The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) — abbreviated ASA(M&RA) — is a civilian official in the United States Department of the Army

United States Department of the Army

The Department of the Army is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Army is the Federal Government agency which the United States Army is organized within, and it is led by the Secretary of the Army who has...

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U.S. law provides that there shall be five Assistant Secretaries of the Army

Assistant Secretary of the Army

Assistant Secretary of the Army is a title used to describe various civilian officials in the United States Department of the Army.-Present Assistant Secretaries of the Army:...

 "appointed from civilian life by the President

President of the United States

The 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....

, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate

United States Senate

The 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...

." "One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He shall have as his principal duty the overall supervision of manpower and reserve component affairs of the Department of the Army. Pursuant to United States Army

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...

 General Order

General order

In militaries, a general order is a published directive, originated by a commander, and binding upon all personnel under his command, the purpose of which is to enforce a policy or procedure unique to his unit's situation which is not otherwise addressed in applicable service regulations, military...

 No. 3, the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) supervises Army strategy, policy, programs, and compliance related to functions such as recruiting, readiness and mobilization, civilian and military manpower, medical and health affairs, family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation

Morale, Welfare and Recreation

Morale, Welfare and Recreation, abbreviated MWR, is a network of support and leisure services designed for use by soldiers , their families, civilian employees, military retirees and other eligible participants....

, the review of soldier records, force structure policy, manpower analysis, the Army-wide Equal Employment Opportunity Program and critical matters pertaining to Reserve Affairs.

The office can be traced to 1950, when United States Secretary of the Army

United States Secretary of the Army

The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official within the Department of Defense of the United States of America with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and...

 Gordon Gray decided to centralize manpower issues for civil, military, and reserve personnel under one individual, with the position being elevated to Assistant Secretary when manpower issues proved to be a problem during the course of the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. The office was then abolished in 1961, with its duties transferred to the Office of the Under Secretary of the Army, but then re-established - this time by statute - in 1968.

Past Secretaries

Name	Assumed Office	Left Office	President President of the United States The 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....  Appointed By	Secretary United States Secretary of the Army The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official within the Department of Defense of the United States of America with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and...  Served Under
William K. Brehm William K. Brehm William K. Brehm is a United States businesman who served as Assistant Secretary of the Army from 1968 to 1970, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs from 1973 to 1976 and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs from 1976 to 1977.-Biography:William K...	1968	1969	Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...	Stanley Rogers Resor Stanley Rogers Resor Stanley Rogers Resor is a former lawyer, U.S. military officer, and government official.Born in New York City, he was the son of Stanley B. Resor , president of the J. W. Thompson advertising agency and one of the originators of the modern advertising industry...
Donald G. Brotzman Donald G. Brotzman Donald Glenn Brotzman was a U.S. Representative from Colorado.-History:Brotzman was born on a farm in near Sterling, Colorado in Logan County to Priscella Ruth Kittle Smith and Harry Brotzman . He was educated in Logan County schools. He married Louise L. Reed on April 9, 1944...	1975	1977	Gerald R. Ford	Martin R. Hoffman Martin Richard Hoffmann Martin Richard Hoffmann is a U.S. administrator. He served as the United States Secretary of the Army between 1975 and 1977.-Government Career:...
Harry N. Walters Harry N. Walters Harry N. Walters is a United States businessman who served as Assistant Secretary of the Army from 1981 to 1983 and Administrator for the U.S. Veterans Administration from 1983 to 1986.-Biography:...	1981	1983	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....	John Otho Marsh, Jr. John Otho Marsh, Jr. John Otho Marsh, Jr. served as the United States Secretary of the Army between 1981 and 1989. He also served in the United States House of Representatives from Virginia from 1963 to 1971. He graduated from Washington and Lee University, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity...
Delbert Spurlock Delbert Spurlock Delbert L. Spurlock, Jr. was United States Assistant Secretary of the Army from 1980 to 1989 and United States Deputy Secretary of Labor from 1991 to 1993.-Biography:...	1983	1989	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....	John Otho Marsh, Jr. John Otho Marsh, Jr. John Otho Marsh, Jr. served as the United States Secretary of the Army between 1981 and 1989. He also served in the United States House of Representatives from Virginia from 1963 to 1971. He graduated from Washington and Lee University, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity...
G. Kim Wincup G. Kim Wincup G. Kim Wincup was United States Assistant Secretary of the Army from 1989 to 1992 and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force in 1992.-Biography:...	1989	1992	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...	Michael P. W. Stone
Robert S. Silberman Robert S. Silberman Robert S. Silberman was United States Assistant Secretary of the Army from 1992 to 1993; Chief Executive Officer of International Paper from 1993 to 1995; and CEO of Strayer Education, Inc. from 2001 to present.-Biography:...	1992	1993	Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William 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...	Togo D. West, Jr. Togo D. West, Jr. Togo Dennis West, Jr. is an American attorney and public official who was the third person to occupy the post of Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on January 27, 1998, during Clinton's second term, and was confirmed by the Senate on May 5, 1998. He had...
Sara E. Lister Sara E. Lister Sara E. Lister is a United States lawyer who served as General Counsel of the Army under the Carter administration and then as Assistant Secretary of the Army from 1994 to 1997. She gained national attention in November 1997 when she gave a speech in which she referred to members of the United...	1994	November 1997	Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William 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...	Togo D. West, Jr. Togo D. West, Jr. Togo Dennis West, Jr. is an American attorney and public official who was the third person to occupy the post of Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on January 27, 1998, during Clinton's second term, and was confirmed by the Senate on May 5, 1998. He had...
Patrick T. Henry Patrick T. Henry Patrick T. Henry was United States Assistant Secretary of the Army from 1998 to 2001.-Biography:Patrick T. Henry was educated at the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1972. He then spent the next twenty years serving in the United States Marine Corps...	1998	2001	Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William 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...	Louis Caldera Louis Caldera Louis Caldera was Director of the White House Military Office from January 20, 2009, until May 22, 2009, and served as the 17th United States Secretary of the Army from July 2, 1998, until January 20, 2001.-Family and education:...
Reginald J. Brown Reginald J. Brown Reginald J. "Reggie" Brown was United States Assistant Secretary of the Army from 2001 to 2005.-Biography:...	August 2001	January 2005	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....	Thomas E. White Thomas E. White Thomas E. White, Jr. is an American businessman and former United States Army officer who served as senior executive at the now collapsed Enron and as the United States Secretary of the Army from May 31, 2001 until April 25, 2003.-Military career and education:In 1963 White graduated from Cass... , Francis J. Harvey Francis J. Harvey Francis Joseph Harvey served as the 19th Secretary of the United States Army from November 19, 2004 to March 9, 2007.-Education and family:Harvey was born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania...
Ronald J. James Ronald J. James Ronald J. James is a United States lawyer who served as Assistant Secretary of the Army from 2006 to 2009.-Biography:...	October 2006	2009	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....	Francis J. Harvey Francis J. Harvey Francis Joseph Harvey served as the 19th Secretary of the United States Army from November 19, 2004 to March 9, 2007.-Education and family:Harvey was born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania... , Pete Geren Pete Geren Preston M. "Pete" Geren, III served as the 20th United States Secretary of the Army from July 16, 2007 to September 16, 2009...
Thomas R. Lamont Thomas R. Lamont Thomas R. Lamont is the current United States Assistant Secretary of the Army , having assumed office on June 22, 2009.-Biography:Thomas R...	June 26, 2009	Present	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...	Pete Geren Pete Geren Preston M. "Pete" Geren, III served as the 20th United States Secretary of the Army from July 16, 2007 to September 16, 2009... , John M. McHugh John M. McHugh John Michael McHugh is the 21st United States Secretary of the Army and a former Republican politician from the state of New York, formerly representing the state's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.On June 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him to...