The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs, or ASD(NCB), is the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics

The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics - USD - is a senior official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the Department of Defense of the United States of America...

 for all matters concerning the formulation of policy and plans for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs. The ASD(NCB) develops policies, provides advice, and makes recommendations on nuclear weapons; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) medical and non-medical defense; safety, surety, security, and safe destruction of the current chemical weapons stockpile; NCB arms control activities; and related plans and programs. The ASD(NCB) also exercises oversight of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (CTR) executed by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). In addition, the Director of DTRA reports directly to the ASD(NCB).

Prior to the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 on January 7, 2011, the ASD(NCB) was known as the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear & Chemical & Biological Defense Programs.

History

The ASD(NCB) can trace its roots back to the beginning of the Cold War, when the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 (P.L. 79-585) established an Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to replace the Manhattan Project. The Act also created the DoD Military Liaison Committee (MLC) to coordinate military requirements with the AEC. According to an official history, "The MLC functioned as the authorized channel of communication between the DoD and the DOE on all atomic energy matters relating to the military applications of atomic weapons or atomic energy. It addressed matters of policy, programming, and commitment of funds to the military application of atomic energy."

Amendments to the Atomic Energy Act of 1949 (P.L. 81-347) provided that the president appoint the chairman of the committee, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and that the Secretary of Defense choose the committee members.

In 1951, the Secretary of Defense moved the MLC to the Pentagon and designated its chairman as the Deputy to the Secretary of Defense for Atomic Energy Matters. In 1953, this position was re-designated under DoD Directive 5130.2 as the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Atomic Energy.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987 (P.L. 99-661, passed in November 1986) abolished the Military Liaison Committee and replaced it with the Nuclear Weapons Council. A little over a year later, in December 1987, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1988-1989 (P.L. 100-180), established the statutory position of Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Atomic Energy).

In 1994, the ATSD(AE) was given control over the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA), now known as DTRA

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency is an agency within the United States Department of Defense and is the official Combat Support Agency for countering weapons of mass destruction . DTRA's main functions are threat reduction, threat control, combat support, and technology development...

. In February 1996, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996 (P.L. 104-106) officially redesignated ATSD(AE) the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear & Chemical & Biological Defense Programs, or ASTD (NCB).

Between 1997 and 2001, the Clinton administration declined to nominate anyone to serve as the ATSD(NCB), having determined, as part of the Defense Reform Initiative, that the position should be eliminated. Congress, however, insisted that the Pentagon maintain the office, arguing it was necessary to ensure appropriate senior-level policy oversight and implementation guidance within the DoD.

In January 2011, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2011, renaming the ATSD(NCB) the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs.

Office Holders

The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time, as well as all the holders of those offices.

Assistants to the Secretary of Defense (Nuclear & Chemical & Biological Defense Programs)

Name	Tenure	SecDef(s) Served Under	President(s) Served Under
Chairman, Military Liaison Committee
Lt. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton Lewis H. Brereton Lewis Hyde Brereton was a military aviation pioneer and lieutenant general in the United States Air Force...  (USA) United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...	July 17, 1947 – March 30, 1948	James V. Forrestal	Harry Truman
Donald F. Carpenter	April 8, 1948 - September 21, 1948	James V. Forrestal	Harry Truman
William Webster	September 22, 1948 - September 30, 1949	Louis A. Johnson Louis A. Johnson Louis Arthur Johnson was the second United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from March 28, 1949 to September 19, 1950....	Harry Truman
Robert LeBaron	October 1, 1949 - April 12, 1953	Louis A. Johnson Louis A. Johnson Louis Arthur Johnson was the second United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from March 28, 1949 to September 19, 1950....   George C. Marshall, Jr.  Robert A. Lovett Robert A. Lovett Robert Abercrombie Lovett was the fourth United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from 1951 to 1953 and in this capacity, directed the Korean War. Promoted to the position from deputy secretary of defense Domhoff described Lovett as a "Cold War...   Charles E. Wilson Charles Erwin Wilson Charles Erwin Wilson , American businessman and politician, was United States Secretary of Defense from 1953 to 1957 under President Eisenhower. Known as "Engine Charlie", he previously worked as CEO for General Motors. In the wake of the Korean War, he cut the defense budget significantly.-Early...	Harry Truman  Dwight Eisenhower
Chairman, Military Liaison Committee/Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Atomic Energy)
Robert LeBaron	April 13, 1953 - August 1, 1954	Charles E. Wilson Charles Erwin Wilson Charles Erwin Wilson , American businessman and politician, was United States Secretary of Defense from 1953 to 1957 under President Eisenhower. Known as "Engine Charlie", he previously worked as CEO for General Motors. In the wake of the Korean War, he cut the defense budget significantly.-Early...	Dwight Eisenhower
Maj. Gen. Herbert B. Loper (USAF) United States Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...	August 9, 1954 - July 14, 1961	Charles E. Wilson Charles Erwin Wilson Charles Erwin Wilson , American businessman and politician, was United States Secretary of Defense from 1953 to 1957 under President Eisenhower. Known as "Engine Charlie", he previously worked as CEO for General Motors. In the wake of the Korean War, he cut the defense budget significantly.-Early...   Neil H. McElroy Neil H. McElroy Neil Hosler McElroy was United States Secretary of Defense from 1957 to 1959 under President Eisenhower. He had been president of Procter & Gamble.- Early life :...   Thomas S. Gates  Robert S. McNamara	Dwight Eisenhower  John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
Dr. Gerald W. Johnson	August 11, 1961 - September 15, 1963	Robert S. McNamara	John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
William J. Howard	January 2, 1964 - June 15, 1966	Robert S. McNamara	Lyndon Johnson
Dr. Carl Walske	October 3, 1966 - April 15, 1973	Robert S. McNamara  Clark M. Clifford  Melvin R. Laird Melvin R. Laird Melvin Robert Laird is an American politician and writer. Laird was a Republican congressman who also served as Richard Nixon's Secretary of Defense from 1969 to 1973. Laird urged Nixon to maintain a policy of withdrawing US soldiers from Vietnam...   Elliot L. Richardson	Lyndon Johnson  Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
Donald R. Cotter	October 16, 1973 - March 17, 1978	James R. Schlesinger James R. Schlesinger Dr. James Rodney Schlesinger is an American politician. He is best known for serving as Secretary of Defense from 1973 to 1975 under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...   Donald H. Rumsfeld  Harold Brown Harold Brown (Secretary of Defense) Harold Brown , American scientist, was U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1977 to 1981 in the cabinet of President Jimmy Carter. He had previously served in the Lyndon Johnson administration as Director of Defense Research and Engineering and Secretary of the Air Force.While Secretary of Defense, he...	Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...   Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...   Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
Dr. James P. Wade, Jr.	August 8, 1978 - June 14, 1981 June 15, 1981 - June 5, 1982 (Acting)	Harold Brown Harold Brown (Secretary of Defense) Harold Brown , American scientist, was U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1977 to 1981 in the cabinet of President Jimmy Carter. He had previously served in the Lyndon Johnson administration as Director of Defense Research and Engineering and Secretary of the Air Force.While Secretary of Defense, he...   Caspar W. Weinberger	Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...   Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Dr. Richard Wagner	June 6, 1982 - April 1, 1986	Caspar W. Weinberger	Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Dr. Robert B. Barker	October 18, 1986 - November 14, 1986	Caspar W. Weinberger	Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Atomic Energy)
Dr. Robert B. Barker	November 14, 1986 - March 3, 1988 (non-statutory) March 4, 1988 - May 29, 1992 (statutory)	Caspar W. Weinberger  Frank C. Carlucci III  William H. Taft IV William Howard Taft IV William Howard Taft IV is an attorney who has served in the United States government under several Republican administrations. He is the son of William Howard Taft III and the great-grandson of U.S. President William Howard Taft....  (Acting) Richard B. Cheney	Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....   George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
Dr. John Birely (Acting)	May 29, 1992 - May 6, 1993	Richard B. Cheney  Leslie Aspin, Jr.	George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...   William Clinton 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...
Dr. Harold P. Smith, Jr.	June 1, 1993 - March 10, 1996	William J. Perry	William Clinton 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...
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Nuclear & Chemical & Biological Defense Programs)
Dr. Harold P. Smith, Jr.	March 11, 1996 - January 31, 1998	William J. Perry  William S. Cohen	William Clinton 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...
Position Vacant	1998–2001	William S. Cohen	William Clinton 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...   George W. Bush George W. Bush George 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. Dale Klein	November 15, 2001 - June 30, 2006	Donald H. Rumsfeld	George W. Bush George W. Bush George 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. A. Thomas Hopkins (Acting)	January 31, 2006 - August 2008	Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates	George W. Bush George W. Bush George 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....
Fred Celec	August 2008 - May 2009	Robert M. Gates	George W. Bush George W. Bush George 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....   Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack 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...
Andrew C. Weber	May 18, 2009 - January 7, 2011	Robert M. Gates	Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack 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...
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs)
Andrew C. Weber	January 7, 2011 -	Robert M. Gates	Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack 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...