issued in the name of the secretary of defense.

The DDSM is analogous to the distinguished services medals issued by the military departments (i.e. Army Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal & Air Force Distinguished Service Medal), the DSSM corresponds to the Legion of Merit, the DMSM to the Meritorious Service Medal, the JSCM to the service commendation medals, and the JSAM to the achievement medals issued by the services. While the approval authority for DSSM, DMSM, JSCM, JSAM and JMUA is delegated to inferior DoD officials: the DDSM can only be awarded by the secretary of defense.

Recommendations for the Medal of Honor (MOH), formally endorsed in writing by the secretary of the military department concerned and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are processed through the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and such recommendations be must approved by the secretary of defense before it can be handed over to the president, who is the final approval authority for the MOH, although it is awarded in the name of Congress.

The secretary of defense, with the concurrence of the secretary of state, is the approval authority for the acceptance and wear of NATO medals issued by the secretary general of NATO and offered to the U.S. permanent representative to NATO in recognition of U.S. servicemembers who meet the eligibility criteria specified by NATO.[25]

Congressional committees

As the head of the department, the secretary of defense is the chief witness for the congressional committees with oversight responsibilities over the Department of Defense. The most important committees, with respect to the entire department, are the two authorizing committees, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), and the two appropriations committees, the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.

For the DoD intelligence programs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence have the principal oversight role.

National Security Council

The secretary of defense is a statutory member of the National Security Council.[26] As one of the principals, the secretary along with the vice president, secretary of state and the assistant to the president for national security affairs participates in biweekly Principals Committee (PC) meetings, preparing and coordinating issues before they are brought before full NSC sessions chaired by the president.

Role in the military justice system

The secretary is one of only five or six civilians—the others being the president, the three "service secretaries" (the secretary of the Army, secretary of the Navy, and secretary of the Air Force), and the secretary of homeland security (when the United States Coast Guard is under the United States Department of Homeland Security and has not been transferred to the Department of the Navy under the Department of Defense)—authorized to act as convening authority in the military justice system for General Courts-Martial (10 U.S.C. § 822: article 22, UCMJ), Special Courts-Martial (10 U.S.C. § 823: article 23, UCMJ), and Summary Courts-Martial (10 U.S.C. § 824: article 24 UCMJ).

Amenities

Salary

Secretary of Defense is a Level I position of the Executive Schedule,[4] and thus earns a salary of $210,700 per year as of January 2018.

List of secretaries of defense

The longest-serving secretary of defense is Robert McNamara, who served for a total of 7 years, 39 days. Combining his two non-sequential services as the secretary of defense, the second-longest serving is Donald Rumsfeld, who served just ten days fewer than McNamara. The second-longest unbroken tenure was Caspar Weinberger's, at 6 years, 306 days.

The shortest-serving secretary of defense is Elliot Richardson, who served 114 days and then was appointed U.S. attorney general amid the resignations of the Watergate Scandal. (This is not counting deputy secretaries of defense William P. Clements and William Howard Taft IV, who each served a few weeks as temporary/acting secretary of defense).

Parties

      Democratic       Republican       Political Independent / Unknown

Status
  Denotes an Acting Secretary of Defense
Secretary of Defense Took office Left office Time in office Party State of residence President
serving under
Ref
1
James Forrestal
Forrestal, JamesJames Forrestal
(1892–1949)
September 17, 1947 March 28, 1949 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Democratic New York Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Dem) [27]
2
Louis A. Johnson
Johnson, LouisLouis A. Johnson
(1891–1966)
March 28, 1949 September 19, 1950 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Democratic West Virginia Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Dem) [28]
3
George Marshall
Marshall, GeorgeGeorge Marshall
(1880–1959)
September 21, 1950 September 12, 1951 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Independent Pennsylvania Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Dem) [29]
4
Robert A. Lovett
Lovett, RobertRobert A. Lovett
(1895–1986)
September 17, 1951 January 20, 1953 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican New York Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Dem) [30]
5
Charles Erwin Wilson
Wilson, CharlesCharles Erwin Wilson
(1890–1961)
January 28, 1953 October 8, 1957 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Michigan Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Rep) [31]
6
Neil H. McElroy
McElroy, NeilNeil H. McElroy
(1904–1972)
October 9, 1957 December 1, 1959 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Ohio Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Rep) [32]
7
Thomas S. Gates Jr.
Gates, ThomasThomas S. Gates Jr.
(1906–1983)
December 2, 1959 January 20, 1961 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Pennsylvania Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Rep) [33]
8
Robert McNamara
McNamara, RobertRobert McNamara
(1916–2009)
January 21, 1961 February 29, 1968 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Michigan Kennedy, JohnJohn F. Kennedy (Dem)
Lyndon B. Johnson (Dem)
[34]
9
Clark Clifford
Clifford, ClarkClark Clifford
(1906–1998)
March 1, 1968 January 20, 1969 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Democratic Maryland Johnson, LyndonLyndon B. Johnson (Dem) [35]
10
Melvin R. Laird
Laird, MelvinMelvin R. Laird
(1922–2016)
January 22, 1969 January 29, 1973 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Wisconsin Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Rep) [36]
11
Elliot Richardson
Richardson, ElliotElliot Richardson
(1920–1999)
January 30, 1973 May 24, 1973 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Massachusetts Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Rep) [37]
Bill Clements
Clements, BillBill Clements (Acting)
(1917–2011)
May 24, 1973 July 2, 1973[citation needed] Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Texas Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Rep) [38]
12
James R. Schlesinger
Schlesinger, JamesJames R. Schlesinger
(1929–2014)
July 2, 1973 November 19, 1975 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Virginia Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Rep)
Gerald Ford (Rep)
[39]
13
Donald Rumsfeld
Rumsfeld, DonaldDonald Rumsfeld
(born 1932)
November 20, 1975 January 20, 1977 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Illinois Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (Rep) [40]
14
Harold Brown
Brown, HaroldHarold Brown
(1927–2019)
January 20, 1977 January 20, 1981 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Independent California Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (Dem) [41]
15
Caspar Weinberger
Weinberger, CasparCaspar Weinberger
(1917–2006)
January 21, 1981 November 23, 1987 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican California Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Rep) [42]
16
Frank Carlucci
Carlucci, FrankFrank Carlucci
(1930–2018)
November 23, 1987 January 20, 1989 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Virginia Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Rep) [43]
William Howard Taft IV
Taft, WilliamWilliam Howard Taft IV (Acting)
(born 1945)
January 20, 1989 March 21, 1989 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Ohio Bush, GeorgeGeorge H. W. Bush (Rep) [44]
17
Dick Cheney
Cheney, DickDick Cheney
(born 1941)
March 21, 1989 January 20, 1993 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Wyoming Bush, GeorgeGeorge H. W. Bush (Rep) [45]
18
Leslie Aspin
Aspin, LesLeslie Aspin
(1938–1995)
January 20, 1993[46][47] February 3, 1994 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Democratic Wisconsin Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Dem) [48]
19
William Perry
Perry, WilliamWilliam Perry
(born 1927)
February 3, 1994 January 23, 1997[49] / January 24, 1997[46][50] Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Independent Pennsylvania Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Dem) .
20 Cohen, WilliamWilliam Cohen
(born 1940)
January 24, 1997 January 20, 2001 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Maine Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Dem) [51]
21 Rumsfeld, DonaldDonald Rumsfeld
(born 1932)
January 20, 2001 December 18, 2006 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist.
(7 years, 29 days total)
Republican Illinois Bush, George W.George W. Bush (Rep) [52]
22 Gates, RobertRobert Gates
(born 1943)
December 18, 2006 June 30, 2011[53] / July 1, 2011[46] Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Texas Bush, George W.George W. Bush (Rep)
Barack Obama (Dem)
.
23 Panetta, LeonLeon Panetta
(born 1938)
July 1, 2011 February 26, 2013 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Democratic California Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Dem) [54]
24 Hagel, ChuckChuck Hagel
(born 1946)
February 27, 2013 February 17, 2015 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Nebraska Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Dem) [55]
25 Carter, AshAsh Carter
(born 1954)
February 17, 2015 January 20, 2017 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Democratic Massachusetts Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Dem) [56][46]
26 Mattis, JimJim Mattis
(born 1950)
January 20, 2017 January 1, 2019 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Independent Washington Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep) [57]
Shanahan, PatrickPatrick M. Shanahan (Acting)
(born 1962)
January 1, 2019 June 23, 2019 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Independent Washington Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep) [58]
Esper, MarkMark Esper (Acting)
(born 1964)
June 24, 2019 July 15, 2019 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Virginia Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep) [59]
Esper, MarkRichard V. Spencer (Acting)
(born 1954)
July 15, 2019 July 23, 2019 Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Independent Wyoming Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep) [60]
27 Esper, MarkMark Esper
(born 1964)
July 23, 2019 Incumbent Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. Republican Virginia Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Rep) [59]

Succession

Presidential succession

The secretary of defense is sixth in the presidential line of succession, following the secretary of the treasury and preceding the attorney general.[61]

Secretary of Defense succession

In Executive Order 13533 of March 1, 2010, President Barack Obama modified the line of succession regarding who would act as the secretary of defense in the event of a vacancy or incapacitation, thus reversing the changes made by President George W. Bush in Executive Order 13394 as to the relative positions of the secretaries of the military departments. All of the officials in the line of succession are civilians appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate:

Executive Order 13533 (March 1, 2010 – present)

# Office
Secretary of Defense
1 Deputy Secretary of Defense
2 Secretary of the Army
3 Secretary of the Navy
4 Secretary of the Air Force
5 Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
6 Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
7 Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
8 Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
9 Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
10 Deputy Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense
11 Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
12 Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
13 Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
14 Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
15 Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
16 Director of Defense Research and Engineering
17 General Counsel of the Department of Defense
Assistant Secretaries of Defense
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation
Director of Operational Energy Plans and Programs
and the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation
18 Under Secretary of the Army
Under Secretary of the Navy
and the Under Secretary of the Air Force
19 Assistant Secretaries of the Army
Assistant Secretaries of the Navy
Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force
General Counsel of the Army
General Counsel of the Navy
and the General Counsel of the Air Force

Executive Order 13394 (December 22, 2005 – March 1, 2010)

# Office
Secretary of Defense
1 Deputy Secretary of Defense
2 Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
3 Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
4 Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
5 Secretary of the Army
6 Secretary of the Air Force
7 Secretary of the Navy
8 Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
and the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
9 Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
and the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
10 General Counsel of the Department of Defense
Assistant Secretaries of Defense
and the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation
11 Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Material Readiness
and the Director of Defense Research and Engineering
12 Under Secretary of the Army
Under Secretary of the Navy
and the Under Secretary of the Air Force
13 Assistant Secretaries of the Army
Assistant Secretaries of the Navy
Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force
General Counsel of the Army
General Counsel of the Navy
and the General Counsel of the Air Force

Living former secretaries of defense

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As of March 2024, there are nine living former secretaries of defense, the oldest being William Perry (1994–1997, born 1927). The most recent secretary of defense to die was Harold Brown (1977–1981), on January 4, 2019.

Name Term of office Date of birth (and age)
Donald Rumsfeld 1975–1977, 2001–2006 (1932-07-09) July 9, 1932 (age 91)
Dick Cheney 1989–1993 (1941-01-30) January 30, 1941 (age 83)
William Perry 1994–1997 (1927-10-11) October 11, 1927 (age 96)
William Cohen 1997–2001 (1940-08-28) August 28, 1940 (age 83)
Robert Gates 2006–2011 (1943-09-25) September 25, 1943 (age 80)
Leon Panetta 2011–2013 (1938-06-28) June 28, 1938 (age 85)
Chuck Hagel 2013–2015 (1946-10-04) October 4, 1946 (age 77)
Ash Carter 2015–2017 (1954-09-24) September 24, 1954 (age 69)
Jim Mattis 2017–2018 (1950-09-08) September 8, 1950 (age 73)

See also

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References

Footnotes

  1. Trask & Goldberg: p. 177.
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  4. 4.0 4.1 5 U.S.C. § 5312
  5. 10 U.S.C. § 113.
  6. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a
  7. 5 U.S.C. § 101.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. 50 U.S.C. § 402.
  10. 10 U.S.C. § 113
  11. The National Security Act of 1947 originally required an interval of ten years after relief from active duty, which was reduced to seven years by Sec. 903(a) of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. In 1950 Congress passed special legislation (Pub. Law 81-788) to allow George C. Marshall to serve as Secretary of Defense while remaining a commissioned officer on the active list of the Army (Army regulations kept all five-star generals on active duty for life), but warned:

    It is hereby expressed as the intent of the Congress that the authority granted by this Act is not to be construed as approval by the Congress of continuing appointments of military men to the office of Secretary of Defense in the future. It is hereby expressed as the sense of the Congress that after General Marshall leaves the office of Secretary of Defense, no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved.

    Defenselink bio, Retrieved February 8, 2010; and Marshall Foundation bio, Retrieved February 8, 2010.

  12. 12.0 12.1 10 U.S.C. § 162
  13. Joint Publication 1: II-9, II-10 & II-11.
  14. 10 U.S.C. § 3011
  15. 10 U.S.C. § 5011
  16. 10 U.S.C. § 8011
  17. Trask & Goldberg: pp.11 & 52
  18. Cohen: p.231.
  19. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. 10 U.S.C. § 152
  21. Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch (1997). Congressional Quarterly. p. 87.
  22. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 Functions of the Department of Defense and Its Major Components
  24. DoDD 5100.1: p.1.
  25. DoDM 1348.33, Vol 3: p.39 (Enclosure 3)
  26. 50 U.S.C. § 402
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  46. 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 Department of Defense Key Officials September 1947 – February 2019
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  59. 59.0 59.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  61. 3 U.S.C. § 19.

Sources

Federal law

Directives, regulations and manuals

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Further reading

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  • Mahan, Erin R., and Jeffrey A. Larsen, eds. (2012) "Evolution of the Secretary of Defense in the Era of Massive Retaliation: Charles Wilson, Neil McElroy, and Thomas Gates, 1953–1961," Cold War Foreign Policy Series: Special Study 3 (September 2012), vii–41.
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Primary historical sources

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Online sources

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External links

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United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by as Secretary of the Treasury Order of Precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Defense
Succeeded by
William Barr
as Attorney General
United States presidential line of succession
Preceded by 6th in line Succeeded by
Attorney General
William Barr