Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, or ASD (L&MR), is the principal staff assistant and adviser to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, (USD (AT&L)), Deputy Secretary of Defense (DEPSECDEF), and Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) on logistics and materiel readiness issues within the Department of Defense (DoD), including programs related to logistics, materiel readiness, maintenance, strategic mobility, and sustainment support. As the principal logistics official within the senior management of the DoD, the ASD (L&MR) exercises authority, direction and control over the director of the Defense Logistics Agency. Like all other Assistant Secretaries of Defense, the ASD (L&MR) is considered a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The current Assistant Secretary is David J. Berteau.

History

This position can trace its lineage partially back to the National Security Act of 1947, which established a Munitions Board to oversee logistics and supply within the nascent Defense Department. Through the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford administrations, oversight of logistics and materiel readiness was merged with oversight of installations and properties. In 1977, the acquisition functions of this office were transferred to the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, and responsibilities for logistics were merged with manpower and reserve affairs throughout the Carter and early Reagan administrations.[1]

For a year in the middle of the Reagan administration, responsibilities for logistics and materiel support were split between two ASDs after the creation of a new Assistant Secretary of Defense for Development and Support, established by Defense Directive 5129.4 (signed 25 November 1984). However, this office was abolished after Defense Directive 5128.1 (signed in November 1985) merged logistics responsibilities into a single office, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Logistics. This office was then replaced by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Production and Logistics in April 1987, and phased out completely in 1993 after the reorganization of the office of the USD (AT&L).[1] From 1993 until 2000, there was no principal staff assistant to the USD (AT&L) responsible for oversight of logistics and materiel readiness.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, (P.L. 106-65, signed 5 October 1999) created the new position of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, or DUSD (L&MR). The DUSD (L&MR) was meant to serve as a second DUSD, after the Principal DUSD, reporting to the USD (AT&L). According to an official DoD history, the intent of Congress in establishing the DUSD (L&MR) was to emphasize the importance of these functions.[1]

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (P.L. 111-84, signed 28 October 2009) redesignated this position as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, or ASD (L&MR), as part of an overall effort to limit the number of DUSD positions to five.[2] However, this post has remained vacant throughout the Obama administration, with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (PDASD) Alan F. Estevez serving as the highest-ranking official in this office.[3] It is unclear whether the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency is required to report to the USD (AT&L) through the PDASD (L&MR) in the absence of an ASD (L&MR).

Office Holders

The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time, as well as all the holders of those offices.

Assistant Secretaries of Defense (Logistics & Materiel Readiness)[1]
Name Tenure SecDef(s) Served Under President(s) Served Under
Chairman, Munitions Board
Thomas J. Hargrave September 30, 1947 - September 20, 1948 James V. Forrestal Harry Truman
Donald F. Carpenter September 21, 1948 - June 30, 1949 James V. Forrestal
Louis A. Johnson
Harry Truman
Hubert E. Howard November 25, 1949 - September 18, 1950 Louis A. Johnson Harry Truman
John D. Small November 16, 1950 - January 20, 1953 George C. Marshall
Robert A. Lovett
Harry Truman
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Supply and Logistics)
Charles S. Thomas August 5, 1953 - May 2, 1954 Charles E. Wilson Dwight Eisenhower
Thomas P. Pike May 3, 1954 - June 27, 1956 Charles E. Wilson Dwight Eisenhower
E. Perkins McGuire December 28, 1956 - January 20, 1961 Charles E. Wilson
Neil H. McElroy
Thomas S. Gates
Dwight Eisenhower
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Installations and Logistics)
Thomas D. Morris January 29, 1961 - December 11, 1964 Robert S. McNamara John F. Kennedy
Lyndon Johnson
Paul R. Ignatius December 23, 1964 - August 31, 1967 Robert S. McNamara Lyndon Johnson
Thomas D. Morris September 1, 1967 - February 1, 1969 Robert S. McNamara
Clark M. Clifford
Melvin R. Laird
Lyndon Johnson
Richard Nixon
Barry J. Shillito February 1, 1969 - February 1, 1973 Melvin R. Laird Richard Nixon
Arthur I. Mendolia June 21, 1973 - March 31, 1975 James R. Schlesinger Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
John J. Bennett (Acting) April 1, 1975 - February 9, 1976 James R. Schlesinger
Donald H. Rumsfeld
Gerald Ford
Frank A. Shrontz February 10, 1976 - January 19, 1977 Donald H. Rumsfeld Gerald Ford
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Logistics)
John P. White May 11, 1977 - October 31, 1978 Harold Brown Jimmy Carter
Robert B. Pirie, Jr. June 17, 1979 - January 20, 1981 Harold Brown Jimmy Carter
Lawrence J. Korb May 4, 1981 - January 12, 1984 Caspar W. Weinberger Ronald Reagan
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Installations, and Logistics)
Lawrence J. Korb January 12, 1984 - July 5, 1985 Caspar W. Weinberger Ronald Reagan
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Development and Support)
James P. Wade August 6, 1984 - July 5, 1985 Caspar W. Weinberger Ronald Reagan
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Logistics)
James P. Wade July 5, 1985 - November 3, 1986 Caspar W. Weinberger Ronald Reagan
Robert B. Costello March 13, 1987 - April 15, 1987 Caspar W. Weinberger Ronald Reagan
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Production and Logistics)
Robert B. Costello April 15, 1987 - December 17, 1987 Caspar W. Weinberger
Frank C. Carlucci III
Ronald Reagan
Jack Katzen March 28, 1988 - January 8, 1990 Frank C. Carlucci III
William H. Taft IV (Acting)
Richard B. Cheney
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Colin McMillan March 5, 1990 - December 11, 1992 Richard B. Cheney George H. W. Bush
No Position
Position Vacant 1993–2000 Leslie Aspin, Jr.
William J. Perry
William S. Cohen
Bill Clinton
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Materiel Readiness)
Roger W. Kallock September 15, 2000 - January 19, 2001 William S. Cohen Bill Clinton
Diane Morales July 17, 2001 - January 2, 2004 Donald H. Rumsfeld George W. Bush
Bradley M. Berkson (Acting) January 2004[4] - August 2005 Donald H. Rumsfeld George W. Bush
Phillip J. "Jack" Bell August 8, 2005[5] - January 2009 Donald H. Rumsfeld
Robert M. Gates
George W. Bush
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Materiel Readiness)
Position Vacant January 2009 - August 8, 2011 Robert M. Gates
Leon Panetta
Barack Obama
Alan F. Estevez August 8, 2011 - Leon Panetta Barack Obama

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Department of Defense Key Officials" (PDF). Historical Office, OSD. 2004. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  2. Title IX, Subtitle A, Section 906, Part b, http://intelligence.senate.gov/pdfs/military_act_2009.pdf
  3. L&MR Website, Accessed 14 Feb 2011, http://www.acq.osd.mil/log/lmr/bio.htm
  4. "The Decision Makers: Defense Department". GovExec.com. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  5. "Cost-effective Joint Support for the Warfighter," Defense AT&L Interview with Jack Bell, http://www.dau.mil/pubscats/PubsCats/atl/2007_03_04/bel_ma07.pdf

External links

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