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United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
Second highest-ranking DoD official / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The deputy secretary of defense (acronym: DepSecDef) is a statutory office (10 U.S.C. § 132) and the second-highest-ranking official in the Department of Defense of the United States of America.
United States Deputy Secretary of Defense | |
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![]() Seal of the Department | |
![]() Flag of the Deputy Secretary | |
Department of Defense Office of the Secretary | |
Style | Madam Deputy Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal) |
Status | Chief Operating Officer |
Reports to | Secretary |
Seat | The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia |
Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
Term length | No fixed term |
Constituting instrument | 10 U.S.C. § 132 |
Formation | 1949[1] |
First holder | Stephen Early[1] May 2, 1949 |
Succession | 1st in SecDef succession |
Salary | Executive Schedule, level II[2] |
Website | www.defense.gov |
The deputy secretary is the principal civilian deputy to the secretary of defense, and is appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The deputy secretary, by statute, is designated as the DoD chief management officer and must be a civilian, at least seven years removed from service as a commissioned officer on active-duty at the date of appointment.[3]
The current deputy secretary of defense is Kathleen Hicks, effective February 8, 2021. Hicks is the first woman to serve in this role.