Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Encyclopedia
The Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, or USD(P&R) is a high-ranking civilian position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense
(OSD) within the United States Department of Defense
responsible for advising the Secretary
and Deputy Secretary of Defense
on recruitment
, career development
, pay and benefits, and oversight of the state of military readiness. The Under Secretary is appointed from civilian life by the President
and confirmed by the Senate
. This position is currently held by retired Major General
Clifford Stanley, USMC, who was nominated by President Barack Obama
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 Activity
, the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, and the Defense Travel System
. The USD(P&R) is also responsible for training, health affairs, National Guard
and Reserve
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 Command
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 Affairs
, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy
. The ASD(FMP) has since been abolished, its responsibilities assumed by other officials reporting to the USD(P&R).
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 Affairs
and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
. 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 deployment
away from assigned duty stations, and for establishing systems for reporting tracking deployments.
Those positions noted with an * were, prior to the Obama
administration, known as "Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense," and were considered part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense
. 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 Policy
, a position abolished in 2002.
, 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).
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...
(OSD) within the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
responsible for advising the Secretary
United States Secretary of Defense
The 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 Defense
United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
The 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 recruitment
Recruitment
Recruitment 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 development
Career development
In 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 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....
and confirmed by 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...
. This position is currently held by retired Major General
Major General
Major 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 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...
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 Activity
Department of Defense Education Activity
The 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 System
Defense Travel System
Defense 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 Guard
United States National Guard
The 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 Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The 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 Command
United States Military Entrance Processing Command
The 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 Affairs
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
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...
, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy
The 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 ClintonBill 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...
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 Affairs
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...
and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
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...
. 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 deployment
Military deployment
Military 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 AffairsAssistant 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 AffairsAssistant 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...
- 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 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...
administration, known as "Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense," and were considered part of 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...
. 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 Policy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy
The 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
| Portrait | Name | Tenure | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edwin Dorn | March 16, 1994 - July 7, 1997 | 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... |
|
| Rudy de Leon 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 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 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 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. Chu David S. C. Chu David 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. 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.... |
| Clifford Stanley | February 16, 2010 - November 1, 2011 | Robert M. Gates Leon E. Panetta |
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... |
|
| Jo Ann Rooney (Acting) | November 2, 2011 - | Leon E. Panetta | 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... |
|
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 PolicyAssistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy
The 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).
| 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. Chu David S. C. Chu David 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. 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. Jo Ann Rooney | June 2, 2011 - | Clifford Stanley | Leon E. Panetta | 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... |
| Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness | ||||
| Lynn C. Simpson | April 2010 (Performing the Duties) - | Clifford Stanley | 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... |