Term length No fixed term | Formation September 18, 1947 | |
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 Inaugural holder Kenneth Claiborne Royall | ||
The Secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior 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 equipment acquisition, communications, and financial management.
Contents
- Responsibilities
- Office of the Secretary of the Army
- Chronological list of Secretaries of the Army
- References
The Secretary of the Army is nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Secretary of the Army is a non-Cabinet position serving under the Secretary of Defense. This position was created on September 18, 1947, replacing the Secretary of War, when the Department of War became the Department of the Army and was made a department within the new Department of Defense.
Robert M. Speer took office as Acting Secretary on January 20, 2017, when President Donald Trump was sworn in. He will perform his duties until the U.S. Senate confirms a new Army Secretary; Karl M. Schneider will perform the duties of Undersecretary of the Army. Mr. Speer was formerly Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management & Comptroller).
Responsibilities
The Senior Leadership of the Department of the Army consists of two civilians—the Secretary of the Army and the Under Secretary of the Army—and two military officers of four-star rank—the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.
The Secretary of the Army (10 U.S.C. § 3013) is in effect the chief executive officer of the Department of the Army, and the Chief of Staff of the Army works directly for the Secretary of the Army. The Secretary presents and justifies Army policies, plans, programs, and budgets to the Secretary of Defense, other executive branch officials, and to the Congressional Defense Committees. The Secretary also communicates Army policies, plans, programs, capabilities, and accomplishments to the public. As necessary, the Secretary convenes meetings with the senior leadership of the Army to debate issues, provide direction, and seek advice. The Secretary is a member of the Defense Acquisition Board.
The Secretary of the Army has several responsibilities under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including the authority to convene general courts-martial and management of the Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army Program.
Office of the Secretary of the Army
The Office of the Secretary of the Army is composed of the Under Secretary of the Army, the Assistant Secretaries of the Army, the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, the General Counsel of the Department of the Army, the Inspector General of the Army, the Chief of Legislative Liaison, and the Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee. Other offices may be established by law or by the Secretary of the Army. No more than 1,865 officers of the Army on the active-duty list may be assigned or detailed to permanent duty in the Office of the Secretary of the Army and on the Army Staff.
Chronological list of Secretaries of the Army
Kenneth Claiborne Royall, the last Secretary of War, became the first Secretary of the Army when the National Defense Act of 1947 took effect and was the last Army secretary to hold the cabinet status, which was henceforth assigned to the Secretary of Defense.