United States Secretary of Defense

The United States secretary of defense is a member of the US president’s cabinet and the head of the US Department of Defense (DOD). As a member of the cabinet, the US secretary of defense is an advisor to the president. The secretary of defense is an important member of the executive branch and is sixth in the line of presidential succession. As the head of the DOD, the secretary oversees all branches of the US military. The secretary also has authority over the DOD. The secretary of defense is in charge of millions of employees, including members of the military and civilian workers. The secretary of defense has a deputy secretary to aid in operations, and each branch of the military is also headed by a separate secretary because the Defense Department is so large.

Background

The US president’s cabinet is a group of people who are meant to advise the president. The modern presidential cabinet is much larger than early cabinets. Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution established the idea of the cabinet. George Washington chose his first cabinet in September 1789. Although the original cabinet did not include a secretary of defense, it did include a secretary of war, which was a position similar to the secretary of defense. The secretary of war and the other members of the presidential cabinet were important advisors to the president. Although the cabinet has grown and changed over time, its role has not changed very much. As a member of the cabinet, the modern secretary of defense is still an important advisor to the president and is the sixth person in the line of presidential succession. Like other members of the cabinet, the secretary of defense works at the pleasure of the president. That means that the president can hire and fire secretaries of defense. For this reason, secretaries of defense and other cabinet members often serve one president and leave office before or when that president leaves office.

Overview

The military is one of the oldest institutions in the United States, with the army, navy, and Marine Corps being established in 1775. From the late 1700s to the mid-1900s, the United States government had secretaries of the army and the navy, but it did not have a secretary who commanded all the parts of the military. In the first half of the twentieth century, the United States was involved in World Wars I and II, and many leaders believed that the various parts of the military should have a shared leader. Because of this, the US government changed the structure of the national defense. In 1947, the US military underwent a major restructuring after the National Security Act was passed. The National Security Act created the National Security Council and established the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It also merged the War Department and the Navy Department and created the position of secretary of defense.

James Forrestal became the first secretary of defense after the National Security Act was passed. Forrestal played an important role in shaping the DOD and the secretary’s role in the department. After serving in the position for a few months, Forrestal believed that the secretary of defense should have more defined duties rather than a number of vague directives. Also, he believed that the secretary of defense should have more power over the branches of the military. The National Security Act was changed in 1949 to give the secretary of defense more power and more defined duties.

Another important secretary of defense was Robert McNamara, who served as secretary of defense for nearly seven years. McNamara was famously the secretary of defense during the early years of the Vietnam War. After he left his position, McNamara viewed the war and America’s role in it critically. Another secretary of defense who served for a long period was Donald Rumsfeld, who served two different terms. He served as secretary of defense first during the administration of President Gerald Ford, and then he served more famously during the George W. Bush administration. During this time, Rumsfeld and the rest of the administration took the United States into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dick Cheney, who would later become vice president, served as secretary of defense from 1989 to 1993. During this time, Cheney changed the DOD’s focus to be mostly centered on the Middle East. This was part of the reason why the United States initiated Operation Desert Shield in the Middle East in 1990.

The secretary of defense is the most important of the president’s advisors concerning defense of the country. The secretary of defense is also the main authority, other than the president, over the DOD and the military. The secretary of defense has a deputy secretary who helps with the enormous job of running the department. The secretary and the deputy secretary help develop defense policy, manage Defense Department resources, and evaluate programs. The secretary also executes policies that deal with military affairs and national security. The secretary of defense and the president together create an authority called the National Command Authority. The president, who is the commander in chief, is the ultimate authority, but the secretary of defense helps plan and execute military actions. The secretary of defense has the help of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which includes civilian and military employees and helps plan, coordinate, and conduct military operations.

The secretary of defense oversees a huge workforce. The secretary of defense oversees roughly 3.4 million service members and civillians. The DOD’s headquarters, where the secretary does much of his or her work, is located at the iconic Pentagon building in Washington, DC. Before the Pentagon was completed in 1943, the department was located in the Munitions Building in Washington.

Bibliography

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