Michael L. Dominguez
Encyclopedia
United States Deputy Undersecretary of Defense
United States Deputy Undersecretary of Defense is the title for several high-ranking posts in theU.S. Department of Defense. Officials are appointed Deputy Undersecretary of Defense by the President and are confirmed by the Senate by majority vote....
for Personnel and Readiness within the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. He has held that position since his confirmation by the United States 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...
on July 11, 2006.
Dominguez reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
The Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, or USD is a high-ranking civilian position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the United States Department of Defense responsible for advising the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense on recruitment, career development, pay and...
, and is responsible for "providing staff advice to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense for total force management as it relates to manpower; force structure; readiness; reserve component affairs; health affairs; training; and personnel policy and management, including equal opportunity, morale, welfare, recreation, and quality of life matters."
Career
The child of an Air Force servicemember, Dominguez grew up on bases around the world. After graduating in 1975 from the United States Military AcademyUnited States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 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...
, reported to Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
(Italy), then worked varied assignments with the 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne)
509th Infantry Regiment
The 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment was the first combat paratrooper unit of the United States Army formed during World War II...
and the Southern European Task Force.
After leaving the military in 1980, Dominguez went into private business and attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford Graduate School of Business
The Stanford Graduate School of Business is one of the professional schools of Stanford University, in Stanford, California and is broadly regarded as one of the best business schools in the world.The Stanford GSB offers a general management Master of Business Administration degree, the Sloan...
. From June 1983 to September 1988, he worked at the Office of the Secretary of Defense
Office of the Secretary of Defense
The 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...
as an analyst for the Program Analysis and Evaluation (PA&E) office.
From October 1988 to September 1991, he was executive assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for PA&E.
Dominguez entered the Senior Executive Service
Senior Executive Service
The Senior Executive Service is a paygrade in the civil service of the United States federal government, somewhat analogous to the ranks of general or admiral in the U.S. armed forces...
in 1991 as PA&E's Director for Planning and Analytical Support, serving until September 1994. He oversaw DOD's long-range planning forecast and its $12 billion in annual spending on information technology. He also directed the PA&E modernization of computing, communications and modeling infrastructure. He joined the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
' staff in October 1994 and helped the U.S. Navy develop multi-year programs and annual budgets. Dominguez left government in April 1997 to become general manager for a technology service organization, Tech 2000 in Herndon, Virginia
Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
.
In September 1999, he began work at the Center for Naval Analyses
Center for Naval Analyses
CNA's Center for Naval Analyses is a federally funded research and development center for the Navy and the Marine Corps. It also provides research and analysis services to other military and government agencies to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of U.S...
, where he organized and directed studies of public policy and program issues. In January 2001, he rejoined the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
as assistant director for Space, Information Warfare, and Command and Control.
From August 2001 until July 2006, Dominguez served as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. That service was interrupted by several months when he served as the acting United States Secretary of the Air Force
United States Secretary of the Air Force
The Secretary of the Air Force is the Head of the Department of the Air Force, a component organization within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Secretary of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate...
from March 28 to July 29, 2005.
Education
- 1975 Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
, U.S. Military Academy, West Point - 1983 Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business AdministrationThe Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San... - 1989 Program for Senior Officials in National Security, Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Awards
- 1980 Army Commendation MedalCommendation MedalThe Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may...
- 1988 and 1994 Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal
- 1993 Defense Civilian Service Medal
- 1997 Medal for Superior Civilian Service, Department of the Navy
- 1998 Presidential Meritorious Executive Rank Award
- 2005 (twice) and 2006 Air Force Exceptional Civilian Service Medal
- 2006 HENAACRole Model of the Year Award from the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference