Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
USD(P)
Flag of an Under Secretary of Defense
Incumbent Christine E. Wormuth since June 23, 2014
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Style	The Honorable (formal address in writing)
Reports to	Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense
Appointer	The President with the advice and consent of the Senate
Term length	No fixed term
Inaugural holder	Stanley Rogers Resor
Formation	1978
Succession	6th in SecDef succession
Deputy	The Principal Deputy Under Secretary
Salary	Level III of the Executive Schedule
Website	policy.defense.gov

The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USDP) is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Defense. The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense for all matters concerning the formation of national security and defense policy.

The Under Secretary is normally appointed from civilian life by the President with the consent of the Senate to serve at the request of the President. The current Under Secretary is Christine E. Wormuth, whose appointment was signed by President Barack Obama on June 23, 2014 as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

Mission: The mission of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is to consistently provide responsive, forward-thinking, and insightful policy advice and support to the Secretary of Defense, and the Department of Defense, in alignment with national security objectives.

Overview

Ms. Christine Wormuth announced on April 21, 2016 that she will be stepping down from the USDP position and handing over the enormous responsibilities to Brian P. McKeon who currently serves as Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Ms. Wormuth served many defense positions over the years.

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is the principal staff element of the Secretary of Defense in the exercise of policy development, planning, resource management, fiscal, and program evaluation responsibilities.

With the rank of Under Secretary, the USD(P) is a Level III position within the Executive Schedule.

Reporting Officials

Officials reporting to the USD(P) include:

• Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
• Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Integration & Chief of Staff
• Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, & Forces
• Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • Defense Security Cooperation Agency
• Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs
  • Defense Technology Security Agency
• Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs
• Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities
• Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs
• Director, Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office
• Representative to the Post-START Negotiations

The Task Force for Business and Stability Operations appears to report directly to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

Budget

Budget Totals

The annual budget for the USD(P) is contained in the OSD's budget, under the Defense-Wide Operation and Maintenance (O&M) account. According to official projections, the budget for USD(P) is expected to see substantial cutbacks in FY11 and FY12.

USD Policy Budget, FY 10-12 ($ in thousands)

Line Item	FY10 Actual	FY11 Estimate	FY12 Request
Core OSD Operating Program
Civilian Pay and Benefits, USD (P)	65,278	69,044	72,577
Program Structure
Defense Critical Infrastructure Protection	18,253	17,475	9,032
Global Threat Management	11,397	10,731	3,636
Homeland Defense Support Activities	11,276	13,534	10,705
Policy Planning and Integration	18,473	17,818	5,553
Regional Security Affairs	9,716	9,257	4,691
Rewards Program	5,077	4,779	7,117
Travel	7,338	5,710	4,755
US Mission to NATO	6,415	6,615	3,319
Warfighting Support Activities	8,253	7,473	6,266
Overseas Contingency Operations
OCO OUSD (Policy)	44,243	0	0
Totals
Total Budget	205,719	162,436	127,651

Budget Features

• Defense Critical Infrastructure Program (DCIP): Oversees policy formulation and strategic planning for the Defense Critical Infrastructure Program, to include the Defense Industrial Base, which provides defense-related products and services that are essential to equip; mobilize; deploy and sustain military operations, enabling the Warfighter to minimize risk. Ensures the resiliency of networked infrastructure assets, whether owned or operated by the DoD or private industry, that are critical to executing military missions. Activities include the identification, assessment, monitoring, and risk management of cyber and physical infrastructure assets critical to the execution of the National Military Strategy. DCIP is run under the auspices of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs, where it is overseen by the DASD, Homeland Defense Strategy and Force Planning.
• Global Threat Management: Provides policy, guidance and oversight on existential threats, supranational threats and non-state actor threats. OUSD(P) fulfills this global mission by crafting and implementing initiatives to expand cultural understanding throughout the world in governed and ungoverned areas to aid in preventing the expansion of terrorist cells. Utilizes table top exercises to enable Members of Congress, Administration Officials, and DoD personnel to form strategies in addressing catastrophic security events. Active research and involvement in the ever-changing cyber environment to protect security assets and prevent sophisticated threats in cyberspace from adversaries domestic and foreign. This funding appears to primarily support the programs of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs.
• Homeland Defense Support Activities: Formulates policy and conducts DoD strategic planning for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities, including installation preparedness; CBRNE preparedness and consequence management; border security and National Security Special Events. Supports the U.S. Northern Command in homeland defense strategy, and enhances the U.S. Southern Command mission through engagement with the ministries of defense of Western Hemisphere nations. It supervises intradepartmental and inter-agency coordination of the above issues. Conducts oversight of DoD processes to exercise force readiness through the National Exercise Program. Manages defense continuity and conducts crisis management. This funding appears to primarily support the programs of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs.
• Policy Planning and Integration: OUSD(P) coordinates activities to aid in formulating strategies for DoD programs at national and international levels. This involves establishing and monitoring strategic direction, planning and force development as laid out in reporting documents such as the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and Defense Planning and Programming Guidance (DPPG). OUSD(P) ensures decisions are not made in a vacuum by integrating policies and resources related to humanitarian efforts and their compliance with international laws. Initiates crisis decision-making in an interagency setting; creates forums to explore emerging national security issues; and examines the capabilities and limitations of national power through various instruments. Funding allows interagency integration and coordination to determine requirements for potential dual-use application of Defense assets.
• Regional Security Affairs: Provides analysis of management of cultural situations in nation states and oversight to military joint ventures and cooperative DoD-Foreign government programs including educational, training, and developmental opportunities. Using a variety of resources, maintains regional expertise to support DoD leadership in forming and implementing strategies and contributes to coordinating holistic government engagement in programs and policies. Regional expertise provides the ability to: monitor and solve security cooperation issues, effectively execute coalition management, monitor international security operations, and further develop cooperative relations with foreign countries. This funding appears to primarily support the programs of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs and Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
• Rewards Program: Provides funds to publicize the program and pay rewards for information to disrupt international terrorist activities.
• Travel: This funding supports travel in support of the OUSD(P) mission.
• US Mission to NATO: Funding provides regional stability interface with US allies, NATO resolution of regional conflicts, response to terrorism and unstable conditions in fragile and failed nation states that include NATO involvement, weapons of mass destruction bilateral measures, and support of overseas facilities.
• Warfighting Support Activities: OUSD(P) provides resources to orchestrate the development of special technologies and capabilities. It sustains these efforts by conducting in-depth analyses of the assignment of additional military and civilian personnel to long-term, non-intelligence positions in high-priority countries. Prepares the military for confronting threats in culturally diverse countries, supports policies and strategies that develop skills unique to counterinsurgency and stabilization efforts; reinforces and builds international support over shared security concerns, homeland security, counterterrorism and other critical nation alliances, and promotes humanitarian activities through military resources in a non-combative manner. Provides funds to pay rewards for information to disrupt international terrorist activities and enhance US security capabilities. This funding appears to primarily support the programs of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities

Office holders

Under Secretaries of Defense for Policy

Portrait	Name	Date Appointed*	Tenure	SecDef(s) Served Under	President(s) Served Under
	Stanley Rogers Resor	July 12, 1978	August 14, 1978 - April 1, 1979	Harold Brown	Jimmy Carter
	Robert W. Komer	September 27, 1979	October 24, 1979 - January 20, 1981	Harold Brown	Jimmy Carter
	Fred C. Ikle	-	April 2, 1981 - February 19, 1988	Caspar W. Weinberger Frank C. Carlucci III	Ronald Reagan
	Paul Wolfowitz	-	May 15, 1989 - January 19, 1993	Richard B. Cheney	George H.W. Bush
	Frank G. Wisner	February 23, 1993	July 6, 1993 - June 9, 1994	Leslie Aspin, Jr. William J. Perry	Bill Clinton
	Walter B. Slocombe	July 13, 1994	September 15, 1994 - January 19, 2001	William J. Perry William S. Cohen	Bill Clinton
	Douglas Feith	April 30, 2001	July 16, 2001 - August 8, 2005	Donald H. Rumsfeld	George W. Bush
	Eric S. Edelman	August 9, 2005	February 9, 2006 - January 20, 2009	Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates	George W. Bush
	Michele Flournoy	January 8, 2009	February 9, 2009 - February 3, 2012	Robert M. Gates Leon Panetta	Barack Obama
	James N. Miller	February 18, 2012	February 18, 2012 - January 8, 2014	Leon Panetta Chuck Hagel	Barack Obama
	Michael D. Lumpkin	January 9, 2014	January 9, 2014 - June 24, 2014	Chuck Hagel	Barack Obama
	Christine E. Wormuth	June 19, 2014	June 23, 2014 - Present	Chuck Hagel Ash Carter	Barack Obama

Principal Deputy

The Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is the chief staff assistant to the USD(P). Originally established as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Policy) by the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1992-93 (P.L. 102-190), the post was re-designated Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Policy), or PDUSD(P) in December 1999 by DoD Directive 5111.3. The PDUSD(P) provides advice and assistance to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and USD(P) on national security policy, military strategy, and defense policy.

Principal Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense for Policy

Name	Tenure	USD(P) Served Under	SecDef(s) Served Under	President(s) Served Under
I. Lewis Libby	August 12, 1992 - January 10, 1993	Paul Wolfowitz	Richard B. Cheney	George H.W. Bush
Walter B. Slocombe	June 1, 1993 - September 14, 1994	Frank G. Wisner	Leslie Aspin, Jr. William J. Perry	Bill Clinton
Jan M. Lodal	October 3, 1994 - September 30, 1998	Walter B. Slocombe	William J. Perry William S. Cohen	Bill Clinton
James M. Bodner	October 1, 1998 - January 19, 2001	Walter B. Slocombe	William S. Cohen	Bill Clinton
Stephen A. Cambone	July 25, 2001 - July 1, 2002	Douglas Feith	Donald H. Rumsfeld	George W. Bush
Christopher "Ryan" Henry	February 7, 2003 - August 2008	Douglas Feith Eric S. Edelman	Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates	George W. Bush
James N. Miller	April 2, 2009 - February 18, 2012	Michele Flournoy	Robert M. Gates	Barack Obama
Elissa Slotkin	April 2, 2009 - February 18, 2012	Michael D. Lumpkin Christine E. Wormuth	Chuck Hagel	Barack Obama