The
Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, or USD(P&R) is a high-ranking civilian position in the
Office of the Secretary of DefenseThe Office of the Secretary of Defense is a headquarters-level staff of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It is the principal civilian staff element of the Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out authority, direction and control of the Department...
(OSD) within the
United States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
responsible for advising the
SecretaryThe Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
and
Deputy Secretary of DefenseThe Deputy Secretary of Defense is the second-highest ranking official in the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Deputy Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate...
on
recruitmentRecruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a job. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies.The recruitment...
,
career developmentIn organizational development , the study of career development looks at:*how individuals manage their careers within and between organizations and,...
, pay and benefits, and oversight of the state of military readiness. The Under Secretary is appointed from civilian life by the
PresidentThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and confirmed by the
SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. This position is currently held by retired
Major GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Clifford Stanley, USMC, who was nominated by President
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in October 2009.
The USD(P&R) has oversight of the Defense Health Program, Defense Commissaries and Exchanges,
Defense Education ActivityThe Department of Defense Education Activity is a civilian agency of the United States Department of Defense that manages all schools for military children and teenagers, as well as foreign service children and teenagers, in the United States and also overseas at American military bases worldwide...
, the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, and the
Defense Travel SystemDefense Travel System is a fully integrated, electronic, end-to-end travel management system that automates temporary duty travel for the Department of Defense...
. The USD(P&R) is also responsible for training, health affairs,
National GuardThe National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
and
ReserveThe United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
affairs, personnel requirements for weapons support, and military and civilian family matters, subject to the authority of the Secretary of Defense. Through the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, the
United States Military Entrance Processing CommandThe United States Military Entrance Processing Command is a Major Command of the Department of Defense, which screens and processes applicants into the United States Armed Forces...
also reports to the Under Secretary.
When created in 1994, the USD(P&R) assumed authority primarily over three DoD offices: the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health AffairsThe Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs is chartered under United States Department of Defense Directive 5136.1 in 1994. This DoDD states that the ASD is the principal advisor to the U.S...
,
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve AffairsIn the United States military, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, or ASD , serves as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, with responsibility for overall...
, and
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management PolicyThe Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy, or ASD was a high-ranking position in the Defense Department responsible for the policies, plans and programs for military and civilian personnel management, including recruitment, education, career development, equal opportunity,...
. The ASD(FMP) has since been abolished, its responsibilities assumed by other officials reporting to the USD(P&R).
History
The position was first mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (P.L. 103-160), signed by President
ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
on November 30, 1993. Defense Directive 5124.2, passed 17 March 1994, officially established the position, incorporating the functions of the Assistant Secretary of Defense(Force Management and Personnel) and authorizing authority over the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve AffairsIn the United States military, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, or ASD , serves as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, with responsibility for overall...
and the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health AffairsThe Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs is chartered under United States Department of Defense Directive 5136.1 in 1994. This DoDD states that the ASD is the principal advisor to the U.S...
. Since the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 was signed on October 5, 1999, the Under Secretary has been responsible for establishing standards on deployment of units away from assigned duty stations, the length of time they may be away for a
deploymentMilitary deployment is the movement of armed forces and their logistical support infrastructure around the world.-United States:The United States Military defines the term as follows:...
away from assigned duty stations, and for establishing systems for reporting tracking deployments.
Organization
The USD(P&R) has authority over the following officials:
- Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, or PDASD(P&R)
- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs is chartered under United States Department of Defense Directive 5136.1 in 1994. This DoDD states that the ASD is the principal advisor to the U.S...
- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
In the United States military, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, or ASD , serves as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, with responsibility for overall...
- Director of Defense Human Resources Activity
- Director for Requirements and Strategic Integration
- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care & Transition Policy*
- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy*
- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness*
- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy*
- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy*
Those positions noted with an * were, prior to the
ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
administration, known as "Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense," and were considered part of the
Office of the Secretary of DefenseThe Office of the Secretary of Defense is a headquarters-level staff of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It is the principal civilian staff element of the Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out authority, direction and control of the Department...
. Along with the PDASD(P&R), these officials largely absorbed their responsibilities from the portfolio of the former
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management PolicyThe Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy, or ASD was a high-ranking position in the Defense Department responsible for the policies, plans and programs for military and civilian personnel management, including recruitment, education, career development, equal opportunity,...
, a position abolished in 2002.
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Under Secretaries of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)
| Portrait |
Name |
Tenure |
SecDef(s) Served Under |
President(s) Served Under |
| |
Edwin Dorn |
March 16, 1994 - July 7, 1997 |
William J. Perry |
William Clinton Bill Clinton is the 42nd President of the United States. William Clinton may also refer to:*William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon , English nobleman from prominent Norman family dating to William the Conqueror; Lord High Admiral as of 1333*William Henry Clinton , British general from...
|
| |
Rudy de Leon Rudolph "Rudy" F. de Leon is an American former senior Department of Defense official, military adviser, lobbyist, and foreign policy adviser...
|
August 5, 1997 - March 31, 2000 |
William J. Perry
William S. Cohen |
William Clinton Bill Clinton is the 42nd President of the United States. William Clinton may also refer to:*William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon , English nobleman from prominent Norman family dating to William the Conqueror; Lord High Admiral as of 1333*William Henry Clinton , British general from...
|
| |
Charles Cragin (Acting) |
March 31, 2000 - May 23, 2000 |
William S. Cohen |
William Clinton Bill Clinton is the 42nd President of the United States. William Clinton may also refer to:*William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon , English nobleman from prominent Norman family dating to William the Conqueror; Lord High Admiral as of 1333*William Henry Clinton , British general from...
|
| |
Bernard D. Rostker |
May 23, 2000 - January 19, 2001 |
William S. Cohen |
William Clinton Bill Clinton is the 42nd President of the United States. William Clinton may also refer to:*William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon , English nobleman from prominent Norman family dating to William the Conqueror; Lord High Admiral as of 1333*William Henry Clinton , British general from...
|
 |
David S. C. ChuDavid S. C. Chu is an American politician and consultant born New York, NY, May 28, 1944. As of 2009, he was President and CEO of the non-profit Institute for Defense Analyses. From 2001 to 2008, he served as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in the George W...
|
June 1, 2001–2008 |
Donald H. Rumsfeld
Robert M. Gates |
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
|
| |
Clifford Stanley |
February 16, 2010 - November 1, 2011 |
Robert M. Gates
Leon E. Panetta |
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
|
| |
Jo Ann Rooney (Acting) |
November 2, 2011 - |
Leon E. Panetta |
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
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Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
The USD(P&R) is supported by a principal deputy. Established as the
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) by the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002 (P.L. 107-107), the post took over the duties of the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management PolicyThe Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy, or ASD was a high-ranking position in the Defense Department responsible for the policies, plans and programs for military and civilian personnel management, including recruitment, education, career development, equal opportunity,...
, which was then abolished. The DUSD(P&R) was re-designated
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness), or PDUSD(P&R) in July 2003 by DoD Directive 5124.8. The post is now referred to as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, or PDASD(P&R). The PDASD(P&R) is delegated full power and authority to act for the USD(P&R) and exercise the powers of the USD(P&R) on any and all matters that the USD(P&R) is authorized to act, except in those areas where delegation of the USD(P&R) authority is otherwise restricted by higher authority or prohibited by law. The PDASD(P&R) also helps manage the five DASDs (previously known as DUSDs) that now make up the office of the USD(P&R).
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
| Name |
Tenure |
USD(P&R) Served Under |
SecDef(s) Served Under |
President(s) Served Under |
| Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness |
| Charles S. Abell |
November 14, 2002 - June 1, 2011 |
David S. C. ChuDavid S. C. Chu is an American politician and consultant born New York, NY, May 28, 1944. As of 2009, he was President and CEO of the non-profit Institute for Defense Analyses. From 2001 to 2008, he served as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in the George W...
|
Donald H. Rumsfeld |
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
|
| Dr. Jo Ann Rooney |
June 2, 2011 - |
Clifford Stanley |
Leon E. Panetta |
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
|
| Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness |
| Lynn C. Simpson |
April 2010 (Performing the Duties) - |
Clifford Stanley |
Robert M. Gates |
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
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