Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, or ASD (L&MR), was the principal staff assistant and adviser to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, (USD (AT&L)), Deputy Secretary of Defense (DEPSECDEF), and Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) on logistics and materiel readiness issues within the Department of Defense (DoD), including programs related to logistics, materiel readiness, maintenance, strategic mobility, and sustainment support. As the principal logistics official within the senior management of the DoD, the ASD (L&MR) exercises authority, direction and control over the director of the Defense Logistics Agency. Like all other Assistant Secretaries of Defense, the ASD (L&MR) is considered a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.[where?]
As part of a reorganization on February 1, 2018, the ASD(L&MR) was abolished and combined into a new Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment.[1][2]
History
This position can trace its lineage partially back to the National Security Act of 1947, which established a Munitions Board to oversee logistics and supply within the nascent Defense Department. Through the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford administrations, oversight of logistics and materiel readiness was merged with oversight of installations and properties. In 1977, the acquisition functions of this office were transferred to the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, and responsibilities for logistics were merged with manpower and reserve affairs throughout the Carter and early Reagan administrations.[3]
For a year in the middle of the Reagan administration, responsibilities for logistics and materiel support were split between two ASDs after the creation of a new Assistant Secretary of Defense for Development and Support, established by Defense Directive 5129.4 (signed 25 November 1984). However, this office was abolished after Defense Directive 5128.1 (signed in November 1985) merged logistics responsibilities into a single office, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Logistics. This office was then replaced by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Production and Logistics in April 1987, and phased out completely in 1993 after the reorganization of the office of the USD (AT&L).[3] From 1993 until 2000, there was no principal staff assistant to the USD (AT&L) responsible for oversight of logistics and materiel readiness.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, (P.L. 106-65, signed 5 October 1999) created the new position of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, or DUSD (L&MR). The DUSD (L&MR) was meant to serve as a second DUSD, after the Principal DUSD, reporting to the USD (AT&L). According to an official DoD history, the intent of Congress in establishing the DUSD (L&MR) was to emphasize the importance of these functions.[3]
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (P.L. 111-84, signed 28 October 2009) redesignated this position as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, or ASD (L&MR), as part of an overall effort to limit the number of DUSD positions to five.[4] However, this post has remained vacant throughout the Obama administration, with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (PDASD) Alan F. Estevez serving as the highest-ranking official in this office.[5] It is unclear whether the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency is required to report to the USD (AT&L) through the PDASD (L&MR) in the absence of an ASD (L&MR).
Office Holders
The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time, as well as all the holders of those offices.
| Name | Tenure | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman, Munitions Board | |||
| Thomas J. Hargrave | September 30, 1947 - September 20, 1948 | James V. Forrestal | Harry Truman |
| Donald F. Carpenter | September 21, 1948 - June 30, 1949 | James V. Forrestal Louis A. Johnson |
Harry Truman |
| Hubert E. Howard | November 25, 1949 - September 18, 1950 | Louis A. Johnson | Harry Truman |
| John D. Small | November 16, 1950 - January 20, 1953 | George C. Marshall Robert A. Lovett |
Harry Truman |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Supply and Logistics) | |||
| Charles S. Thomas | August 5, 1953 - May 2, 1954 | Charles E. Wilson | Dwight Eisenhower |
| Thomas P. Pike | May 3, 1954 - June 27, 1956 | Charles E. Wilson | Dwight Eisenhower |
| E. Perkins McGuire | December 28, 1956 - January 20, 1961 | Charles E. Wilson Neil H. McElroy Thomas S. Gates |
Dwight Eisenhower |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Installations and Logistics) | |||
| Thomas D. Morris | January 29, 1961 - December 11, 1964 | Robert S. McNamara | John F. Kennedy Lyndon Johnson |
| Paul R. Ignatius | December 23, 1964 - August 31, 1967 | Robert S. McNamara | Lyndon Johnson |
| Thomas D. Morris | September 1, 1967 - February 1, 1969 | Robert S. McNamara Clark M. Clifford Melvin R. Laird |
Lyndon Johnson Richard Nixon |
| Barry J. Shillito | February 1, 1969 - February 1, 1973 | Melvin R. Laird | Richard Nixon |
| Arthur I. Mendolia | June 21, 1973 - March 31, 1975 | James R. Schlesinger | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| John J. Bennett (Acting) | April 1, 1975 - February 9, 1976 | James R. Schlesinger Donald H. Rumsfeld |
Gerald Ford |
| Frank A. Shrontz | February 10, 1976 - January 19, 1977 | Donald H. Rumsfeld | Gerald Ford |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Logistics) | |||
| John P. White | May 11, 1977 - October 31, 1978 | Harold Brown | Jimmy Carter |
| Robert B. Pirie, Jr. | June 17, 1979 - January 20, 1981 | Harold Brown | Jimmy Carter |
| Lawrence J. Korb | May 4, 1981 - January 12, 1984 | Caspar W. Weinberger | Ronald Reagan |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Installations, and Logistics) | |||
| Lawrence J. Korb | January 12, 1984 - July 5, 1985 | Caspar W. Weinberger | Ronald Reagan |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Development and Support) | |||
| James P. Wade | August 6, 1984 - July 5, 1985 | Caspar W. Weinberger | Ronald Reagan |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Logistics) | |||
| James P. Wade | July 5, 1985 - November 3, 1986 | Caspar W. Weinberger | Ronald Reagan |
| Robert B. Costello | March 13, 1987 - April 15, 1987 | Caspar W. Weinberger | Ronald Reagan |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Production and Logistics) | |||
| Robert B. Costello | April 15, 1987 - December 17, 1987 | Caspar W. Weinberger Frank C. Carlucci III |
Ronald Reagan |
| Jack Katzen | March 28, 1988 - January 8, 1990 | Frank C. Carlucci III William H. Taft IV (Acting) Richard B. Cheney |
Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| Colin McMillan | March 5, 1990 - December 11, 1992 | Richard B. Cheney | George H. W. Bush |
| No Position | |||
| Position Vacant | 1993–2000 | Leslie Aspin, Jr. William J. Perry William S. Cohen |
Bill Clinton |
| Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Materiel Readiness) | |||
| Roger W. Kallock | September 15, 2000 - January 19, 2001 | William S. Cohen | Bill Clinton |
| Diane Morales | July 17, 2001 - January 2, 2004 | Donald H. Rumsfeld | George W. Bush |
| Bradley M. Berkson (Acting) | January 2004[6] - August 2005 | Donald H. Rumsfeld | George W. Bush |
| Phillip J. "Jack" Bell | August 8, 2005[7] - January 2009 | Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates |
George W. Bush |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Materiel Readiness) | |||
| Position Vacant | January 2009 - August 8, 2011 | Robert M. Gates Leon Panetta |
Barack Obama |
| Alan F. Estevez | August 8, 2011 - October 30, 2013 | Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel | Barack Obama |
| David J. Berteau | December 16, 2014 - March 25, 2016 | Chuck Hagel, Ashton B. Carter | Barack Obama |
| Position Vacant | March 26, 2016 - November 2017 | Ashton B. Carter, James Mattis | Barack Obama, Donald J. Trump |
| Robert H. McMahon | November 2017 - Present | James Mattis | Donald J. Trump |
References
- ^ Mehta, Aaron (2018-02-02). "The Pentagon's acquisition office is gone. Here's what the next 120 days bring". Defense News. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
- ^ "Report to Congress: Restructuring the Department of Defense Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Organization and Chief Management Officer Organization" (PDF). 2017-08-01. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
- ^ a b c d "Department of Defense Key Officials" (PDF). Historical Office, OSD. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Title IX, Subtitle A, Section 906, Part b, http://intelligence.senate.gov/pdfs/military_act_2009.pdf
- ^ L&MR Website, Accessed 14 Feb 2011, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-02-07. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "The Decision Makers: Defense Department". GovExec.com. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
- ^ "Cost-effective Joint Support for the Warfighter," Defense AT&L Interview with Jack Bell, http://www.dau.mil/pubscats/PubsCats/atl/2007_03_04/bel_ma07.pdf