United States Secretary of Defense to die was Frank Carlucci (1987–1989), on 3 June 2018. United States Secretary of Defense The Secretary of Defense (SecDef) is the leader and chief executive officer of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the Armed Forces of the United States. The Secretary of Defense's position of command and authority over the United States' military is second only to that of the President and Congress, respectively. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in many other countries. The Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President with the advice and consent
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Policy is the principal staff element of the Secretary of Defense in the exercise of policy development, planning, resource management, fiscal, and program evaluation responsibilities, the rank of "Under Secretary", the USD(P) is a Level III position within the Executive Schedule. Officials reporting to the USD(P) include: The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities (ASD(SPC)) is responsible for national security and defense strategy, leading the Quadrennial Defense Review, nuclear deterrence and missile defense policy, security cooperation plans and policies, and force design and development planning. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (ASD(ISA)) is responsible