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Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics

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Term length
  
No fixed term

Formation
  
1986

Inaugural holder
  
Richard P. Godwin

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics

Style
  
Mister Secretary The Honorable (formal address in writing)

Reports to
  
Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense

Appointer
  
The President with the advice and consent of the Senate

The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, or USD(AT&L), is a senior civilian official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the Department of Defense. USD(AT&L) is the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense for all matters concerning Departmental acquisitions and the general management of the Department as a whole.

Contents

The Under Secretary is appointed from civilian life by the President with the consent of the Senate to serve at the pleasure of the President. The current Under Secretary is James MacStravic, who is currently serving as Acting Under Secretary until the United States Senate confirms a new Under Secretary nominated by President Donald Trump .

Overview

The subdivision within the Office of the Secretary of Defense supervised by the Under Secretary is known as the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. The Office is the principal staff element for the Department of Defense for acquisitions, research and development, advanced technology, and logistics. As the Department's chief administrative officer, the Under Secretary oversees installation management, military construction, occupational health management, utilities and energy management; business management modernization, document services, and nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs.

Despite holding the rank of Under Secretary, USD(AT&L) is a Level II position within the Executive Schedule. All other Under Secretaries within the Department are Level III positions. Since January 2010, the annual rate of pay for Level II is $179,700.

History

This position was established by Act of Congress (P.L. 99-348) in 1986 as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, and implemented with the issuance of Department of Defense Directive 5134.1 in February 1987. This position replaced the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, which had been established in 1977. The Director, Defense Research and Engineering became a separate, less powerful position in the Pentagon, which reports up to the USD(AT&L). The title changed to Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology in the National Defense Authorization Act for 1994 (P.L. 103-160, passed 30 November 1993).

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (P.L. 106-65, passed 5 October 1999), redesignated this post as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, a name that the office still holds. The USD (AT&L) serves as the principal assistant to the Secretary of Defense for research and development, production, procurement, logistics, and military construction.

Reporting Officials

Officials reporting to the USD(AT&L) include:

  • Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics
  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
  • President, Defense Acquisition University
  • Director, Defense Contract Management Agency
  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs
  • Director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
  • Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
  • Administrator, Defense Technical Information Center
  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness
  • Director, Defense Logistics Agency
  • Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment
  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs
  • Director, Missile Defense Agency
  • Director, Test Resources Management Center
  • Director, Corrosion Policy and Oversight

    • Office of the Under Secretary

    The Under Secretary leads the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics (OUSD-AT&L). A unit of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, OUSD-AT&L supervises all Department of Defense acquisitions, including procurement of goods and services, research and development, developmental testing, and contract administration, for all elements of the Department. OUSD-AT&L oversees logistics, maintenance, and sustainment support for all elements of the Department and establishes policies for the maintenance of the defense industrial base of the United States.

    The work of OUSD-AT&L is conducted through its several staff directorates, including:

  • Human Capital Initiatives Directorate - responsible for executing all workforce responsibilities identified by the Secretary of Defense
  • Acquisition Resources and Analyses Directorate - integrates the diverse aspects of Defense acquisition into a balanced and coherent program that supports the National Strategy and makes the most effective use of resources provided
  • International Cooperation Directorate - supports the Under Secretary in all aspects of international cooperation, develops policy for international cooperative armaments programs, and provides the Under Secretary a single, integrated picture of international cooperative activities
  • Special Programs Directorate - manages the DoD Special Access Program (SAP) management and control structures
  • Small Business Programs Directorate - advises the Secretary of Defense on all matters related to small business and is committed to maximizing the contributions of small business in DoD acquisitions
  • Administration Directorate - serves as the central focal point for all OUSD-AT&L civilian and military personnel programs, organizational management, space, facilities, supply management, security, information management, travel, budgeting, and training
  • Defense Procurement & Acquisition Policy Directorate - responsible for all acquisition and procurement policy matters in the Department, including serving as the principal advisor to the Under Secretary on acquisition/procurement strategies for all major weapon systems programs, major automated information systems programs, and services acquisitions
  • Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell - provides a single point of contact in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for tracking the timeliness of immediate warfighter need actions for the senior leadership and facilitating coordination with other government agencies
  • Defense Science Board - provides senior Department leadership independent advice and recommendations on scientific, technical, manufacturing, acquisition process, and other matters of special interest to the Department
  • Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy - responsible for ensuring that Department policies, procedures, and actions:
  • stimulate and support vigorous competition and innovation in the industrial base supporting defense
  • establish and sustain cost-effective industrial and technological capabilities that assure military readiness and superiority

    • References

    Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA