Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many high-level executive positions in the
Office of the Secretary of Defense
The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is a headquarters-level staff of the United States Department of Defense. It is the principal civilian staff element of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out aut ...
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:
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, originally established as the ''Assistant to the Secretary (Director, Office of Public Information)'' by Secretary
James V. Forrestal in July 1948.
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, originally established in 1949 as the ''Chairman, Armed Forces Medical Policy Council.'' The position has been abolished and restored several times.
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, established in 2003
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs In the United States military, the ''Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs'' (ASD (M&RA)), formerly Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (ASD (RA)) serves as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secre ...
, mandated by the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-94, passed 24 September 1983).
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, or ASD(LA), is the head of the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, responsible for providing support to the Secretary of Defense (SecDef) in his/her dealings with ...
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Internal Communications
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks & Information Integration / Chief Information Officer
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, abbreviated USD (R&E), is a senior official of the United States Department of Defense. The USD (R&E) is charged with the development and oversight of technology strategy for the DoD. T ...
/ Chief Technology Officer
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs
*Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities
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Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness
The deputy to an Assistant Secretary of Defense has the title ''Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense''.
Assistant Secretaries in the Military Departments
There are also several assistant secretaries in each of the three Military Departments:
Department of the Army
The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is org ...
,
Department of the Navy, and the
Department of the Air Force.
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Assistant Secretary of the Army
Assistant Secretary of the Army is a title used to describe various civilian officials in the United States Department of the Army.
Present Assistant Secretaries of the Army
At present, there are five offices bearing the title of Assistant Secre ...
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Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy.
From 1861 to 1954, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy was the second-highest civilian office in the Depa ...
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Assistant Secretary of the Air Force
See also
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Deputy Secretary of Defense, the number two position, next to the
Secretary of Defense
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
*
Assistant Secretary of War
References
{{reflist
External links
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Assistant Secretary of Defense